A 43-year-old St. Petersburg mother was charged with first-degree murder Wednesday after her 4-year-old son was found dead at their northeast home Tuesday afternoon, police said. Investigators initially suspected a stabbing, but an overnight autopsy found the child was suffocated.
Detectives identified the suspect as Diana Elizabeth Cullom. The boy, Finley Cullom, was discovered shortly after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday inside a bedroom at 1760 Tanglewood Dr. NE. Police said Cullom was treated for what appeared to be self-inflicted stab wounds and later booked into the Pinellas County Jail. Officials said the case remains active as they review evidence collected at the scene, including a handwritten note found by a teenager who called 911. A judge ordered Cullom held without bond after her initial appearance, and prosecutors are reviewing the findings to determine next steps.
According to police, a 16-year-old girl arrived home from school and found her mother in a bedroom holding Finley on a bed. She saw blood in several rooms and called for help. Officers and paramedics responded within minutes and pronounced the boy dead inside the home. “This is heartbreaking for everyone involved,” Police Chief Anthony Holloway said, noting the impact on the teen who made the discovery and on first responders. Investigators initially focused on knives found inside the residence, but the medical examiner’s preliminary determination — suffocation — shifted the direction of the inquiry overnight. Evidence technicians photographed hallways and the bedroom, marked items with numbered placards, and collected clothing and bedding for testing before the scene was released.
Police said Cullom sustained multiple cuts believed to be self-inflicted before she was transported to a hospital for treatment and later interviewed by detectives. Officials said Finley’s father was not at the home when officers arrived. The handwritten note recovered by the teenager is believed to have been written by Cullom, investigators said, though its contents were not publicly released. Authorities said there were no recent calls for service at the address. The medical examiner reported no stab wounds on Finley’s body and concluded he died by suffocation; police later said a plastic bag may have been used. Officials did not discuss any prior welfare checks or medical history and said a motive remains unknown.
The home is in a quiet Shore Acres neighborhood of single-story houses and cul-de-sacs along Tanglewood Drive Northeast. Neighbors described seeing multiple patrol cars and crime-scene tape stretching across the lawn as daylight faded Tuesday evening. By nightfall, detectives canvassed the block for doorbell and exterior security video, asking residents for clips captured between midafternoon and early evening. The department said it will review the case alongside other recent juvenile death investigations, a standard internal practice when a child is killed in a home. Local schools said counseling staff were available to students who knew the family. The medical examiner’s lab will conduct additional testing in the days ahead.
Cullom was booked into the Pinellas County Jail early Wednesday and appeared before a judge later that day for an advisory hearing. Court officials said she is being held without bond on a count of first-degree murder. Prosecutors in Pinellas-Pasco are evaluating the investigative file, including the medical examiner’s report and any lab results from swabs taken at the scene. A formal arraignment date will be set once charging documents are filed. Detectives plan to submit digital evidence from nearby cameras and cellphone records for analysis. Investigators said they expect to release an update after lab results and a more detailed autopsy report are returned.
On Wednesday morning, small bouquets appeared near the home’s mailbox and a patrol car made periodic passes down the block. A neighbor described officers knocking on doors and asking about video alerts around 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday. “It was quiet, then all at once there were lights everywhere,” the neighbor said. Another resident said the teen who called 911 left with victim advocates as investigators remained inside, placing items into paper bags. Outside the house, evidence markers dotted the front walk while technicians photographed the entryway and driveway. By midday Wednesday, crime-scene tape had been removed, leaving only faint chalk marks and a few wilting flowers by the curb.
As of Thursday, Cullom remained jailed without bond while the investigation continued. The next expected milestone is the filing of formal charges and the setting of an arraignment date in Pinellas County court.
Author note: Last updated January 29, 2026.