A US man who once appeared on the TV talent competition American Idol has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his wife.

Caleb Flynn, 40, was found guilty last week after a short deliberation by the jury, which rejected his claim that an intruder broke into his Ohio home and shot his wife, Ashley Flynn, as she slept.

He was also found guilty of eight additional charges, including aggravated murder and tampering with evidence.

Letters from his two daughters were read in court during the sentencing hearing on Monday, pleading with him to finally admit his guilt and questioning why he killed their mother.

Flynn, a former music pastor, fatally shot his wife, a 37-year-old teacher, in February before staging their home in Tipp City to appear as if someone had broken in through the garage.

Flynn claims he was asleep when he heard gunshots and found his wife dead in bed after finding the garage door open. Their two children, ages 9 and 11, were also sleeping in the house at the time.

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The murder verdict last week followed eight days of testimony, during which several incriminating text messages Flynn sent to his former mistress, Alleigha Botner, were read out and AI-generated songs were played that prosecutors said he made for her.

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The prosecution also called dozens of witnesses, including Botner, whom he met while she was an intern at his church.

Botner read aloud in court some of their 100,000 text messages, including one where Flynn wrote: “I was up until 4am last night crying, literally thinking of ways to kill her and not go to jail.”

In another message, he wrote: “I just want her dead and gone.”

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Flynn briefly appeared on American Idol in 2013, saying that he loved his wife “more than anything”.