Florida mom kills 6-year-old, claims God told her to exorcise demons: sheriff

FORT PIERCE, Fla. - A Florida mother is facing charges after her 6-year-old son died during an alleged exorcism attempt, authorities said.

According to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, 41-year-old Rhonda Paulynice told detectives she believed God instructed her to exorcise demons from her son’s body.

Paulynice was arrested Friday on charges of second-degree murder, failure to report a death, and altering the body of the deceased, the sheriff’s office announced at a news conference. Here’s what we know about the case.

Booking photo of Rhonda Paulynice (Credit: St. Lucie County jail)

Florida boy found dead after missing school for days

What we know:

Deputies from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office discovered the body of a 6-year-old Ra'myl Pierre during a welfare check at a Fort Pierce home on Bedford Drive around 10 a.m. on Friday, May 30.

The child had not been seen at his school, Samuel Gaines Academy, since May 14 and the absence raised alarms for school staff, leading a school resource deputy to request a welfare check.

Upon arrival at the residence, deputies encountered Paulynice, who led them to the room where the child was found dead.

Mom believed God told her to exorcise her son

New developments:

St. Lucie Sheriff Richard R. Del Toro, Jr. told reporters during a Friday news conference that Paulynice told investigators she last spoke with her son on May 18, which is when authorities believe the homicide occurred.

The mother led deputies who responded to the welfare check to her son’s room, where he was found dead lying on his bed.

After speaking with Paulynice, detectives learned that she believed she was instructed by God to exorcise her son.

‘Someone being purely evil’

What they're saying:

"What we did learn and speaking with the mother is she believed she was being told, by God, to basically exorcise demons out of the child's body," Toro said. "And when the child had stopped moving and basically passed away at that point, she felt the child had been released of those demons and was waiting for him to basically come back at that time."

Toro said Paulynice displayed a range of emotions during the investigation, from laughing at different times at the scene to crying.

"Being a parent, being out on a scene like that, seeing a 6-year-old child that was killed for no other reasons other than just someone being purely evil – it's hard," he added.

"I want to express our sincere condolences to the entire family, who love this child. Our sincere condolences and thoughts and prayers are also with all of his classmates and his teachers and the faculty and staff at the school district," Toro said.

What we don't know:

The child's manner of death is unclear and could not be determined at the crime scene. An autopsy has been scheduled with the medical examiner's office.

Rescue call was made one day before boy's murder

The sheriff said there had been calls to the family home, but none involving Paulynice and her son. Toro said deputies last visited the home on May 17, the day before they believe the boy was killed, for a medical issue involving Paulynice.

Previous calls to the house, dating back to January, were reportedly related to domestic issues involving Paulynice and a sister who once lived there.

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