Former 'American Idol' contestant sentenced to life without parole for wife's murder

An Ohio man who was found guilty of murdering his wife and staging the crime scene to make it seem as if an intruder had broken into their home and fatally shot the mother of two was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Judge Jeannine Pratt called the former pastor's actions "abhorrent" and "quite honestly impossible to fathom" while handing down the life sentence on Monday.

Pratt said that after considering the evidence in the case, there is "one clear and obvious conclusion" -- that Caleb Flynn poses the "highest risk" of harm to the public -- and admonished the "layers of deceit, manipulation and cruelty" that he has shown.

"You could have walked away. You could have separated from her and left her here on this earth to be able to be with the people that need her, who loved her, who looked forward to having her in their lives. But instead, through your greed, your selfishness, your lust, and your cruelty, you chose to take Ashley's life, and in doing so, you did far more than take the life of your wife," Pratt said. "On that fateful day in February, the person who should have been protecting their children shattered their lives."

Caleb Flynn addressed the court prior to learning his sentence, crying while reading from prepared remarks that he shakily clutched while in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit.

"I will continue to fight for my innocence as long as the Lord allows me to, since I did not kill my wife," he said.

"I made vows to Ashley on our wedding day -- I failed those vows, and through my decisions, I have caused you guys an incredible amount of pain," he said. "Through those decisions, I'm sure you have felt betrayal, confusion, anger and so much more."

Caleb Flynn also addressed members of his family, including his young daughters.

He apologized for not being able to see them grow up and said through tears that he misses them "more than you'll ever know."

The judge said she received over a dozen victim impact statements, and several members of Ashley Flynn's family addressed the court prior to the sentence being handed down, speaking to the impact the murder of their mother has had on his daughters, Alyssa and Ava, and asking for the maximum possible sentence.

"Did you really even think about how much pain you would bring your own two daughters?" the statement continued. "By the way, Ashley Flynn was the best thing that ever happened to you. You had the best life ever, and you decided to throw it away for a girl who was half your age."

Her sister, Ava, asked their father in a statement read on her behalf, "Mommy was the perfect person, the absolute perfect person -- what did she ever do to make you hate her so much?"