The child’s 16-year-old sister found him Tuesday afternoon; police later seized a note and a knife from the home.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Police said a 4-year-old boy found dead Tuesday in a Shore Acres bedroom died by suffocation, not stabbing as first suspected, and his 43-year-old mother was arrested Wednesday on a first-degree murder charge.
The case moved quickly across two days on the city’s northeast side. A teenager returning from school called 911 just after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday from Tanglewood Drive Northeast. Officers found the child unresponsive and the mother with cuts that investigators later described as self-inflicted. By nightfall, detectives had secured a warrant to search the house. By morning, the medical examiner’s preliminary findings ruled out stab wounds and identified suffocation, and police announced the arrest. Officials identified the child as 4-year-old Finley Cullom and the mother as Diana Elizabeth Cullom.
Chief Anthony Holloway told reporters the scene was contained to the home and that detectives recovered a knife and a handwritten note believed to be from the mother. “There was blood at the scene and throughout the house,” police said in a social media update, describing what the teen encountered upon arrival. The mother was taken to Bayfront Hospital with non-life-threatening wounds and later booked into the Pinellas County Jail after release. Investigators said the children’s father, who was away at the time, met with officers Tuesday evening and provided a statement.
Investigators said they have no record of prior calls for service at the address and described the block as otherwise quiet. The home sits among single-story houses near canals, where neighbors reported a heavy police presence into the night. By mid-evening Tuesday, crime scene technicians were photographing rooms and collecting evidence. A knife and the note were among the items seized. Authorities said the contents of the note have not been released and the suspected motive remains unknown.
Detectives are conducting additional interviews, including with the teen who made the 911 call and with relatives who arrived after police notified them. They are also seeking any doorbell or exterior camera footage that shows activity at the home before 3:30 p.m. Investigators said the mother’s first appearance on the murder charge is expected later this week, with a judge to consider custody status and appoint counsel if needed. Police said they will release more information as lab testing and the autopsy report are finalized.
By late Wednesday, crime scene tape had been removed and the residence was turned back over to family. Police said victim services were offered to the teenager and to first responders who worked the case. The next formal update is expected after the medical examiner files a written report and the court schedules an initial hearing.
Author note: Last updated January 28, 2026.