Midwest
Ex-American Idol contestant charged in wife’s murder previously described as ‘very talented’ church leader
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An Ohio man was described as a “very talented” church leader before being accused of the brutal killing of his wife, according to online records.
Thirty-nine-year-old Caleb Flynn was charged with murder Friday in the death of his wife, Ashley Flynn. Ashley, a mother, teacher and volleyball coach, was shot and killed in her Tipp City, Ohio, home early Monday morning.
Caleb Flynn initially called 911 and told a dispatcher someone broke into his house and killed his wife, according to audio obtained by Fox News Digital.
CHRISTIAN MOTHER, TEACHER’S AUTOPSY CONDUCTED AS POLICE PROBE HOMICIDE IN OHIO HOME INVASION
Caleb Flynn was charged with murder, two counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of tampering with evidence. He was booked into the Miami County Jail at 5:07 p.m. on Thursday, according to inmate records.
He was arraigned on Friday morning and pleaded not guilty. His bond was set at $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26 at 1 p.m.
According to court documents, Caleb Flynn allegedly shot and killed his wife with a 9 mm handgun and staged a crime scene, which “led estray” officers.
A Tipp City mother of two was found dead after a reported home invasion. Police used drones and K-9 units to search for a suspect as the community mourns the tragic loss. (Ashley Flynn/Facebook)
“Oh my God, somebody broke into my home. Somebody broke into my home and shot my wife,” Caleb Flynn said when calling 911. “My wife, she’s got two shots to her head. There’s blood everywhere. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.”
“Ashley, Ashley, baby, baby please, oh my god, there’s no — she’s not!” Caleb said.
Caleb Flynn then claimed the door “leading to the garage door” was “wide open” at the time.
In a statement to Fox News, the family of Ashley Flynn said, “Our hearts are shattered.”
“Ashley brought endless light to our world, and we are trying to navigate this immense loss. Our family believes this arrest was made carefully and not without serious consideration. After speaking with both local police and federal authorities, we trust the proper steps were taken, and the process is being handled appropriately,” her family said.
“We kindly ask for privacy as we work through this complex situation. We are clinging to our faith — just as Ashley did each and every day.”
Who is Caleb Flynn?
In 2013, Caleb Flynn was a contestant on “American Idol,” and he discussed his love for his wife during an interview to be on the show.
“I absolutely love the Lord. I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty. … I love her,” Caleb Flynn said. “But, you know, I’m just a normal person who absolutely loves to sing more than anything in the world.”
Caleb Flynn in a 2013 “American Idol” Hometown Interview. Caleb is the husband of Ashley Flynn, who was shot and killed in her Ohio home Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (YouTube/American Idol)
According to Caleb Flynn’s LinkedIn, he was a worship director at Free Chapel Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina, from July 2015 to February 2021.
For about a year in 2021, Caleb Flynn worked at Equis Financial before becoming the vice president of Sales at Richard D. Smith & Sons, which is a family-owned commercial interior supplier.
CHRISTIAN MOTHER, TEACHER FOUND DEAD AS POLICE HUNT HOMICIDE SUSPECT IN OHIO HOME INVASION
Caleb Flynn’s booking photo from Miami County Jail in Dayton, Ohio, on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (Miami County Jail)
One person who worked with Caleb Flynn submitted a recommendation on LinkedIn, saying the 39-year-old is a “very talented and passionate worship leader! A bright future awaits this young man.”
Beyond speeding tickets and traffic infractions, Caleb Flynn doesn’t have a criminal history.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Caleb Flynn’s attorney, L. Patrick Mulligan, said prosecutors rushed to accuse his client of murder.
FBI JOINS PROBE IN MURDER OF CHRISTIAN TEACHER SHOT IN OHIO HOME AS ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ HUSBAND, CHILDREN SLEPT
Ashley Flynn, a Tipp City Schools substitute teacher and volleyball coach, was found dead in her Ohio home during the reported burglary. Police launched a homicide investigation into her death. (Tipp City Schools)
“Caleb Flynn entered a plea of not guilty this morning and looks forward to defending this case. We are both disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case,” Mulligan said.
“When the government runs out of leads or can’t develop leads and looks at a surviving spouse in cases such as these, the chance of a wrongful conviction increases.”
According to News Center 7, only Ashley and Caleb Flynn and their two children were inside the home during the incident.
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Ashley and Caleb Flynn in an undated photo with their two children. (GoFundMe)
In an earlier statement to Fox News Digital, Tipp City Chief Greg Adkins said he believed the incident was isolated.
