Caylen Deller is a Florida woman convicted in the 2024 shooting death of her former boyfriend, Chad Mullen. The case drew attention after prosecutors said Mullen’s body was moved from Deller’s horse property and later buried in a shallow grave on a farm near Hastings.

After a three-day trial in Putnam County, a jury found Deller guilty of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and failing to report a death with the intent to conceal it. On October 15, 2026, Judge Alicia Washington sentenced her to life in prison without parole for the murder conviction. The additional sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

What happened in the Caylen Deller horse farm murder case?

The case centers on the death of Chad Mullen, who was shot at Stormy Stables, a horse property connected to Deller, on or around September 9, 2024.

Prosecutors argued that Deller brought Mullen to the property under the pretext of allowing him to borrow or repair her truck. The state said she then shot him twice and worked with Tina Marie Lee-Ellis to conceal the body.

According to the prosecution’s trial account, the women initially moved Mullen’s body to a nearby pond and attached a cinder block in an attempt to keep it underwater. Prosecutors said the body later began to float, prompting the women to remove it and move it to another farm in the Hastings area.

Mullen was reported missing on September 15, 2024. Investigators eventually found his remains in a shallow grave on October 28, 2024. The medical examiner determined that he died from two gunshot wounds to the chest.

The prosecution’s case focused not only on the shooting but also on what happened afterward. Prosecutors argued that Deller’s efforts to move and conceal the body showed an intent to hide the killing and undermined her later claim of self-defense.

Who was Chad Mullen, and how was he connected to Deller?

Mullen was Deller’s former boyfriend. Trial testimony described their relationship as on and off. The two remained connected through the circumstances surrounding the truck and their prior relationship.

Mullen’s daughter, Holli Mullen, attended the trial and delivered a victim-impact statement after the guilty verdict. She described the continuing effect of her father’s death and the milestones they would not share.

Public reporting about Deller’s broader personal background is limited. The case record and courtroom coverage focus primarily on her relationship with Mullen, her horse business or property, the shooting and the subsequent concealment of his body.

What did Caylen Deller say happened?

Deller acknowledged in court that she shot Mullen, but she denied committing murder. Her defense was that the shooting was justified self-defense.

Deller testified that she questioned Mullen about whether he had inappropriately touched her young daughter. She said he became enraged, attacked her and choked her before approaching her with a hammer. According to her testimony, she fired in fear for her life.

She also admitted that she did not call police immediately after the shooting. Instead, she said she panicked and turned to Lee-Ellis. Deller testified that the two women attempted to conceal Mullen’s body in the pond before later moving it to the farm where investigators found it.

Her attorney, Brian Smith, argued that Deller’s conduct after the shooting was wrong but did not prove that the shooting itself was an intentional murder. The defense maintained that Deller acted during a sudden and frightening confrontation.

The jury rejected that explanation. Prosecutors challenged why Deller did not report the alleged assault, contact emergency services or immediately tell investigators that she had acted in self-defense.

What evidence did prosecutors present at trial?

The prosecution presented the jury with a timeline that began with Mullen’s disappearance and ended with the discovery of his remains. The state argued that the physical evidence, witness testimony and Deller’s statements pointed to a deliberate effort to conceal the killing.

Key issues included:

• The alleged meeting between Deller and Mullen at Stormy Stables.
• The two gunshot wounds that caused Mullen’s death.
• The movement of the body to a pond and later to a shallow grave.
• Calls and conversations Deller had with people close to her after the shooting.
• Statements prosecutors said were inconsistent with a genuine self-defense claim.

Prosecutors also pointed to an alleged confession to another former partner, the father of Deller’s daughter. The state said Deller told him that she had killed Mullen because she believed Mullen had harmed the child. Deller later disputed or backed away from parts of that account during cross-examination.

The defense emphasized the absence of an immediate police report as a consequence of panic rather than proof of premeditation. That distinction became central to the trial: the state portrayed the concealment as evidence of guilt, while the defense argued that it reflected poor decisions made after a traumatic act of self-defense.

What was the verdict in the Caylen Deller trial?

The jury deliberated for roughly an hour before finding Deller guilty on all three charges:

• First-degree murder involving a firearm.
• Tampering with or fabricating physical evidence connected to a capital felony investigation.
• Failure to report a death with the intent to conceal or alter evidence or the circumstances surrounding the death.

The murder conviction carried a mandatory life sentence without parole. Washington also imposed 15 years for the evidence-related charge and five years for failing to report the death. Those sentences run concurrently with the life term.

Deller did not make a statement at sentencing. Mullen’s daughter spoke about the loss of her father and the future experiences they would never have together.

What happened to Tina Marie Lee-Ellis?

Lee-Ellis was identified by prosecutors as the friend who allegedly helped Deller move and conceal Mullen’s body. She was charged separately with being an accessory to first-degree murder and is expected to face a separate legal proceeding.

Deller’s conviction does not determine Lee-Ellis’s guilt. Any allegations against Lee-Ellis remain matters for her own case unless resolved by a plea or verdict.

What is known about Caylen Deller now?

As of October 16, 2026, Deller is serving a life sentence without parole following her conviction in the Mullen case. Her conviction and sentence are the latest confirmed developments publicly reported after the trial.

During the sentencing proceedings, Deller also pleaded no contest to an unrelated agricultural-theft charge involving a stolen calf. She received credit for time served on that separate matter.

The most important legal distinction is between the original allegations and the outcome of the trial. Before the verdict, Deller was accused of killing Mullen and concealing his body. After the jury returned its verdict, those charges resulted in convictions and a life sentence.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is Caylen Deller?

   Caylen Deller is a Florida woman convicted of killing her former boyfriend, Chad Mullen, and concealing his body after the shooting.

2. Who was Chad Mullen?

   Chad Mullen was Deller’s former boyfriend. His body was found in a shallow grave on a farm near Hastings, Florida, in October 2024.

3. Where did the alleged murder happen?

   Prosecutors said Mullen was shot at Stormy Stables, a horse property connected to Deller in Putnam County, Florida.

4. When was Mullen’s body found?

   Investigators found Mullen’s remains in a shallow grave on October 28, 2024, several weeks after he was reported missing.

5. Did Caylen Deller admit shooting Mullen?

   Yes. Deller testified that she shot Mullen twice, but she claimed she did so in self-defense.

6. What was Caylen Deller convicted of?

   She was convicted of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and failing to report a death with the intent to conceal it.

7. What was Caylen Deller’s sentence?

   Deller was sentenced to life in prison without parole for murder. She also received 15 years and five years on the other convictions, to be served concurrently.

8. Was Tina Marie Lee-Ellis convicted?

   Not in Deller’s trial. Lee-Ellis was charged separately, and her case is distinct from Deller’s conviction.

9. What was Deller’s defense at trial?

   Deller claimed she acted in self-defense after Mullen allegedly attacked her following a confrontation about her daughter.

The Caylen Deller horse farm murder case ended with a jury rejecting her self-defense account and convicting her on every charge. The verdict established her criminal liability for Mullen’s death and the subsequent concealment of his body, while a separate case remains pending against the woman prosecutors said helped her move the remains.