A former church worship leader and American Idol contestant has been charged after his wife was shot dead in their Ohio home, according to authorities.
Caleb Flynn, 39, appeared via video for his arraignment on Friday and entered a not guilty plea. “I just want to take care of my daughters. I’m not a risk,” he told Judge Samuel Huffman, according to Fox News.
Flynn was booked into Miami County Jail on Thursday at 5:07pm with a bond set at $2M (£1.5M).
He faces charges of murder, two counts of felonious assault, and two counts of tampering with evidence.
Emergency dispatch logs showed that someone inside the Tipp City residence, about 20 miles north of Dayton, called 911 early Monday morning reporting that Ashley Flynn had been shot in the head.
Flynn told the operator, “Oh my god, somebody broke into my home… and shot my wife,” adding that there was blood “everywhere,” Fox News reported.
Records confirmed that the couple’s two daughters were asleep at the time and were unharmed, according to News Center 7.
Investigators said there were signs of forced entry and that parts of the scene appeared staged.
Tipp City Police chief, Greg Adkins said: “The family and community deserve a thorough, professional and compassionate investigation… probable cause existed to charge Caleb Flynn with the murder of his wife,” reported Deadline.
Ashley Flynn was a substitute teacher for Tipp City Schools and coached middle school girls’ volleyball.
Authorities confirmed the investigation remains ongoing ahead of Flynn’s preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Premier Christian News has approached the Chief of Tipp City Police department for comment.