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Steven Kellam sentenced to two life terms in 2014 double murder

Judge Graves: You were the kingpin; you were the puppeteer
March 23, 2018

A Dover man accused of masterminding the January 2014 murders of Cletis Nelson and William Hopkins in Millsboro received a double life sentence and 769 years in jail for his convictions on charges of first-degree murder, weapons charges, robbery, home invasion and conspiracy.

Steven Kellam, 37, was given the maximum sentence by Delaware Superior Court Judge T. Henley Graves during sentencing March 23. Kellam was facing a mandatory minimum of life in prison for each of the two murders, but Graves said he gave Kellam the maximum sentence on all other charges as a deterrent to anyone looking to lead a life like Kellam’s.

“You were the kingpin. You were the puppeteer. You were the one pulling the strings,” Graves said.

Prosecutors said Kellam was the ringleader of a crime ring that carried out robberies and home invasions in Kent and Sussex counties. While Kellam did not set foot in the house where Nelson and Hopkins were killed, prosecutors say he gave orders to kill to Rhamir Waples, Richard Robinson and Damon Bethea. All three are cousins of Kellam’s who had come to Sussex County from the Philadelphia area to party and to commit a robbery. Kellam was also accused of providing the guns that were used in the murders.

Kellam was also convicted of masterminding two other home invasions carried out by Waples and Robinson. 

Deputy Attorney General Chris Hutchison said, “This is the epitome of organized crime. With organized crime, you need a leader. That leader is Steven Kellam.”

Hutchison described Kellam as a person people wanted to follow. He said Kellam is intelligent and had potential, but he chose a life of crime that also led to drug charges at the state and federal level. 

“He likes this lifestyle,” Hutchison said. “He didn’t pull the trigger, but he directed those who did. There’s no remorse here. It’s just business.”

Kellam’s attorney, Patrick Collins, said there was not much to say because the two life sentences were mandatory, but Kellam himself had plenty to say.

With his hair now braided, Kellam, clad in a white Department of Correction jumpsuit, said he was innocent. He said he knew the victims, Nelson and Hopkins, and was sad for their families. Prosecutors alleged that Kellam had ordered the killings in part as revenge for a fight between a cousin of Kellam and Hopkins, a fight that Hopkins won. Kellam denied the accusation.

“I have no issues with these guys,” he said.

Kellam said others involved in the case, such as Robinson, Waples, Bethea and Shamir Stratton, the getaway driver and a key witness for the prosecution, had motive to come to the area to commit a robbery, while another key witness, Rachel Rentoul, the person who showed the killers the house where the two victims lived, was a drug addict angry at her boyfriend, Nelson, for cheating on her. Kellam said Collins did not present evidence at the trial that would have shown his innocence.

Graves told Kellam that while the evidence of the case can be argued at a later date, he questioned why so many people who testified would focus on him as the ringleader. 

“In the eyes of the jury, you were guilty. From my perspective, you’re guilty,” Graves said. 

Collins declined to comment on Kellam’s remarks during the sentencing, but he said he would file Kellam’s request for a new trial in Delaware Supreme Court within 30 days. 

As for the other defendants in the case, Stratton, who had taken a guilty plea in exchange for his testimony, was sentenced to time served and released from jail. Bethea was found not guilty at trial. Waples pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for dropping his request for a new trial and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Robinson recanted his testimony and sought to remove his court-appointed attorney, but later retracted his decision to recant and is awaiting sentencing. 

 

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