A former Mississippi National Guard member was recently found guilty of shooting her girlfriend to death in a Smyrna motel just days before Christmas in 2021, Cobb County officials announced Thursday.
Selena Kellum, 26, was convicted of felony murder in the death of Shaikia Strong, 24.
Kellum was honorably discharged from the Mississippi National Guard in July 2023 after completing her contract obligation of military service, the Mississippi Military Department confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Strong was found dead at the InTown Suites on Highland Parkway on Dec. 23, 2021, after being shot three times, once in the neck and twice in her face, prosecutors said. The investigation revealed that after the shooting Kellum discarded the shell casings, packed her belongings and stole several items from Strong before fleeing to Mississippi.
Along the way, Kellum stopped to hide evidence in a storage unit near Biloxi, authorities said in a news release. They did not specify what evidence was hidden there.
Investigators eventually learned that Kellum and Strong had been romantic partners and that Kellum shot her after an argument, prosecutors said.
“Shaikia left her hometown in Mississippi to pursue her dream of becoming an actor, and at the time of her death, she was on the path to achieving that dream,” Senior District Attorney Jared Horowitz said in a statement.
Kellum ultimately turned herself in to Biloxi police, and Smyrna police took her into custody Dec. 31 in Gulfport, Mississippi.
In addition to the felony murder conviction, Kellum was found guilty of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, tampering with evidence and entering an automobile.
“This jury’s verdict ensures justice for Shaikia and holds Selena Kellum accountable for her actions,” Horowitz said.
Cobb Superior Court Judge Kimberly Childs will sentence her at a later date.
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