Police say the victim called for help as her son attacked her inside a Wildwood home.

WILDWOOD, Fla. — A 51-year-old Florida man was jailed without bond after police said his mother called 911 during an attack, reported that her son had stabbed her and later died from stab and gunshot wounds.

Derek DeWayne Vaughn is accused in the death of 77-year-old Jerry Lea Vaughn, who lived along County Road 116 in the Wildwood area of Sumter County. Authorities said the case began about 8:30 p.m. Monday, April 6, when the victim reached a dispatcher while the attack was unfolding. Police say the call, the statements made at the scene and evidence inside the home became central parts of the murder investigation now handled by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.

The first account of the case came through Jerry Vaughn’s call for help. According to reports citing the arrest report, she told a dispatcher, “Help me, help me, my son just stabbed me, he is coming to kill me.” The line stayed open as officers were sent to the home. By the time Wildwood police arrived, Derek Vaughn was outside near the front of the residence with his wife and two children. Officers detained him at once. Police said he did not deny what happened. As officers adjusted his handcuffs, he complained about one cuff and said, “I mean, I know I killed my mom, but that one is uncomfortable.”

Investigators said Derek Vaughn made several statements after officers reached the scene. He allegedly said he first stabbed his mother and then shot her when she did not die. Reports citing police records said he told officers that God instructed him to get his late father’s gun and shoot her in the head. The arrest report also described a butcher knife and a firearm as the weapons used in the attack. Villages-News reported that the knife was described as a Damascus bladed butcher knife and that the gun was a Beretta handgun. Police said the victim was stabbed in the heart and shot in the head. Authorities have not released a full timeline showing how long the attack lasted before Jerry Vaughn made the 911 call or when the shooting occurred.

Emergency medical workers took Jerry Vaughn from the County Road 116 home to UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital in The Villages. She was pronounced dead later that night, with one local report listing the time as 9:40 p.m. Monday. The case was first handled by the Wildwood Police Department, which responded to the emergency call. It was later transferred to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office after officials determined the home was in county jurisdiction. Derek Vaughn was booked into the Sumter County jail. Records cited in local reports said he faces a count of dangerous and depraved murder without premeditation and a weapons charge tied to firing a gun in an occupied dwelling.

The charging language shows prosecutors and investigators were treating the death as a homicide while also examining the gunfire inside the home. The allegation that the shooting took place in an occupied dwelling adds another layer because police said Derek Vaughn’s wife and two children were at or near the scene when officers arrived. Reports do not say that the wife or children were physically hurt. Authorities have not publicly described what they saw or heard before officers arrived, and they have not released any statement from them. The public record, as reported so far, centers on the victim’s 911 call, the statements police say Derek Vaughn made, the weapons recovered or identified and the medical finding that Jerry Vaughn died after being taken to a hospital.

Neighbors said Jerry Vaughn was known as a kind and generous woman who opened her home to family. They said Derek Vaughn, his wife and his two sons had been living with her. Mary Arnold, identified as a friend and neighbor, said Jerry Vaughn cared deeply about her family and neighbors. “Jesus Christ, my savior, did not tell that young man to take his mother’s life,” Arnold said after hearing the claim that Derek Vaughn said God told him to act. Another neighbor said the loss did not feel real and described the urge to text Jerry Vaughn with everyday news. Neighbors recalled her attending gatherings, joining birthday parties and buying treats for children in the area.

The arrest report also raised questions about Derek Vaughn’s mental state. Reports said he underwent a mental health evaluation and was found to understand right from wrong. Authorities also said he had no prior criminal history. Those details are likely to matter as the case moves through court because statements about religion, the devil and being tested by God were part of the police account. Derek Vaughn allegedly referred to his mother as satan and said, “I killed the devil.” Investigators have not released further medical or psychological information, and no defense filing was available in the public reports reviewed. The known record does not include a detailed motive beyond the statements attributed to him after the attack.

Derek Vaughn was expected to make a first appearance before a Sumter County judge on Wednesday, April 8. The court process will determine formal charging steps, bond review, counsel and future hearing dates. Prosecutors may use the arrest report, 911 call, body camera evidence, medical records and physical evidence from the home as they decide how to move forward. As of the latest reports, Derek Vaughn remained in the Sumter County jail without bond, and the investigation was in the hands of county deputies.

Jerry Vaughn’s death left neighbors focused on both the criminal case and the family left behind. Arnold said Jerry Vaughn’s greatest fear was not death but the idea of not being there for her family. The next public milestone is the court record from Derek Vaughn’s first appearance and any charging update from Sumter County authorities.

Author note: Last updated April 29, 2026.