THE RHONDA PAULYNICE CASE
Ra’Myl Pierre (6) was allegedly murdered by his mother Rhonda Paulynice. She has said that she was performing an exorcism on the child when he died.
At 10am on Friday May 30, 2025, police responded to a residence near Fort Pierce in Florida to conduct a welfare check on a child who lived at the home. The check had been requested by a school resource deputy because the child had not been at school since May 14.
When police arrived at the home, they found Rhonda (41) outside the home. They entered the property with her. According to the arrest documents, a deputy said that Rhonda was behaving ‘oddly.’ She would not take off her sunglasses inside and the officers said she appeared indifferent to them being in the home.
Deputies asked Rhonda where Ra’Myl was and she pointed to several doors in the property. A deputy knocked on one of the doors and got no reply. Rhonda then said that the deputy could go into the room.
Authorities found Ra’Myl laying on a bed, wrapped in fabric. Only his face was exposed. The deputy immediately saw that Ra’myl was dead and Rhonda was detained.
Authorities said that in the home “all items were overly organized.” There were no sentimental items in the home other than pictures of family on the fridge. Detectives found a garbage bag filled with clean children’s clothing in the laundry room.
Deputies allowed Rhonda to say ‘goodbye’ to her son before his body was removed from the house.
“While she was in the residence, although she appeared distraught, it did not appear sincere,” the arrest records state.
According to Sheriff Del Toro, Rhonda told authorities that she was allegedly being told by God to exorcise demons from her son’s body. He said she allegedly attempted to preserve the body in some form after death.
The sheriff held a press conference and said that they believe Ra’Myl died around May 18. This is also the last day that Rhonda said she spoke with her son.
“And when the child had stopped moving and passed away, at that point she felt the child had been released of those demons and was waiting for him to come back at that time,” SLCSO Sheriff Richard Del Toro said in a news conference.
It was also revealed that on May 17, the day before the murder, St Lucie County deputies responded to Rhonda’s home due to a medical issue.
Chief Del Toro continued that there was another incident in January involving a mother and a family member who had once lived in the home, prompting a law enforcement response.
Rhonda made a lot of media posts after May 18 – when Ra’Myl was likely already dead.
Rhonda appeared in court on Saturday, May 31, 2025. She was booked on counts of second-degree murder, failure to report a death, and altering a body. She was denied bail.
Some more information about Ra’myl’s death has been released in the past few days.
Rhonda told police that she put her hand over her his mouth and started suffocating the boy as he was “kicking and screaming” in bed on May 18.
She said that she knew Ra’Myl had died and that “she freed him of a spirit he had in him,” her arrest records show.
She also told investigators she wasn’t in control of her “vessel,” meaning her body, and said “God” or “Father” controlled her.
She said “God/Father” told her what to do and when she tried to resist, he’d “make her pay however she did not elaborate further on those statements,” an affidavit states.
“Paulynice stated she would be kept awake at night by dreams from God/Father detailing events which were going to occur,” an affidavit states.
“Paulynice made references to ‘resetting her life’ and she stated she was put in a position where she had to ‘take her son’s life.’”
Rhonda told authorities that she had noticed changes in Ra’Myl’s behavior “and believed him to be controlled by a ‘spirit’ and by an ‘enemy.’” She said that this spirit and enemy caused him to act out.
Investigators have said that the changes she stated seemed to have been normal for a child of his age.
Rhonda apparently wrapped Ra’Myl in his favorite blanket after his death and checked him for signs of life daily. She blew warm air on his face to check if he responded.
THE LAUREN FLANIGAN CASE
On Monday May 26, 2025, police were called to a home in Bundaberg, Queensland in Australia.
This was an initial media report:
A homicide investigation is underway following the death of a child in central Queensland.
Emergency service responders were called to a Moore Park Beach home on the coastal outskirts of Bundaberg at about 4.45pm on Monday following ‘multiple’ calls.
A person was found unresponsive at the Regency Road home and couldn’t be revived.
Daily Mail Australia understands the victim was a child.
Detectives who remained at the scene on Monday night described the death as ‘an utter tragedy.’
