Florida Woman Charged With Murder After Allegedly Trying to 'Exorcise Demons' From 6-Year-Old Son

A Florida sheriff’s office says a welfare check in May resulted in the discovery of a deceased six-year-old child, with the mother reportedly telling responding deputies that she had attempted to “exorcise demons” from her son.

According to an arrest affidavit made public by the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office in Fort Pierce, deputies were dispatched to a residence in the area to conduct a welfare check on the child, who had “not attended school” in two weeks. The welfare check had been requested by a school resource officer. The woman in question, identified in the affidavit as Rhonda Paulynice, 41, is said to have behaved “oddly” at the time, ultimately directing the first deputy on the scene to a room inside the house.

Once inside, the deputy “observed what he believed to be a young child on the bed.” The deputy later said that he “immediately realized the child was deceased,” at which point Paulynice was detained and detectives were sent to the home. Per investigators, it’s believed that the child had been dead for several days. While Paulynice was given the opportunity to say goodbye to the child, the affidavit states that this moment “did not appear sincere.”

Portions of the affidavit are redacted. A report from regional outlet WPLG Local 10, however, provides additional info, including body camera footage of Paulynice’s interaction with a deputy. In it, she’s seen telling the deputy that her son will be returning to school. After a pause, she also agrees to let the deputy inside the home.

Meanwhile, in a news conference, St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro detailed the alleged exorcism aspects of the case while remembering the victim as someone who “lit the room up.” Per Del Toro, interviews with Paulynice included “a lot of highs and lows” emotionally.

“What we did learn in speaking with the mother is she believed she was being told by God to basically exorcise demons out of the child’s body,” Del Toro told reporters. “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.”

Jail records viewed by Complex show that Paulynice was booked on second-degree murder for the unlawful killing of a human being; failure to report death; and willfully touching or moving the body, clothing, or any article upon or near the body.

Complex has reached out to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office for comment. This story may be updated.