Caylen Deller has been sentenced to life in prison for killing her former boyfriend, Chad Mullen. A jury rejected her claim that she acted in self-defense and found her guilty.
PALATKA, Fla. — Deller will spend the rest of her life behind bars after jurors unanimously convicted her of murdering Mullen and taking steps to hide his death.
The jury reached its verdict in less than an hour Thursday, finding Deller guilty of first-degree murder, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and failing to report a death with the intent to conceal it.
Deller received a life sentence for the murder, along with five years for evidence tampering and 15 years for failing to report Mullen’s death. The sentences will be served concurrently. She received credit for 707 days already served on the two lesser charges.
Mullen, 53, was killed in September 2024. Authorities found his body buried several weeks after he was reported missing.
During the three-day trial, Deller acknowledged shooting Mullen but maintained that she was defending herself. She testified that he attacked her after she brought him to her stable on Sept. 9 and confronted him about an allegation involving her daughter.
In closing arguments, defense attorneys conceded that Deller made serious mistakes after the shooting. They argued, however, that those actions did not prove she was guilty of murder.
“She shot him out of fear of her own life,” the defense said. Attorneys argued that Deller placed Mullen’s body in a pond after following advice from her friend, Tina Lee-Ellis, who is also facing charges in the case.
According to the defense, Lee-Ellis persuaded Deller not to contact police and instead conceal Mullen’s body.
Prosecutors disputed Deller’s version of events, pointing to the numerous calls she made to Mullen before the shooting despite her claim that she feared him. They also highlighted her failure to report the alleged attack and evidence they said conflicted with her testimony.
The state questioned why Deller remained at the scene and made phone calls after the shooting if she had truly been afraid for her life. Prosecutors said the evidence pointed to premeditation and showed that Deller deliberately took steps to conceal the killing.
Mullen’s family reacts to the verdict
Mullen’s family members cried as the verdict was read in court. His daughter, Holli Mullen, later delivered an emotional statement, describing the devastation of losing her father.
“Wow, it’s over. Quickly, so quickly. It’s such an unreal feeling. I’ve never felt so out of body before,” Holli said after the verdict.
“I was mad and I wanted her to look at me, and she did,” Holli added.
Mullen’s mother watched the proceedings remotely on Zoom, while a letter on her behalf was read in court. Deller’s two sisters also attended.
After the hearing, Deller was seen crying in front of her sisters. During much of the trial, she had appeared largely stoic.
After sentencing, Deller pleaded no contest to a separate 2024 charge of grand theft involving animals and aquaculture, a third-degree felony. The court entered a finding of guilt on that charge.