The sister of the woman murdered by former American Idol singer Caleb Flynn delivered an extraordinary message of forgiveness to her killer in court on Monday.
asserted
sister → murder → Monday
Kayla Keyt remained calm and composed as she described in detail how Flynn's actions had devastated his daughters and shattered an entire church community.
Addressing the man she once considered a brother, Keyt delivered a powerful and emotional victim impact statement before Flynn, 40, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his wife, Ashley.
asserted
Flynn → remain → wife
She told Flynn that his betrayal had left his own daughters questioning their Christian faith and revealed that one had recently sobbed in her arms while asking why she should still believe in Jesus after her father murdered her mother.
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father → tell → mother
But after laying bare the devastation he had caused, Keyt stunned the courtroom with a declaration to Flynn: 'I do forgive you.
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I → lay → you
'I have forgiven both you and Alleigha,' she said, referring to Flynn's former mistress Alleigha Botner.
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she → forgive → mistress
'Not because what happened should ever be excused or forgotten.
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happened → happen → ?
'I forgive you because I refuse to allow what you did to destroy another part of my life by filling my heart with hatred and bitterness.'
asserted
did → forgive → hatred
Ashley Flynn's sister Kayla Keyt fought back emotion as she confronted Caleb Flynn in court over her sister's murder - before telling him she had chosen to forgive him
Caleb Flynn broke down in tears during Monday's sentencing hearing as devastating victim impact statements from his slain wife's family and their two daughters were read aloud
Flynn was convicted last week of murdering 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach Ashley Flynn at their Tipp City, Ohio, home in February while he was having an affair.
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he → fight → affair
Keyt recalled how Ashley's family had once completely trusted him.
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family → recall → him
'When Ashley died and we learned that you were responsible, we were as shocked as anyone,' she said.
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she → die → anyone
'We trusted you.
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We → trust → you
We believed in you.
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We → believe → you
We honestly would have laid down our lives for you.'
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We → lay → you
Keyt said the murder had traumatized children throughout their community, particularly because Flynn had publicly presented himself as a devout Christian and worked as a music pastor.
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Flynn → say → pastor
'You shattered the innocence of so many children,' she told him.
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she → shatter → him
She said some youngsters were still running into their parents' bedrooms in the morning to make sure nobody had broken in and shot their mothers.
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nobody → say → mothers
'Many of them having to learn the words murder, affair, burglary, betrayal for the first time,' Keyt said.
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Keyt → have → time
She also condemned Flynn for forcing Ashley's loved ones through a highly publicized trial instead of confessing.
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She → condemn → trial
Keyt told the former American Idol singer that his actions had 'shattered a family that trusted you' and left his daughters with pain they will carry for the rest of their lives
Ashley Flynn and Caleb were married with two daughters before prosecutors said the former church music pastor murdered his wife while pursuing an affair with a younger woman
'
asserted
pastor → tell → woman
For months, our family prayed that you would confess and own up to all of your actions, but you didn't,' she said.
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she → pray → actions
'Instead, you chose to drag us through a nationally televised trial.'
The consequences, Keyt warned, will follow Flynn's daughters Alyssa and Ava for years.
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Keyt → choose → years
'We can shield Alyssa and Ava today, but we cannot erase the internet,' she said.
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she → shield → internet
'Someday your daughters may search their mother's name or yours and discover details about the worst night of their lives that we have desperately tried to protect them from.
uncertain
we → search → them
'They lost their mother, their father, and pretty much everything they ever owned except the clothes on their backs all in one night.
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they → lose → night
And they did absolutely nothing to deserve any of it,' she said.
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she → do → it
Keyt and her husband Matthew are now raising Ashley's two daughters alongside their own two girls.
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Keyt → raise → girls
She described one particularly agonizing conversation with one of her nieces just days before the sentencing.
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She → describe → sentencing
The girl was lying next to her, 'sobbing into my shoulder' because she missed her mother and could not understand how her father could have done this to their family.
uncertain
father → lie → family
Then came a question Keyt had dreaded.
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Keyt → come → ?
'Why should I even believe in Jesus if he allowed this to happen to us?' the child asked.
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child → believe → us
Kayla told Caleb: 'I do forgive you,' explaining that she refused to allow her sister's murder to fill the rest of her life with 'hatred and bitterness'
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murder → tell → hatred
Ashley and Caleb Flynn are pictured with their two daughters before the murder that tore their family apart.
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that → picture → family
The girls delivered their own devastating impact statements in court on Monday
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girls → deliver → Monday
'And there it was, my greatest fear,' Keyt told the court.
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Keyt → tell → court
'Ashley's own daughter was questioning the Jesus her mommy had spent her entire life teaching her to love.'
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mommy → question → her
Keyt said she tried to reassure the girl that faith did not mean terrible things would never happen, but instead offered comfort through suffering.
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things → say → suffering
She told her niece to look for small reminders of goodness in everyday life - the warmth of the sun, colorful trees, food on the table and an embrace from somebody who loves her.
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who → tell → her
'I told her to imagine every one of those little blessings as a tiny daisy,' Keyt said.
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Keyt → tell → daisy
'It's very easy to miss them if you don't watch out for them.
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you → miss → them
But if we gather them one by one, eventually we look down and realize we're holding an entire bouquet of blessings.'
She then turned back to Flynn.
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She → gather → Flynn
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia
