Teen Walks In On Unthinkable Scene

Crime scene with tape and investigators examining evidence.

A Florida teen walked into her own home and found a scene so disturbing it underscores how fast a family can collapse behind closed doors—without any prior police calls.

Story Snapshot

St. Petersburg police say 43-year-old Diana Cullom is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 4-year-old son, Finley Cullom.
Investigators say the boy was suffocated; early reports suggesting stabbing were corrected after the medical examiner’s findings.
A 16-year-old sister discovered Finley’s body after returning from school and found her mother injured with what police described as self-inflicted wounds.
Police found a knife and a note believed to be written by the mother; investigators have not publicly released the note’s contents.

What Police Say Happened Inside the Shore Acres Home

St. Petersburg Police responded to a home on Tanglewood Drive NE in the Shore Acres area after a 16-year-old girl returned from school and discovered her 4-year-old brother dead. Police said the mother, Diana Cullom, was on a bed cradling the child and had stab wounds believed to be self-inflicted. Investigators also located a knife on the floor and a note at the scene that police believe was written by the mother.

Police transported Cullom to Bayfront Hospital for treatment of injuries described as non-life-threatening lacerations. Officials later booked her into the Pinellas County Jail, where she faces a first-degree murder charge. The child, identified as Finley Cullom, was four years old. Authorities have emphasized that the case remained under active investigation as they worked to confirm cause of death and document the scene described by the teen witness.

Medical Examiner Ruling Changed the Initial Narrative

Early information circulating after the discovery suggested a stabbing, but investigators later said the medical examiner determined Finley died from suffocation. That clarification matters because it tightens the timeline and centers the alleged method of killing on close-contact violence rather than an instrument-related injury. Police did not publicly disclose details about how the suffocation was carried out, and they have not released the note’s contents, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway told reporters that preliminary evidence pointed toward the mother, referencing the note and the way investigators found the scene. At the same time, he said investigators would continue working the case without jumping to conclusions. Holloway also highlighted the emotional impact on responding officers—especially those who have young children—while victim services were made available to the teen daughter who discovered her brother.

No Prior Calls for Service, and a Family Profile That Looked “Normal”

Chief Holloway said there were no prior police dispatches to the home, a detail that will likely fuel community questions about what warning signs—if any—were missed. Reporting also described the family’s ties to a local dental practice, where Diana Cullom assisted her husband, and noted the home had been listed for sale. None of those facts explain the motive, and police have not publicly identified a reason for the alleged killing.

Because the note’s contents remain undisclosed and no mental-health history has been confirmed in the reporting, readers should be cautious about speculation. What is established is the sequence: a teen’s discovery, an injured mother, a child later ruled to have died by suffocation, and a first-degree murder charge soon after. In cases like this, the evidence will be tested in court, and the public record will expand through filings and hearings.

Why This Case Resonates Beyond One Tragic Address

This story hits a nerve because it reflects a hard reality: government systems often react after catastrophe, not before it. Police noted no prior calls to the home, meaning there may have been no official paper trail for intervention even if private struggles existed. For families, churches, and local communities, the grim lesson is that early help often depends on personal relationships and accountability—well before any agency gets involved.

Investigators have said the case remains active, with key unknowns still unresolved publicly, including motive and what the note said. The criminal process will determine what evidence is admissible and whether prosecutors can meet the high burden required for a first-degree murder conviction. For now, the most concrete facts come from police statements and the medical examiner’s ruling: a 4-year-old boy is dead, a teen sister found him, and the mother is accused.