Florida Woman Convicted of Murdering Boyfriend

A woman from Florida has been found guilty of murdering her boyfriend and subsequently burying him in a shallow grave. Caylen Deller, 32, was charged with first-degree murder following the death of Chad Mullen, her on-again, off-again partner, in September 2024.

Prosecutors allege that Deller killed Mullen at her horse farm in San Mateo, Florida. After the incident, she reportedly enlisted the help of a friend and a horse to move Mullen’s body, which was discovered over a month later.

On Thursday, the jury took just over an hour to deliberate before convicting Deller of first-degree murder, leading to a life sentence. She was also found guilty of tampering with evidence and neglecting to report a death.

During her testimony, Deller claimed that she shot Mullen in self-defense. She described an altercation where he allegedly choked her and raised a hammer toward her after she confronted him regarding unverified accusations of abuse against her young daughter. Deller stated, “He became angry, pinned me against a truck, and I couldn’t breathe.”

She explained that during this confrontation, she managed to grab a gun, which she had acquired after an alleged break-in by Mullen on August 1, 2024. “I pulled the trigger and shot him twice,” she recounted, emphasizing her fear during the incident.

After the shooting, Deller indicated that she hesitated to call the police, fearing they wouldn’t believe her claims of self-defense. She also didn’t inform Mullen’s family for similar reasons. This decision raised questions during the trial, particularly when prosecutors highlighted that she had made numerous calls to Mullen shortly after the incident, despite previously describing him as violent.

In her own words, Deller reflected, “It was probably not a good idea… I was more concerned about getting in trouble.” Prosecutors argued that she had the opportunity to seek help and should have notified law enforcement about the alleged attack.