A 51‑year‑old Florida man, Derek DeWayne Vaughn, has been charged with dangerous and depraved murder without premeditation and discharging a firearm in an occupied dwelling after he allegedly stabbed and then shot his 77‑year‑old mother, Jerry Lea Vaughn, at their home in The Villages area.
How the attack unfolded
Around 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Jerry Vaughn called 911, screaming that her son was attacking her:
“Help me, help me, my son just stabbed me, he is coming to kill me,”
Police arrived to find Derek Vaughn outside the home with his wife and children, where he was immediately detained. He reportedly admitted killing his mother but complained that his handcuffs were too tight, saying to officers, “I know I killed my mom, but that one is uncomfortable.”
Investigators say he first stabbed his mother in the heart with a butcher knife, and when she did not die, he claimed “God told him” to get his late father’s gun and shoot her in the head. He reportedly told police he obeyed that “instruction” and carried out both acts. Jerry Vaughn was rushed to UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
Mental health and prior history
Derek Vaughn underwent a mental health evaluation and was deemed capable of understanding right from wrong, though he referred to his mother as “the devil” and told authorities he had “killed the devil.” Authorities say he has no prior criminal history. The case initially started with Wildwood police before being handed to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, which took over once it was confirmed the home fell within county jurisdiction.
Who Jerry Vaughn was
Neighbors and family friends described Jerry Vaughn as a deeply caring and generous woman who often opened her home to her son, his wife, and their children. One neighbor called her “the light in so many people’s lives,” while others said they were stunned that someone she cared for so much could turn violently against her.
Derek Vaughn is being held at the Sumter County Jail without bond, with his first court appearance scheduled for Wednesday, though detailed public records of that hearing were not immediately available.
