In a Fort Pierce, Florida heartbreaker, a mother has been charged with killing her 6-year-old son during what the mother thought was an exorcism. The child, Ra’Myl Pierre, hadn’t seen or been to school in more than two weeks, police say. On May 30, 2025, deputies find a tragic discovery when school officials request a welfare check.
The deputy arrived at the home, where the boy’s mother, 31-year-old Rhonda Joyce Paulynice, brought the officer into the child’s bedroom. Arriving there found young Ra’Myl dead lying on the bed and wrapped in fabric. He could only see his face.
A Mother’s Disturbing Explanation
Paulynice told St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office detectives she was influenced by God to take the demons out of her son’s body, according to the sheriff’s office. God told her what she had to do and said if she didn’t obey, then she’d be punished, she said.
Investigators say that she had told them that she attempted to resist those thoughts, but that she felt compelled to go through with the so-called ‘exorcism’. She covered his mouth to keep him from screaming and trying to get away during the event. He was sadly suffocated by this act.
Everyone was too wrapped up in their jobs to see what was happening, so Paulynice told the man’s wife and son to go home until he came back. After the boy died, she would check on him every day and blow warm air into his face to see if he would wake up. She was sure that demons had been freed from him, and he had merely waited his turn for resurrection.
Police Investigation and Charges
The child apparently died on May 18, which is four days after the authorities confirmed he was seen at school for the last time. Paulynice is charged with second-degree murder, failure to report a death, and disturbing a body.
She was denied bond during her first court appearance, when she was also placed in the St. Lucie County Jail. The case has not been commented on by her public defender.
At the time, the home was occupied by the mother and son only, officials said. Previously, the sheriff’s office had responded to the home for other issues – a medical call the day before the child’s death, but they hadn’t responded to a previous child abuse report.
Community in Mourning
The community is [in] deep sorrow for the loss of Ra’Myl. He was in kindergarten at Samuel S. Gaines Academy. His teachers and school officials said he was a bright, cheerful student, ‘a room lightener’.
The St. Lucie County School District, in response to the tragedy, has provided grief counseling and emotional support to students and staff. They also extended condolences to the family and all who took care of Ra’Myl.
In a statement, the district said: “We realize that the loss of a young life impacts our school community deeply.”
Ongoing Investigation
An autopsy has been conducted and completed by the Medical Examiner’s Office, but they have not released the results of the autopsy because the investigation is ongoing. Ra’Myl died, and toxicology tests and other medical reviews were still being completed to confirm exactly how the girl died.
The investigation is still active, and Sheriff Richard Del Toro stressed that point. Anyone with additional information was asked to come forward to help law enforcement solve the whole truth, he said.
Final Thoughts
This has been a shocking case for many in Florida and far beyond. This also questions mental health, child safety, and warning signs that may not be seen. What remains, though, is mourning the loss of a child whose life was tragically cut short.
