Florida Woman Admits Shooting Ex-Boyfriend Twice but Claims Self-Defense — Then Jury Hands Down Life Sentence

A Florida woman took the witness stand and admitted pulling the trigger that killed her former boyfriend, insisting she had acted out of fear for her own life. But her account failed to convince the jury. After hearing testimony about the shooting and the disturbing steps taken to conceal the victim’s body, jurors found Caylen Deller guilty of first-degree murder, bringing a dramatic end to a case that had remained unresolved for more than two years.

Deller, 32, was convicted on October 15, 2026, in the 2024 killing of her ex-boyfriend, Chad Mullen. The jury also found her guilty of tampering with physical evidence and failing to report a death. After deliberating for just over an hour, jurors rejected her claim of self-defense. The judge sentenced Deller to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder, along with additional prison terms for the other charges, to be served concurrently.

The shooting occurred on September 9, 2024, at Stormy Stables, Deller’s horse farm in Putnam County, Florida. Taking the stand the day before the verdict, Deller testified that Mullen had come to the property after agreeing to help with her truck. She said that after he repaired a headlight, she confronted him about whether he had sexually abused her five-year-old daughter. According to Deller, the conversation quickly escalated into a violent confrontation.

Deller told the jury that Mullen became furious, pinned her against the truck and grabbed her by the throat, choking her. She testified that she tried to push him away but could not escape. Seeing a firearm nearby, she grabbed it and pointed it at him. She claimed Mullen then picked up a hammer and advanced toward her while threatening her. Believing she was in immediate danger, Deller said she fired twice.

“I pulled the trigger of the gun and shot him twice,” she told the court, acknowledging that she had fired the shots that killed him. Her attorney, Brian Smith, argued that Deller had not planned to kill Mullen or lured him to the property to carry out an attack. The defense maintained that the shooting happened during a sudden confrontation and that Deller believed she had to protect herself.

However, prosecutors questioned why Deller did not immediately contact emergency services if she had acted in self-defense. Instead of calling 911, she went to a friend, Tina Marie Lee-Ellis, who was later charged in connection with helping conceal the death. Deller testified that she initially wanted to report the shooting but was persuaded not to do so. She claimed Lee-Ellis suggested hiding Mullen’s body in a pond at the property, weighted down with a cinder block.

According to Deller’s testimony, the plan unraveled when the body began floating in the water two days later. She said the two women then moved Mullen’s body to a neighboring farm where Lee-Ellis worked, burying him in a shallow grave beneath a pile of dirt. Deller also testified that she threw Mullen’s cellphone into a fire after the shooting because she panicked. The body was ultimately discovered, and investigators began piecing together the events surrounding his death.

Prosecutors also highlighted evidence they said undermined Deller’s account of being afraid of Mullen. They pointed out that she had called him 28 times during the week before the shooting and questioned why she had not told other friends that she had acted in self-defense. Another former boyfriend testified that Deller had previously described the killing to him, including details about the gun allegedly jamming between shots. Deller disputed parts of that account and maintained that she had been frightened during the confrontation.

The trial’s emotional impact was especially evident during sentencing, when Mullen’s daughter addressed the court through tears. She spoke about milestones she would never share with her father, including the possibility of being walked down the aisle at her wedding. Her testimony offered a deeply personal account of the loss behind the courtroom proceedings and the lasting consequences for those left behind.

Deller’s conviction means the jury did not accept her claim that the shooting was legally justified. Lee-Ellis has also pleaded not guilty to charges connected to the case and is due back in court in November. While Deller’s trial has concluded with a life sentence, the case leaves behind a stark account of how a fatal confrontation was followed by efforts to conceal the death rather than seek immediate help.

Source: Court TV