DAYTON, Ohio (Court TV) — An insurance company has asked a court to intervene and determine who should get the proceeds of a life insurance policy after the only assigned beneficiary was convicted of killing the policyholder.
Caleb Flynn cries at sentencing on Oct. 5, 2026. (Court TV)
Caleb Flynn, 40, was known for his displays of emotion in court as he stood trial on charges that he murdered his wife, Ashley Flynn, 37. Despite Caleb Flynn’s story that an armed intruder had broken into the family’s home and killed his wife before fleeing into the night, the jury found that the former “American Idol” contestant had pulled the trigger himself. During his “American Idol” run, he described himself as “kind of a crybaby.”
At the time of her death, Ashley Flynn was covered by a $100,000 term policy with the Banner Life Insurance Company. In a filing on Tuesday, the company asked the court to intervene because the only listed beneficiary on Ashley Flynn’s policy was her husband.
Ohio, like most other states, has a so-called “slayer statute” that forbids any person convicted of killing another from profiting from the crime. As a result, Caleb Flynn is barred from receiving the policy payout.
Ashley Flynn’s insurance application listed Caleb Flynn as the sole beneficiary of her policy. (Court filing)
In its filing, Banner said that in the days after Ashley Flynn was killed, her sister contacted the company and said she planned to submit a claim for the money because she had been named the emergency custodian of the Flynns’ two minor children. The filing acknowledges that Ashley Flynn’s sister has a valid legal claim, but also names Ashley Flynn’s parents, Caleb Flynn’s parents and Caleb Flynn’s brother as other individuals who could make a legal claim to the money.
“Under the terms of the Policy, and by virtue of their relationships to Caleb and Ashley, each of the Defendants has an actual or potential interest in the Proceeds,” the filing said. “The conflicting interests of the Defendants to the Proceeds give rise to a real and reasonable fear of exposure on Banner’s part to double liability and multiple litigation if Banner were to pay the Proceeds to any of the Defendants.”
Banner acknowledged in the filing that it has a total liability under Ashley Flynn’s policy of $100,759.77 as of Nov. 18, 2026, and asked that it be allowed to give that money to the clerk of court to hold while the legal process plays out. Banner said it wants to separate itself from any further proceedings and is “indifferent as to which of [the family members] is entitled to those amounts.”
Caleb Flynn, who has denied killing his wife, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prison records indicate he is currently housed at the Toledo Correctional Institution.
