A Wildwood woman apparently murdered by her son was known for providing a loving home for her family.
The community has been shocked by the death of 77-year-old Jerrylea Vaughn. Her son, 51-year-old Derek Vaughn, has been arrested and charged in her death.
Jerrylea Vaughn was pleading for help when she called 911 on Monday night.
“Help me, help me, my son just stabbed me, he is coming to kill me,” she told a dispatcher, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The dispatcher could hear Jerrylea Vaughn screaming.
Law enforcement raced to the home at 4522 County Road 116 that the Vaughn family has owned since 1971.
Derek Vaughn was immediately taken into custody and complained about the tightness of the handcuffs.
“I mean, I know I killed my Mom, but that one is uncomfortable,” Derek Vaughn told the law enforcement officers.
He said that God told him to get his father’s gun and shoot his mother in the head. So he did.
She was transported to UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital in The Villages where she was pronounced dead at 9:41 p.m. Monday.
The home where his mother was killed was the home where Derek Vaughn, born in 1974, grew up. His father, who died in 2016, spent his career with CSX Railroad. The Vaughns were members of Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church. The family enjoyed vacations at the beach. Jerrylea Vaughn and her late husband had six grandchildren. There were many photos of Jerrylea Vaughn and her grandchildren posted on social media. Many were at the beach.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office took over the investigation from the Wildwood Police Department when it was determined the Vaughn home is located within the county’s jurisdiction. Wildwood police had originally responded to the distress call.
Derek Vaughn’s wife and two sons were subsequently interviewed by a sheriff’s detective. What they had to say has been redacted from an arrest report released to the media.
Derek Vaughn remains in custody at the Sumter County Detention Center where he was being held without bond. Sumter County records show he had no criminal history, not even a traffic ticket.