Caylen Deller, 32, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Chad Mullen, whose body was discovered in a shallow grave in September 2024. Deller was charged with murder after prosecutors stated she killed Mullen at her horse farm in San Mateo, Florida, and subsequently concealed the body with the help of a friend and her horse. The jury deliberated for over an hour before reaching a verdict on Thursday, and Deller was sentenced to life in prison. She was also convicted of tampering with evidence and failing to report a death.
During her testimony, Deller claimed she acted in self-defense, alleging that Mullen choked her and threatened her with a hammer during an argument over unproven accusations of sexual abuse against her daughter. She stated that she shot Mullen twice with a gun she had obtained after he allegedly broke into her apartment on August 1, 2024. Deller expressed that she did not intend to kill him and felt she was defending herself.
Prosecutors questioned Deller's decision not to contact law enforcement after the incident, noting that she had made 28 calls to Mullen between September 2 and September 9, 2024, despite describing him as violent. Deller explained that she feared police would not believe her self-defense claim and did not inform Mullen's family for the same reason. During closing arguments, prosecutors emphasized that Deller should have reported the attack to authorities.