Florida Mother Faces Murder Charge After Teen Daughter's Horrific Discovery
A Florida mother has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder after her teenage daughter returned home from school to discover her four-year-old brother strangled to death.
Diana Cullom, 43, is now in custody following the tragic incident at the family's residence on Tanglewood Drive NE in St. Petersburg. The case has sent shockwaves through the local community and left investigators grappling with the heartbreaking circumstances.
Teenage Daughter Makes Tragic Discovery
The horrific scene unfolded on Tuesday afternoon when Cullom's 16-year-old daughter arrived home from school. Police reports indicate the teenager found her mother holding the body of her younger brother, Finley Joseph Cullom, who had been strangled to death.
Officers were called to the residence around 3:30 p.m., where they discovered the deceased child and blood evidence throughout the home. Initial speculation suggested the child might have been stabbed, but the medical examiner later confirmed the cause of death as suffocation with no stab wounds present on the boy's body.
Mother Hospitalised with Self-Inflicted Injuries
While the child showed no signs of stab wounds, Cullom herself had suffered multiple stab injuries that police have since determined were self-inflicted. She was transported to Bayfront Hospital with what authorities described as non-life-threatening wounds.
St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway revealed during a Tuesday press briefing that investigators found both a knife and a note inside the home. "It is our belief that the note was left by mom," Holloway stated, though the specific contents of the note have not been disclosed to the public.
Arrest and Investigation Details
Cullom was released from hospital overnight and taken into custody early Wednesday morning. She now faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with her son's death.
Police confirmed that the children's father was not present at the home during the incident but was subsequently notified and has cooperated with authorities. Investigators noted there was no prior history of emergency calls from the residence, adding another layer of mystery to the tragic event.
"There is no history of calls for service at the home," Chief Holloway explained. "We're looking at everything."
Community Reeling from Tragedy
The emotional impact of the incident has been profound, particularly for first responders and neighbours. Chief Holloway expressed the collective grief felt throughout the community, noting that many officers responding to the scene have children of their own.
"A lot of these officers, they have kids, and then you have the 16-year-old who's coming home from school and finding her brother and her mother," Holloway said. "And then you're just having a father come here. So right now in the neighbourhood, everybody's heart is heavy."
The circumstances leading to the young boy's death remain under active investigation as authorities work to understand what prompted this family tragedy.
