PALATKA, FL — A Putnam County jury rejected Caylen Deller's self-defense claim and convicted her of first-degree murder on October 15, leading to a life sentence for the 2024 shooting death of her former boyfriend, Chad Mullen.
Jurors also found Deller guilty of tampering with evidence and failing to report a death. Judge Alicia Washington imposed concurrent terms of 15 years and five years on those counts, according to Action News Jax's coverage of the verdict and sentencing.
Deller took the stand the day before the verdict. She testified that Mullen choked her and approached her with a hammer, and said she fired because she feared for her life. That account was her defense at trial, not a finding that the shooting was justified.
Prosecutors challenged her explanation and her conduct after the shooting. Trial reporting described how she concealed Mullen's body instead of reporting the shooting, and later destroyed his phone. Her attorney acknowledged in closing arguments that she should have called 911 but argued that her subsequent decisions did not establish that the shooting itself was murder.
The jury returned its verdict after roughly an hour of deliberations. News4JAX reported that State Attorney R.J. Larizza said the jury had rejected Deller's account.
The prosecution followed a November 2024 indictment. In its announcement at the time, the State Attorney's Office said Mullen was killed that September and his body was discovered buried in Hastings on October 28, 2024.
The October 15 verdict resolves the trial-level charges. The case does not change Florida's self-defense statute; it reflects the jury's decision on the evidence in this prosecution.
Timeline
Legal and safety breakdown
Florida Statute 776.012(2) permits deadly force when a person reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm or the imminent commission of a forcible felony. Its no-duty-to-retreat protection applies when the person is not engaged in criminal activity and is somewhere they have a right to be.
Claiming self-defense does not establish those conditions. The jury in this case heard competing accounts and returned guilty verdicts. Concealing a body or destroying evidence also raises issues distinct from whether force was justified at the moment it was used. The verdict should not be treated as a new statewide rule about every defensive shooting.
Safety Tip: Once safely away from a violent encounter, request emergency assistance and medical help. Preserve the scene and potential evidence, and avoid moving or destroying items that investigators may need.
