'American Idol' alum accused of murder seen crying in body camera video

Former “American Idol” contestant Caleb Flynn, who has been charged with murdering his wife, is seen sobbing in footage taken by police who arrived on the scene moments after he reported that someone had shot his wife. 

Caleb Flynn is facing multiple charges in connection with the death of his wife, Ashley Flynn, including murder and tampering with evidence. The singer, who previously served as a worship pastor and competed on the 12th season of “American Idol,” called the police on Feb. 16, claiming that someone had broken into the house and shot his wife. 

In the body and dash camera footage released this week by the Tipp City Police Department, the 39-year-old singer is heard asking officers if his wife is “gone.” The police arrived on the scene around 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 16, WKEF reported, and the body camera footage shows them surveying the house where Ashley Flynn is thought to have been killed. 

"Oh, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," Caleb Flynn is heard saying at one point in the video. Later in the video, the former “American Idol” contestant is seen sobbing on the front porch of his home in Tipp City, Ohio. 

One of the officers in the video is heard describing the situation as a “homicide,” while another observed that the back door was open. 

"Well, we have a lady with a gunshot wound to the head in her bed. We got gunshot — gun casings on the floor. I haven’t, I haven’t — well, the husband’s here, and the kids are here. I have not really talked much to him yet," one of the officers on the scene stated. 

Another officer is heard asking Caleb Flynn if there are any firearms in the house, and the “American Idol” alum said that he has several, including a shotgun and a handgun stored in his truck. 

In addition to questioning the singer, the police collected his fingerprints, swabbed him for DNA and took photos of him, the released video shows. 

On Feb. 19, Caleb Flynn was arrested in connection with his wife’s murder and taken to the Miami County Jail. During an arraignment the day after his arrest, Caleb Flynn entered a not guilty plea, and his bail was set at $2 million.

“I just want to take care of my daughters,” Flynn told Judge Samuel Huffman. “I’m not a risk.”

As Deadline reported last month, the police noted that the residence where the Flynns lived with their two daughters showed signs of forced entry, but parts of the scene appeared to be staged. 

Authorities also said the case appeared to involve a targeted incident and confirmed the investigation remains ongoing.

In a statement to the press, Tipp City Police Chief Greg Adkins said: “The family and community deserve a thorough, professional and compassionate investigation into this very sensitive matter. As a result of the investigation, probable cause existed to charge Caleb Flynn with the murder of his wife. Due to the ongoing nature of this case, specific investigative details will not be released at this time.”

According to a criminal complaint cited by Deadline, Ashley Flynn was shot with a 9mm handgun. The wife and mother worked as a substitute teacher for Tipp City Schools and coached middle school girls' volleyball.

The Dayton Daily News also reported that the responding officers found the center console was open in the truck parked in the garage. The truck is where Caleb Flynn told the police that he stored his handgun, according to the police report. 

Police also noticed that a side door in the garage was open, noting in the report that a large fridge in front of it would have had to be pushed aside to open it.