Florida Mother Charged With Murder After Allegedly Attempting Exorcism on 6-Year-Old Son

Florida law enforcement officers responding to a welfare check last week found a 6-year-old boy dead in his bed and later charged his mother with second-degree murder after she allegedly confessed to attempting to exorcise "demons" from his body.

The incident took place on May 30 in Fort Pierce, a community about 40 miles north of West Palm Beach. Deputies from the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office were called to the home after the boy's school requested a welfare check due to his absence since May 14.

Deputies discovered there the body of Ra'myhl Pierre. According to Sheriff Richard R. Del Toro Jr., the child's mother, Rhonda Paulynice, 41, told investigators she had been performing exorcisms to rid her son of demons.

"What we did learn in speaking with the mother is she believes she was being told by God to basically exorcise demons out of the child's body," Del Toro said, according to NBC News. "When the child had stopped moving and basically passed away, at that point she felt that the child had been released from those demons."

According to the probable cause affidavit, deputies found Ra'myhl's body wrapped in fabric with only his face exposed. Visible signs of decomposition indicated he may have been dead for several days.

Paulynice was charged with second-degree murder, failure to report a death and tampering with physical evidence, Del Toro said.

The cause and manner of death have not yet been determined.

Authorities said it was not the first time they had responded to Paulynice's residence. On May 17, deputies were called to the home for a medical issue involving the mother. Investigators now believe the child died shortly afterward, likely on May 18.

Del Toro said the sheriff's office had previously handled domestic-related calls at the home involving Paulynice and her sister, but no prior incidents involving the child had been reported.

"During the course of the interviews, our detectives learned that the mother last spoke to the child on May 18," Del Toro said. "That's when we believe the homicide occurred, and that she was responsible for the child's death."

Del Toro said Paulynice displayed a wide range of emotions while speaking with investigators.

"She had a lot of highs and lows during the investigation — from laughing at different times at the scene to crying," he said. "She also told investigators she believed the child would come back after being freed of the demons."

She appeared in court May 31 via Zoom from jail, where a judge denied her bail.