Former "American Idol" Contestant Testifies He Hated Wife, Allegedly Murdered Her
In a murder trial, Caleb Flynn's former mistress testified that he expressed hatred toward his wife and suggested she be killed, supporting prosecutors' motive theory.
A former mistress of Caleb Flynn, a former "American Idol" contestant and pastor, took the stand Wednesday in his murder trial, telling jurors she believes he killed his wife, Ashley Flynn. Prosecutors allege Flynn staged the death as a burglary and placed a 911 call after the incident.
Alleigha Botner said she did not initially know Flynn was married because he never wore a wedding ring, but later discovered his marriage and began an affair with him in March 2024. She testified that Flynn repeatedly told her he "hated" his wife and wished she were dead, claiming he would kill her if he could avoid jail.
Botner recounted that Flynn told her he stayed with his wife only for the children and used derogatory terms when referring to her. She said he promised to leave his wife and presented herself as his future spouse. Text messages read in court showed Flynn complaining about his wife and, when asked how she could help, responding, "You can kill her."
Botner admitted she initially lied to FBI investigators to protect her reputation but later provided more details after investigators uncovered related text messages. She said Flynn planned to divorce his wife on the day she was killed and had discussed using a burner phone to avoid detection.
The testimony was intended to establish a motive, linking Flynn's expressed hatred and affair to the alleged murder.