WE OBTAINED WAYNE PFEISTER’S AUTOPSY REPORT. REVEALS GRUESOME SCENE. BENZODIAZEPINES. CANNABINOIDS. GUN SHOT.
CLAIM: PFEISTER TRIED TO HIDE MOM’S MURDER WITH BLEACH.
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2023 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Wayne Pfeister, with Benzodiazepines, Cannabinoids, and Opioids in his system, killed his mother — Deena Vanvoorhis — before shooting himself in the head. Investigators with the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office found blood and a gruesome scene while analyzing the Boca Raton Murder-Sucide on July 10th, 2022.
As we reported at the time, Wayne Pfeister — self-identified on social media as a traveling nurse — came to a family event at 5500 NW 3rd Terrace in Boca Raton on July 10th, even though he was banned from the family home. He got into an altercation with his mother — Deena Vanvoorhis — and brutally killed her. He then killed himself as Boca Raton SWAT entered the home. With no one to arrest, the Boca Raton Police Department did not file an affidavit of probable cause with details of the murder scene, and worked very hard to protect the family from those seeking information.
But BocaNewsNow.com filed a public records request with the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner. That office released details this afternoon. We warn our readers that the following narrative is extremely graphic and depicts not just the murder scene, but the initial steps of the homicide investigation.
MEDICAL EXAMINER REPORT:
On 07/10/2022 at 2214 hours, Detective George Reilly with the Boca Raton Police Department made notification to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office regarding the death of Wayne Pfeister and (Deena Vanvoorhis), located at the family vacation home, 5500 NW 3rd Ter, in Boca Raton Florida. The decedent discovered by maintenance personnel, that he had been secretly living in the home.
The decedent’s mother and extended family had planned to come from New York, to celebrate the decedent’s grandmother’s birthday over the next few days. According to Detective Reilly, the decedent may have killed (his mother) and attempted to clean up the scene with bleach. On 07/10/2022, the decedent’s uncle made entry into the home, and the decedent shot at him several times and hit his aunt several times with a firearm. Detective Reilly reported the decedent may have shot himself when the decedent’s uncle and aunt left the house. According to Detective Reilly, the Swat team with the Boca Raton Police Department broke down the home’s front door and discovered the decedent and Deena Vanvoorhis unresponsive. Boca Raton Fire Rescue responded and pronounced the decedent Deena Vanvoorhis dead at 1736 hours.
Detective Reilly reported there was apparent trauma to both decedents. I advised that the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office was accepting jurisdiction and informed that I would respond to the scene. At 2250 hours, I dispatched Elite Removal Services, Inc. to retrieve the remains, and I traveled to the scene.
Scene Description
Upon my arrival at 2308 hours, I met with Detective George Reilly, Crime Scene Investigator Rachelle Greco, and Crime Scene Investigator Mary Cassandra, all with the Boca Raton Police Department. The sky was dark. The address belonged to a (3) bedroom, (3) bathroom, single-story residence. I entered the residence through the open garage door and observed an empty garage.
I entered the house through a door along the west wall in the garage. Through the doorway, I observed an office/bedroom directly across the hallway from the door. In the office/bedroom, I observed a trash bag. In the trash bag. There were cleaning supplies, a white string tied in a loop, a knife with a gray metal blade, and a brown wooden handle. In the hallway, I observed a closed door straight ahead and a laundry room to the east of the closed door. I opened the door and observed a kitchen, a small dining table, and the decedent of (Deena Vanvoorhis) on the floor. Next to (Deena Vanvoorhis), I observed an H & R revolver with an opened cylinder. I observed a door leading to the living room and formal dining room on the west wall of the kitchen. Just through the doorway, I observed a drop of blood on the floor. The dining room was located in the north quadrant of the residence, and the living room was in the south quadrant.
Along the north wall of the residence, next to the formal dining room. Boca Raton Police Department Swat Team made forced entry with extensive damage to the door frame that enters the foyer. There are broken glass and wood pieces scattered on the floor. Where the foyer and the living room met, there were two pieces of luggage and several droplets of blood leading to a bedroom in the northwest corner of the residence. To the west of the living room, I observed a hallway. On the west wall of the hallway were three rooms. In the room closet to the living room, I observed a couch with other miscellaneous furniture, several small droplets of blood on the carpet, and in the closet, I observed a black metal crowbar. In the closet where I observed the crowbar, I observed three white plastic shopping bags, a tan shopping bag, and what appears to be blood on the carpet and wall.
