A Florida woman has been arrested after authorities say she confessed to suffocating her 6-year-old son and keeping his body in their home for nearly two weeks.
Rhonda Joyce Paulynice, 41, was taken into custody on Friday after deputies with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office responded to a welfare check at her home in Fort Pierce.
Authorities said the visit was prompted by school officials who reported that the child had not attended class since May 14.
According to the arrest report, when deputies arrived, Paulynice was seen walking outside the home and initially gave vague responses about the child’s whereabouts.
She eventually allowed deputies inside, where they discovered the boy’s body wrapped in bedding on a bedroom mattress, the report states.
Deputies noted the child appeared to have been deceased for several days, according to the report. Paulynice was immediately detained, and a search warrant was later executed at the home.
Investigators said they found the home unusually clean and orderly, with items in the house meticulously arranged and little personal decor.
During a recorded interview at the sheriff’s office, Paulynice allegedly admitted to suffocating her son on May 18, claiming she was under the control of “God” or “Father” and believed the child was possessed by a spirit.
She said she placed her hand over his mouth while he was “kicking and screaming” and later moved his body to another bed, covering him with his favorite blanket, according to the report.
Authorities say Paulynice continued to check on her son daily after his death, hoping he would show signs of life.
Paulynice has been charged with second-degree murder, failure to report a death, and willfully tampering with a deceased body.
She was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail.
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