Ashley Flynn's family says she 'wanted her life to point people to Jesus' after husband's guilty verdict

The family of Ashley Flynn is remembering the slain mother of two as someone who “loved Jesus with her whole heart” after a jury found her husband, Caleb Flynn, guilty of her murder, while his family maintains his innocence.

Family members of both Caleb and Ashley Flynn reacted to the guilty verdict against the former worship leader and “American Idol” contestant in the February killing of his wife at their Ohio home.

The jury reached its verdict Tuesday after two hours of deliberation. That followed several days of testimony from law enforcement officials, Ashley Flynn’s relatives and Caleb Flynn’s former mistress, Alleigha Botner.

On the stand, Botner read aloud messages in which Caleb Flynn allegedly said he wanted to kill his wife and “not go to Hell for it.”

Prosecutor Paul Watkins read aloud a statement from Ashley Flynn’s family outside the courthouse after the verdict.

“Today’s verdict brings justice and accountability for Ashley’s death and our family is deeply grateful to everyone who helped bring us to this moment,” the family said.

“However, no verdict can bring Ashley back, give the girls back their mother or erase the pain our family has endured,” the statement added. “The cruelty of what happened to Ashley and the things we’ve been forced to hear and relive have at times felt unbearable. But through all of it, we’ve held tightly to this truth. Ashley’s life will not be defined by the way it ended. She’ll be remembered for the way she lived.”

The family said Ashley Flynn “loved Jesus with her whole heart" and that her faith was not “something she simply spoke about,” the statement said. “It was how she lived.”

"She loved people well, found joy beyond her circumstances, prayed boldly for her family and wanted her life to point people to Jesus," the statement adds.

“Most of all, she loved being a mom. She prayed over her girls, taught them to love God and showed them what it looked like to live with faith, kindness, joy and grace,” the family recalled. “We refuse to let the evil that ended Ashley’s life have the final word in her story. Our faith does not erase our grief, but it carries us through it. We know Ashley is home with the Lord she loved and served. So, as this chapter closes, our prayer is that Ashley’s story does not end with a verdict.”

The family asked those who wish to honor and remember Ashley Flynn, a beloved mother and daughter, to “love people well, pray boldly for your family, choose joy and point people to Jesus.” Along with thanking the jury and law enforcement, the family expressed gratitude to “everyone who has prayed for, loved and supported our family.”

While Ashley Flynn’s family said the verdict brought justice, Caleb Flynn’s parents maintain their son is innocent. An emotional Kim Flynn, Caleb Flynn’s mother, told local news outlet WDTN-TV that her son “couldn’t get ahead of the media’s propaganda and lies” and insisted he “didn’t do it.”

Echoing the defense’s closing arguments, Kim Flynn called the evidence of her son’s desire to kill his wife “circumstantial junk.”

“He didn’t do it. He’s innocent,” she said.

Caleb Flynn’s defense attorney, Patrick Mulligan, vowed to reporters that he would file a notice of appeal, the formal first step in asking a higher court to review the verdict. He predicted that “this decision will be tested thoroughly in the Court of Appeals.”

Flynn’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday. Mulligan said Flynn faces a sentence ranging from 20 years to life in prison to life without parole.