Florida Horse Farm Owner Sentenced to Life for Boyfriend’s Murder

Caylen Deller, 32, was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found her guilty of first-degree murder in the September 2024 death of Chad Mullen, her on-again, off-again boyfriend. The jury also convicted her of tampering with evidence and failing to report a person’s death. It deliberated for more than an hour before reaching its verdict on Thursday, according to the supplied report.

Prosecutors said the killing took place at Deller’s horse farm in San Mateo, Florida. They alleged that after Mullen died, Deller enlisted a friend and used a horse to help move his body. Mullen’s body was found in a shallow grave more than a month after he was reported missing.

Deller testified Wednesday that she shot Mullen in self-defense. She said she confronted him about unproven allegations that he had sexually abused her young daughter, and that he became angry, pinned her against a truck and grabbed her by the throat. Deller said he also raised a hammer, and that she could not breathe when she reached for a gun.

“I pulled the trigger of the gun and shot him twice,” Deller testified, saying she was afraid and believed she was defending herself. She said she had obtained the gun after Mullen allegedly broke into her apartment on Aug. 1, 2024. Deller also testified that she did not intend to kill him.

Prosecutors questioned why Deller did not call police after the shooting and why she continued communicating with Mullen. They presented evidence that she made 28 calls to him between Sept. 2 and Sept. 9, 2024. Deller said she initially avoided calling 911 because she thought police would not believe her account of self-defense. She said she did not contact Mullen’s family for the same reason and acknowledged that her decision was likely a mistake, explaining that she was worried about getting in trouble.

In closing arguments Thursday, a prosecutor argued that Deller could have contacted law enforcement to report an alleged attack but did not do so. The supplied report does not provide further details about the sentencing hearing or any appeal.