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.
MORE | Mom charged in 4-year-old’s murder found incompetent for trial
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.
