The 'American Idol' Pastor's Double Life: 200 Steps Recorded on His Smartphone

Smart-device data helped unravel an elaborate cover-up

Caleb Flynn, 40, a pastor and musician who became known to the public through the popular U.S. audition program 'American Idol', has now been convicted of murder. An Ohio trial court jury on the 29th, local time, found Flynn guilty of shooting his wife and staging the killing as a robbery.

The jury found him guilty on all 'nine charges', including murder, causing injury and tampering with evidence. The killing occurred Feb. 16 at Flynn's home in Tipp City. Flynn called 911 and claimed that an intruder had broken in and shot his wife, Ashley Flynn, while he was lying in his daughters' room. He portrayed himself as the victim throughout.

But investigators quickly closed in on his lies. Police found no signs of a typical break-in at the scene. Todd Smith, the victim's father, also raised serious questions, saying, "A robber would have ransacked the house. It makes no sense that someone would shoot only my daughter and run."

The decisive smoking gun was Flynn's 'smart-device data.' His electronic devices recorded movement equivalent to about '200 steps' around 1:30 a.m., an hour before he reported the crime. They also showed that he took '346 steps' during the 911 call. The data directly contradicted his claim that he had been lying down.

The sordid motive behind the killing also came to light. Flynn had carried on an 'affair' for about two years with 24-year-old Alia Bottner, whom he met at the church where he served. After his wife, Ashley, discovered the affair in August last year, Bottner demanded a divorce. Flynn refused because he did not want to lose custody of his two daughters, his 'high salary' from his in-laws' business and his 'reputation' at the church.

Messages he sent Bottner were particularly damaging. In them, he wrote, "I wish my wife would die and disappear" and "I cried all night thinking about how to kill my wife without going to prison." The messages gave jurors decisive confirmation. Prosecutors concluded that Flynn had carefully planned the killing to protect himself.

Following the jury's unanimous guilty verdict, Flynn is expected to receive 'life in prison without parole' at most. His final sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 5.