Rhonda Paulynice: Florida Mother Charged with Murder After Alleged Exorcism Leads to 6-Year-Old Son’s Death

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A Florida mother has been charged with murder after her 6-year-old son died during what she claimed was an exorcism, according to authorities.

Rhonda Paulynice, 31, was taken into custody on May 30, 2025. 

She faces charges of unpremeditated homicide, failing to report a death and altering a body after it was deceased, as reported by NBC Miami.

Rhonda Paulynice 

The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office started an investigation after Ra’Myl Pierre, a first-grader at Samuel Gaines Academy, stopped coming to school.

He had been absent for over two weeks, so concerned school officials requested a welfare check. 

This led deputies to Rhonda Paulynice’s home on May 30, 2025.

When deputies arrived, Paulynice first told them she “just hadn’t put him back in school.”

But when officers asked to see her son, she eventually took them to his bedroom, where they discovered his body wrapped in fabric, with only his face showing.

Forensic investigators later concluded that the boy was likely dead since May 18, 2025.

According to Sheriff Richard Del Toro Jr., Paulynice told criminal investigators that she believed her son was possessed by a demon, and claimed that God had instructed her to chase it out.

She allegedly admitted to suffocating her son while he was “kicking and screaming” in bed. 

“She believed she was being told by God to basically exorcise demons out of the child's body,” Del Toro said during a press conference.

Ra’Myl Pierre 


After his death, Rhonda Paulynice reportedly checked on him daily for two weeks, blowing warm air on his face, waiting for him to “come back to life.”

Sadly, he never woke up, and first responders eventually removed his body from the home.

According to USA Today, preliminary findings support Paulynice’s version of what happened to her son.

However, toxicology results are still pending.

Lt. Andrew Bolonka, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, stated on June 3, 2025:  

“It is important to note that these findings are not final. The Medical Examiner’s investigation is still ongoing… Until the full investigation is concluded, no definitive conclusions can be drawn.” 

Rhonda Paulynice’s on the day she was arrested


Sheriff Richard Del Toro also confirmed that the local police department is working to find out exactly what happened to Ra’Myl Pierre.

“We remain committed to uncovering the full truth about what happened. We urge anyone with information to come forward,” Sheriff Del Toro said.

Police records show that law enforcement had visited Paulynice’s home before, but not for anything related to her son.

On May 17, just one day before Ra’Myl’s suspected death, deputies responded to a medical emergency involving Paulynice herself.

There were also domestic incidents dating back to January between her and her sister.  

The case has left neighbors and local residents heartbroken, and many are struggling to understand how such a tragedy could happen.  

Paulynice is currently being held at St. Lucie County Jail without bond. Her next court date has not been set.

This is a developing story. 

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