In December 2021, a promising young woman's life was cut tragically short in a Smyrna, Georgia hotel room. ShaKia Strong, a 24-year-old female, had moved from her hometown in Mississippi to pursue her dream of becoming an actor. Her journey, however, came to a violent end on December 22, 2021, when she was found deceased in her room at the InTown Suites Extended Stay. An autopsy would later reveal that she had been shot once in the neck and twice in the face.
The investigation into her death quickly focused on her girlfriend, Selena Caprice Kellum, who was 23 years old at the time and a member of the Mississippi National Guard. Authorities stated that the two were involved in a domestic dispute that escalated to a fatal confrontation. After the shooting, Kellum allegedly took steps to conceal the crime. Investigators reported that she gathered the shell casings, packed her belongings, and stole $324 from Strong's car before fleeing the state. She drove to her sister's house in Biloxi, Mississippi, and on the way, she reportedly stopped to hide pieces of evidence in a storage unit.
Once in Mississippi, in a surprising turn of events, Kellum turned herself in to the local police and confessed to killing Strong. Following her confession, a warrant for her arrest was issued in Cobb County, Georgia. She was taken into custody in Gulfport, Mississippi, on December 31, 2021, and was subsequently extradited to Georgia. Kellum was charged with a litany of felonies, including murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, tampering with evidence, and entering an automobile with the intent to commit a theft.
In October 2024, a Cobb County jury found Selena Kellum guilty on all counts. Throughout the legal proceedings, Kellum remained in custody at the Cobb County Jail without bond. Following her conviction, she awaited sentencing for her role in the death of ShaKia Strong, a young woman who had just begun to chase her dreams.