A woman is currently assisting police with their inquiries.
Two other children were also home at the time but unharmed. They are now in the care of others.
Police also said at the time that there was no threat to the public.
A police officer who attended the scene explained that police and paramedics tried desperately to administer first aid but the little girl died at the scene after suffering ‘multiple’ wounds to her body.
‘It was a horrific scene,’ Acting Supt Inskip said.
The following day, May 27, we learned that
Lauren Ingrid Flanigan (32) had been charged with the murder of her daughter Sophia (3).
Right before the murder, Lauren made an instagram post. Her handle on there is lauren.faithandfreedom.
Witnesses have spoken about the murder. Neighbours said that Lauren shouted and screamed as she allegedly murdered Sophia.
The neighbour said they also saw the girl laying on the front yard with her hair splayed behind her.
Overnight, witnesses reported hearing a male screaming.
The father of the children, who reportedly travels for work, was not at home at the time but it is understood he returned to the home after being notified by police. One neighbour, who arrived home shortly after police attended the scene, said the mother was known to experience mental health episodes.
The court heard a brief of evidence was being prepared by police.
Lauren was taken into custody at the Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre.
On Friday May 30, media reports emerged announcing that Lauren had been found unresponsive in her cell and had been taken to hospital.
Queensland’s Corrective Services said officers had responded to Lauren suffering a medical emergency.
Paramedics were called and transported her to the hospital.
“Support is being offered to the responding officers and their colleagues,” corrective services said in a statement.
Police Minister Dan Purdie said the matter, which at the time was “still unfolding”, was under investigation by the Corrective Services Investigation Unit.
“It’s awfully sad, the whole circumstance of the situation, and that matter is under investigation,” he told reporters in Brisbane on Saturday.
On Monday June 2, 2025, it was announced that Lauren had passed away in hospital.
In a statement, a Queensland Corrective Services spokesperson confirmed Lauren had died on Sunday night.
“QCS will assist the Queensland Police Service in preparing a report for the coroner,” the spokesperson said.
“This is standard practice for all deaths in custody.
In their own statement, Queensland Police said: “Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the death of a 32-year-old woman, who was found unresponsive in her cell while in custody at Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre on Friday, May 30.”
“Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) officers provided immediate assistance before paramedics transported the woman to hospital, where she died last night, June 1.”
We do not know anything yet about Lauren’s cause of death except for authorities using the term ‘medical emergency.’ I assumed this was suicide but we did get a message that said she was attacked by other inmate/s.
This is some information about her death from ABC Australia:
Queensland’s coroners office will probe the “bizarre” death of Lauren Flanigan, who was under guard in one of the state’s most secure prisons.
Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre, located at Wacol, accommodates female prisoners accused of the most serious crimes.
On Friday night, the 32-year-old was found unresponsive in her cell.
She was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital and placed in the intensive care unit, where she died on Sunday night.
The ABC understands Ms Flanigan suffered a medical episode while in her cell.
“It’s just bizarre that someone can be in a police watch house, and then a prison cell, and then be found unresponsive,” said Debbie Kilroy, a prisoner advocate and CEO of Sisters Inside.
In a statement, Corrective Services Minister Laura Gerber reiterated there would be a full investigation into Ms Flanigan’s death.
“The circumstances surrounding this incident have been incredibly traumatic for the community and I am ensuring there is a full and thorough investigation into what has occurred,” she said.
Queensland Corrective Services is also undertaking an internal management review at the centre.
A Coroners Court of Queensland spokesperson said the deaths of Ms Flanigan and Sophia Rose had been referred to the Deputy State Coroner.
“It is mandatory in Queensland for any death in custody to be the subject of an inquest,” they said.
“Significant amounts of information are usually required to be collated, so we are unable to forecast a time for Ms Flanigan’s inquest this far in advance.”
The spokesperson said no further information could be provided at this time as both deaths were now subject of coronial investigations.
SOURCE LIST
https://www.facebook.com/rhonda.paulynice
https://www.instagram.com/rhonda__joyce
https://www.facebook.com/lauren.flanigan.58/ – FB