Former American Idol singer Caleb Flynn sentenced to life for wife’s murder

A former music pastor in Ohio who appeared briefly on American Idol was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole, after a jury convicted him last week of murdering his wife while he was having an affair.

The judge said Caleb Flynn, 40, used his Christian faith to manipulate others and showed no remorse for actions marked by “layers of deceit, manipulation and cruelty”.

With tears rolling down his cheeks, Flynn apologised to his family just before being sentenced, starting with his two young daughters, who were home when he shot his wife in her sleep. He called their births the “greatest joy in this life”.

Although he said he accepted responsibility for his words and decisions, Flynn remained adamant that he was innocent.