The investigation began with a 911 call from a County Road 116 home near Wildwood.
WILDWOOD, Fla. — Sumter County deputies took over a homicide investigation after a 77-year-old woman was stabbed and shot in a Wildwood-area home and her son was arrested in the killing, authorities said.
The case began Monday night, April 6, when Jerry Lea Vaughn called 911 from her home along County Road 116 and said her son was attacking her. Wildwood police responded first, but the investigation was later transferred to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office after officials determined the home was in county jurisdiction. Derek DeWayne Vaughn, 51, was booked without bond and accused of killing his mother. The transfer from city police to county deputies now places the next investigative steps, evidence review and public updates in the county system.
The location matters because the first officers at the scene, the agency now handling the case and the court where it proceeds are all part of the public record that will shape the prosecution. Reports said Wildwood police were dispatched around 8:30 p.m. after Jerry Vaughn reached a dispatcher and said, “Help me, help me, my son just stabbed me, he is coming to kill me.” When officers arrived, Derek Vaughn was outside near the front of the home with his wife and two children. Police detained him immediately. The reports do not say how long officers were at the scene before emergency medical workers took Jerry Vaughn to the hospital.
Jerry Vaughn was transported to UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital in The Villages and was pronounced dead later that night. Villages-News reported the time of death as 9:40 p.m. Monday. The medical facts described in local reports are severe: investigators said she was stabbed in the heart and shot in the head. Police said Derek Vaughn admitted using a butcher knife and a gun that had belonged to his late father. One local account identified the weapons as a Damascus bladed butcher knife and a Beretta handgun. Authorities have not publicly released a full evidence inventory, autopsy findings or laboratory results, and those details may emerge only through later court filings.
Police said Derek Vaughn made statements that may become central evidence. As officers secured him, he allegedly complained about the fit of a handcuff and said, “I mean, I know I killed my mom, but that one is uncomfortable.” Investigators said he also described the sequence of violence, saying he had stabbed his mother and then shot her after she did not die. Reports said he claimed God told him to get the gun and shoot her in the head. He also allegedly referred to his mother as satan, said he killed the devil and said God had been testing him. Authorities have not released a separate motive beyond those reported statements.
The home itself was also part of the story neighbors told after the killing. They said Jerry Vaughn had taken in her son, his wife and their two sons. That detail added to the shock because the alleged killing occurred in the place where relatives had been living with her. No public report reviewed said Derek Vaughn’s wife or children were hurt. Authorities also have not released their statements or said whether they were inside the home during any part of the attack. The weapons charge for firing in an occupied dwelling indicates investigators are looking at more than the death alone. It points to the danger created by gunfire inside a residence tied to multiple people at the scene.
Neighbors’ comments filled in a picture of Jerry Vaughn’s daily life. Mary Arnold, a friend and neighbor, said Jerry Vaughn was loving, churchgoing and devoted to family. Another neighbor said Jerry Vaughn regularly attended gatherings and birthday parties and was remembered for buying treats for neighborhood children. “She was the light in so many people’s lives,” the neighbor said. Arnold said Jerry Vaughn had recently dealt with health problems, but her fear was not death. Arnold said her fear was not being there for her family. That memory made the allegation against her son especially hard for neighbors to absorb.
The criminal process will have to sort through evidence that includes an emergency call, alleged admissions, religious statements, weapons, medical records and jurisdictional handoff. Reports said Derek Vaughn underwent a mental health evaluation and was found to understand right from wrong. Authorities also said he had no prior convictions. Those facts may be weighed against any later defense claims, but they do not end the legal inquiry. Prosecutors must decide how to present the evidence, and defense counsel may challenge statements, mental health conclusions or the account of events. A judge will also oversee custody decisions, scheduling and any motions tied to evidence gathered by police and deputies.
Derek Vaughn faces a reported murder count described as dangerous and depraved murder without premeditation, along with a weapons offense related to firing in an occupied dwelling. He was held without bond after his arrest. Reports said he was expected to appear before a Sumter County judge Wednesday, April 8, for an initial court appearance. Public records from that hearing were not immediately available in the early reports. Future filings may show whether prosecutors amend the charges, whether bond is revisited and when the next hearing will be held.
The investigation remains active in Sumter County, where deputies now control the case file after the jurisdiction transfer. Jerry Vaughn’s neighbors continued to describe a woman known for kindness while the court process began against her son. The next milestone is the release of court records or a new statement from county authorities.
Author note: Last updated April 29, 2026.