Down the hallway, to the north of the living room, is a bathroom. Just outside the bathroom, between the hallway’s center bedroom, and the doorway to the bathroom, I observed what appeared to be a blood smear on the wall, blood droplets on the floor, and a dark-colored slipper. In the bathroom, I observed several circular defects in the shower and a projectile fragment on the countertop. In the shower, I observed projectile fragments and blood on the floor.
Down the hallway towards the bedroom at the northwest corner of the residence, I observed a blue suitcase and a black suitcase. Just outside the bedroom door, I observed two gray sandals. There was a circular defect to the bedroom’s door, leading to a circular deft to the bedroom closet, with a linear defect to the closet’s doorway. Inside the closet, and a projective fragment on the floor. Inside the bedroom, There appeared to be blood droplets on the carpet. Behind the bedroom door, I observed a dark-colored slipper, a pair of black sunglasses, a pair of black eyeglasses, and a black metal revolver. In the center of the bedroom, I observed a bed, desk, and other furniture. On the floor near the bed, I observed a black smartphone.
On the southwest side of the bedroom, that has a bathroom. In the bathroom, I observed a droplet of what appeared to be blood near the door and a bottle of bleach near the tub on the left side of the bathroom. I made my way to the southwest corner of the residence and observed a bedroom. At the bedroom entrance, there was what appeared to be blood on the floor. I observed what appeared to be blood throughout the room; from the entrance to the center of the room, I observed what appeared to be blood on the carpet in a dragged pattern.
I also observed what appeared to be a bloody shoe print near the door. Near the entrance, I observed a clothing hanger with what appeared to be brain matter on it. In the center of the room, I observed the decedent. Against the room’s south wall, I observed a dresser with drawls pulled out and scattered across the room. I observed the drawls and their contents to have what appeared to be blood spatter on them. Against the west wall of the bedroom, I observed a bed. At the foot of the bed, I observed a bench with a pink shirt on it. I observed what appeared to be blood spattered across the bench and the shirt. Along the north wall, I observed the door to a bathroom. In the bathroom, I observed the decedent’s personal belongings in the toilet and a bidet covered in bleach.
Prior to my arrival, an officer with the Boca Raton Police Department removed the decedent’s driver’s license from the toilet and placed it on the counter in the bathroom. On the bathroom’s east wall, I observed a closet, and just inside the closet, I observed blood on the floor.
Body Description
I performed a cursory examination of the body and observed the decedent lying prone with the decedent’s head pointing southeast, facing south, and the feet pointing west. The decedent’s left arm was bent, and under his upper body, his right arm was bent upward and his legs were straight. The decedent was wearing a black long sleeve shirt, two black socks, gray pants, gray shorts, gray underwear, and a black facemask.
He had short in length and brown in color scalp, brown in color facial hair, and brown in color eyes. I examined the eyes and observed congestion, and bruising on the eyelids. I then examined the mouth and observed a tongue sticking out of a clenched jaw. The decedent’s hands were in rigor and presented no signs of trauma.
Upon further examination, I observed unfixed lividity, consistent with his position. There were obvious signs of trauma to the body. I observed a circular defect to the back right of the decedent’s head. I placed homicide handbags over the decedent’s hands and secured them with evidence tape. I dated and initialed the tape. Elite Removal placed the decedent in a body bag on top of a homicide sheet. I undressed the decedent and gave the clothing to Crime Scene Investigator Mary Cassandra. I secured the body bag with a security tag. Elite Removal transported the decedent to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Officer for further examination.
Andrew Colton hosts “South Florida’s First News” on NewsRadio 610 WIOD. Listen M-F, 6-10AM, on air, on WIOD.com, in the iHeart Radio app, or tell Alexa, Google, or Siri that you want to hear “NewsRadio 610 WIOD.”WIOD is South Florida’s top-rated commercial news and information station.