“We believe that this was an isolated incident targeting this specific residence,” Adkins told Fox News Digital Wednesday. “No information at this time to believe the public is in any danger. The investigation will continue until we can provide all the answers to the family and community.”
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
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A woman died, and a person is in custody, in the aftermath of a two-vehicle crash on Friday evening in Detroit.
An emergency call was placed at 7:39 p.m., reporting the crash at Collingwood and Belleterre streets. The Detroit Police Department said one of the drivers was traveling at a high rate of speed on Collingwood and disregarded a stop sign at the intersection, striking the other vehicle.
The crash killed a woman who is in her 40s and injured a man who is also in his 40s. A medical condition was not available for the injured man.
The Detroit Police Department said a suspect is in custody and they are continuing to investigate.
Milwaukee has officially joined the Global Swimmable Cities Alliance, aligning with other Great Lakes communities like Sheboygan and Ottawa in a growing movement to make urban waterways safer for recreation.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn joined WTMJ’s Jeff Sherman on The Upswing to discuss what that means for the city. With a background in environmental science and experience working with both the City of New York and the U.S. Forest Service, Nenn says joining the alliance builds on years of water quality progress – while also creating accountability through a clear action plan.
Efforts are already underway to improve both safety and accessibility. Nenn says Milwaukee Riverkeeper is pursuing grants to install more safety ladders along lower piers throughout the river system, ensuring that anyone who ends up in the water has a way to get out. At the same time, the organization is working with the city and local businesses to green riverfront areas, creating healthier habitats for wildlife and improving the overall ecosystem.
Nenn emphasized that becoming a swimmable city is a community effort. Residents can play a role by picking up trash along beaches and rivers, keeping streets and storm drains clean, and reducing plastic use.
The Upswing is presented by Horicon Bank.
Minneapolis, MN
Former Obama press aide accused of stealing cash, credit cards, from Minneapolis coworkers to buy kratom
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A former deputy press secretary for the Obama administration was fired from his Minneapolis city job last week after allegedly stealing cash and credit cards from city employees to purchase an herbal supplement used to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms.
Adam Fetcher, 42, who served as a communications officer for the city for a year before he was terminated, allegedly stole from his fellow city employees after returning from a work-approved, weeks-long rehabilitation program, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has received the case from authorities and is reviewing it, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital has also reached out to Fetcher’s attorney and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for further comment.
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Adam Fetcher, 42, who once served as a press secretary in the Obama administration, was fired from his communications job for the city of Minneapolis after he allegedly stole cash and charge cards from city employees to purchase kratom, an herbal drug used to treat opioid withdrawal. (City of Minneapolis Instagram; Getty Images)
Fetcher was captured on surveillance cameras at a Minneapolis smoke shop purchasing kratom, which is used to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms but carries its own risk of addiction.
He allegedly stole a charge card from a city employee’s purse and made a $481 purchase at the Minneapolis Tobacco & Vapor shop, less than a mile from his home, the newspaper reported. Store manager Hamza Zamara said staff helped investigators identify Fetcher as the man who allegedly used fraudulent cards to make the purchase.
Authorities zeroed in on the shop after a woman called the store claiming that someone had made a purchase using her card without permission. When Fetcher visited the shop again, employees took pictures of him and followed him outside, the news report states. They later gave investigators Fetcher’s vehicle’s license plate number.
OHIO BROTHERS WHO POSED AS MIDDLE EASTERN ROYALTY RECEIVE LENGTHY SENTENCE FOR $21M FRAUD SCHEME
Former U.S. President Barack Obama smiles at the official opening of the Obama Presidential Center on June 19, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais-Pool/Getty Images)
“We told him, ‘Hey, we know what you’re doing,’” Zamara said.
Fetcher, who earned $186,000 annually, was fired on July 1.
“Under Adam’s leadership, the Communications team has reorganized, is fully staffed, and is well positioned to manage the City’s Communications needs,” City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher wrote in an email to staff announcing the termination.
The email did not explain the circumstances of Fetcher’s departure. However, Kelliher wrote in a separate memo that several city employees had reported missing cash, debit, or credit cards, as well as unauthorized charges, noting the incidents happened between mid-May and June.
A kratom leaf and a vape store sign. (Getty Images)
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“I know this information may be concerning and troubling, and I want to assure you that the City takes this sort of report seriously and has acted accordingly,” she wrote, according to the email obtained by the Star Tribune. “Although we cannot provide additional details, we have no reason at this time to believe there is any ongoing risk of theft.”
In addition to serving as deputy national press secretary for the Obama administration, Fetcher went on to hold senior communications roles for Patagonia, Rivian, and Lyft.
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