ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The routine of a Florida teenager’s afternoon was shattered Tuesday after she returned home to a scene she will likely never forget.
According to police, a teenage girl came home from school to find her youngest brother, just 4 years old, dead in their mother’s arms amid a home stained with blood. The girl is one of four children of Diana Elizabeth Cullom, who now faces a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the death of her son, Finley Cullom.
Authorities said the teenager walked in on the aftermath of the violence, immediately confronted by chaos in what should have been a safe family space. Officers responded to the residence on Tanglewood Drive NE around 3:30 p.m. after receiving a report of a person bleeding. Inside, they found the child’s body and their mother suffering from what appeared to be self-inflicted stab wounds.
Emergency personnel transported Diana Cullom, 43, to a hospital, where she was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. After her release, she was taken into custody and booked into Pinellas County Jail pending formal charges. Investigators initially believed the young boy may have died from stab wounds, given the condition of the home, but later evidence indicated that he was suffocated with a plastic bag.
The experience was deeply traumatic for the teenage girl, who authorities say was thrust into a crisis she could not have anticipated. The community has responded with concern for the children who must now cope with unimaginable loss and trauma.
Investigators disclosed that a note, apparently penned by Diana Cullom, was discovered at the scene. However, police have not revealed its contents, nor have they shared details about any potential motivation behind the incident.
Cullom’s husband, a local dentist and co-owner of a family dental practice, was not at home at the time of the incident, police said. He and Diana Cullom have four children together.
Prior to Tuesday’s tragedy, Cullom was described as active in her family and community, participating in a variety of activities ranging from gardening to charity work and enjoying time outdoors with her children and extended family.
Authorities conducted an interview with Diana Cullom after providing her with Miranda rights, but they have withheld specifics from her statement as the investigation continues. No further information about the ongoing case or possible court proceedings has been released.
The two surviving siblings, alongside the sister who discovered her brother, are expected to receive support as social services and relatives step in to care for the children in the aftermath. Police continue to investigate the events leading up to the boy’s death.