TIPP CITY, Ohio (Court TV) — A former reality TV contestant is behind bars in Ohio after police say he murdered his wife and then staged the scene to look like a burglary.
Caleb Flynn, 39, was arrested on Thursday and charged with murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence in the death of his wife, Ashley. He pleaded not guilty at his first appearance in court on Friday.
In documents reviewed by Court TV, investigators say that Flynn used a 9mm handgun to murder Ashley, who was pregnant at the time. The unborn baby was killed as well.
After shooting his wife to death, police say Caleb then staged his house to make it appear as if his wife had been killed in a burglary before calling 911. When he called to report the scene, Caleb said the couple’s children were asleep in their locked room, WHIO reported.
Caleb previously appeared on television as a contestant in the 12th season of ‘American Idol,’ after sending in a video audition of him singing “Lean on Me,” according to Hometownsource.com.
An online obituary says Ashley was the mother of two daughters and worked as a substitute teacher and 7th-grade volleyball coach. A celebration of life in her honor is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 22.
