On the evening of April 6, 2026, Wildwood resident and retired schoolteacher 77-year-old Jerrylea Vaughn was fatally injured in her home after calling 911 to report that her son was attacking her. Dispatchers heard her screams; officers found her son at the scene and took him into custody. Vaughn was transported to UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital and was pronounced dead later that evening.

The suspect is her 51-year-old son, Derek Vaughn. An arrest report says he admitted to the killing and told officers he had been instructed by God to do it; the report also states a knife and a handgun were used. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center without bond on a homicide charge.

Vaughn was a longtime Wildwood resident, a widow who had been married 41 years, and active in the women’s ministry at Encounter Church. She is survived by two children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren; funeral services were scheduled at Encounter Church. Does anyone in the Wildwood community have information about that night or knew Jerrylea and can help fill in missing details?