Accused mastermind found guilty in 2014 murders

A jury has convicted Steven Kellam of the 2014 murders of two men in a Harbeson home.

Kellam, 36, was the third and last man to stand trial for the murders of Cletis Nelson and Williams Hopkins, who were shot dead in a Harmons Hill Road home.

Even though no one testified that Kellam set foot in the home at the time of the murders, prosecutors used witness testimony, wiretapped phone calls and text messages to convince the jury Kellam was an accomplice.

Deputy Attorney General Chris Hutchison, who prosecuted the case with Deputy Attorney General Martin Cosgrove, said Kellam showed little reaction when the jury found him guilty of all charges filed against him except for three charges of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

“It was a long case with a lot of evidence,” Hutchison said. “Each is a small piece of the puzzle, but when you put them all together you get the big picture.”

The jury took about 13 hours over two days to reach Kellam's guilty verdict for the murders and for two home invasions committed in December 2014.

For the January murders of Nelson and Hopkins, Kellam is guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and six counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony – one count for each of the three people who Kellam gave guns to commit a robbery, which resulted in murder. The jury determined that Kellam had been the leader in planning a robbery of the Harmon Hills Home in order to rob Nelson and Hopkins of drug money. Brothers Richard Robinson and Rhamir Waples testified that they shot Nelson and Hopkins several times during the robbery. Shamir Stratton drove the getaway car and Damon Bethea, later found not guilty by a jury, never entered the home and hid in the woods during the crimes. Robinson and Stratton took pleas in exchange for testifying at trial. Waples was found guilty by a jury and was given a life sentence for his role in the murders.

For the Harmons Hill Road robbery, in which the men left with about $3,500 to split among themselves, Kellam was found guilty of two counts of first-degree robbery, six firearm counts and second-degree conspiracy.

Over all three incidents, the jury found Kellam guilty of racketeering for his role in orchestrating home invasions in order to steal money and valuables.

In the Millsboro home invasion of Milton “Fat Dice” Loffland, the jury found Kellam guilty of home invasion, attempted robbery, second-degree assault and two counts of possession of a firearm for each of the charges.

On three firearm counts, the jury found Kellam not guilty. Hutchison said there were three men involved in that robbery; however, prosecutors were unable to prove who the third man was. The third suspect, known only as B-hop, died before the trial. Kellam was also charged with a misdemeanor of third-degree assault in the Loffland home invasion.

The last home invasion involved resident Azel Foster, who testified he is a working man and not involved in drug dealing. Kellam was found guilty of home invasion, attempted robbery, second-degree assault and two counts of firearm charges for each of those charges. He was also found guilty of wearing a disguise during the commission of a felony.

Hutchison said Kellam faces two life sentences for the murder charges and three to six years for each of the other charges.

Sentencing is expected by mid-November. Kellam, whose last address is listed as Dover, is currently in custody at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington.