A Florida woman, Caylen Deller, 32, has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Chad Mullen, which occurred in September 2024. The incident took place at her horse farm in San Mateo, Florida. Prosecutors stated that Deller killed Mullen before seeking help from a friend and a horse to move the body, which was later discovered in a shallow grave over a month after his disappearance.
The jury reached a verdict after deliberating for more than an hour, sentencing Deller to life in prison. Aside from first-degree murder, she was also convicted of tampering with evidence and failing to report a death.
Deller was accused of fatally shooting Chad Mullen at her Florida horse farm. Despite claiming self-defense, the jury delivered a guilty verdict.
During her testimony, Deller claimed self-defense, alleging Mullen attacked her following an argument about unsubstantiated allegations of child abuse. She testified that during the confrontation, Mullen choked her and threatened her with a hammer, prompting her to shoot him twice, expressing fear for her life. According to her, she had acquired the gun after Mullen reportedly broke into her apartment earlier in August 2024.
Prosecutors challenged Deller’s actions post-incident, emphasizing her failure to contact the police or inform Mullen’s family about his death. They highlighted that she made 28 phone calls to Mullen in the days preceding the incident.
During closing arguments, the prosecution maintained that Deller had multiple opportunities to contact law enforcement if her self-defense claim were genuine. They argued that she chose not to report the incident to avoid potential legal consequences.