Evidence introduced in the trial of former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn, charged with killing his wife, revealed the singer allegedly fantasized in texts to his mistress about murdering the mother of his two children.
Prosecutors aim to prove that Flynn, a singer in the 12th season of American Idol in 2013, killed his wife around 2:30 a.m. on February 16 then placed a 911 call in the early morning hours that attempted to stage the incident as a burglary.
On Friday, the prosecution introduced more than 100,000 texts between Flynn and the woman with whom he was having an affair.
“If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat,” one text read. “That is how dark and how hateful I feel. I choose you.”
Those words seem dramatically at odds with the public image Flynn has presented since being a contestant in the popular talent show, sometimes covering religious songs for studio performances that remain on YouTube.
Police found Ashley Flynn dead with two gunshots in back of her head, the homicide executed while her daughters slept across the hall, investigators have said.
The two girls, ages 10 and 12, are expected to testify against their father, News Nation reported.
Following the slaying, Flynn placed a 911 call, which was played in court in the trial being televised on Court TV.
On the lengthy emergency line call he can be heard crying, claiming that someone had broken into his home and that he was in his daughters’ bedroom when the shooting occurred because they were ill at the time.
Police dogs dispatched to the murder scene did not find any scent evidence of an intruder, News Nation reported.
The trial is taking place in Troy, Ohio, not a half dozen miles from the couple’s home in Tipp City, a suburb of Dayton.
The defense is expected to argue that Flynn’s suggestive texts were not an admission of guilt.
Crime analysts have said the case is not a slam dunk because of the lack of some key physical evidence. In particular, Flynn did not have any gunshot residue on his hands or clothes and the murder weapon has not been found.
Flynn was never a star contestant on American Idol. He advanced from Chicago auditions but was eliminated during “Hollywood Week” and never made it to the live rounds on national TV.
Breitbart contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of Eye of the Beholder, which documents the murder of a Michigan news anchor killed by her husband, a criminal justice teacher who tried to blame it on an obsessed fan. He is also the the author and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.