The alleged Florida Child Killer, Rhonda Paulynice, was arrested after the discovery of her dead son in his bedroom claimed she was exorcising demons out of his body.
Rhonda Paulynice was indicted for second-degree murder following the discovery of her son, Ra’myl Pierre’s, body during a welfare check by officials. Law enforcement was sent to the residence in Florida at 10 AM on Friday, May 30.
Deputies from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office discovered the corpse of six-year-old Ra’myl Pierre within the premises.
The Samuel Gaines Academy student had been absent from class for almost two weeks, prompting alarm from a school resource deputy.
Rhonda Paulynice, 41, was in the driveway when the officers arrived. The constable was escorted into the residence, where the boy was found died on his bed, according to Sheriff Richard Del Toro.
She told detectives that “she believes she was being told by God to basically exorcise demons out of the child’s body,” according to St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro.
Investigators believe the child died on May 18, but an autopsy will provide more information, Del Toro said.
Due to the amount of time his body was left on the bed, medical examiners could not determine the manner of death at the scene.
May 18 was also the last day that Rhonda Paulynice spoke to her son, detectives learned.
According to Del Toro, Rhonda Paulynice — who is the main suspect in the investigation — told detectives that she had attempted an exorcism on the 6-year-old, the exact details of which are not known.
“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,” the sheriff told reporters. “And when the child had stopped moving and basically passed away, at that point she felt that the child had been released from those demons, and was waiting for him to basically come back at that time.”
Del Toro also said that the 41-year-old mother exhibited “a lot of highs and lows during the investigation, from laughing at different times at the scene to crying.”
She was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder, as well as failure to report a death and wilfully touching or moving the body, clothing or any article upon or near the body, according to jail records.
She is currently being held on a $150,000 bond.
Prior to the discovery of the child’s body, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Fort Pierce residence before for “domestic issues” involving Paulynice and her sister, Del Toro said, but none involving the mother and son.
Most recently, officials reported to the home on May 17 due to a “medical issue” of Rhonda Paulynice’s, the sheriff added.
The following day, which is when detectives believe she killed her son, Rhonda Paulynice shared an inspirational religious post on social media.
She shared several similar posts in the days that followed, the most recent on May 29.
Her final post featuring a photo of Pierre was dated Dec. 8, 2024.
While expressing condolences for Pierre’s family, classmates and teachers, Del Toro offered some insight into what the 6-year-old was like prior to his tragic death.
“From what I understand, this kid just lit the room up, and was loved by everybody,” he said.
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