ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Scripps News Tampa Bay/Court TV) — A Florida mother accused of suffocating her 4-year-old son had her first appearance in court on Wednesday.
Diana Cullom appears in court Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Scripps News Tampa Bay)
Diana Cullom, 43, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Finley Cullom. A medical examiner determined the child had been suffocated, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Police responded to the scene on Tuesday after a teenage girl “found her mother holding her 4-year-old brother in a bed” after arriving home from school.
Police said Diana had self-inflicted stab wounds, and there was blood at the scene throughout the house. Authorities initially believed Finley had been stabbed due to the blood at the scene.
Diana was transported to the hospital for treatment. Her injuries were non-life-threatening. She was booked into jail after she was released from the hospital.
Authorities said a note was found along with a knife at the scene, and the father was not home at the time of the incident.
Scripps News Tampa Bay, an E.W. Scripps Company, contributed to this report.
