- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
A Florida mom has been arrested after her four-year-old son was found suffocated to death in her arms.
Diana Cullom, 43, is accused of murdering little Finley on Tuesday afternoon, according to the St Petersburg Police Department.
The child’s 16-year-old sister allegedly returned from school to the family’s $1.3million home to find a trail of blood throughout the property.
She eventually made her way upstairs where she found Cullom cradling her lifeless brother in bed, police said.
Cullom was also found to have multiple self-inflicted stab wounds and was transported to a nearby hospital.
Authorities said that her injuries weren’t life-threatening and she was released shortly after.
Police initially thought Finley had also been stabbed due to the gruesome scene but a medical examiner didn’t find any corresponding wounds and determined his cause of death was suffocation, according to police.
An arrest affidavit alleged that Cullom murdered her son from a ‘premeditated design’ using a plastic bag.
Police Chief Anthony Holloway told local CBS affiliate, WTSP, that the teenage sister also found a note in the house.
Diana Cullom, pictured far right in a social media photo posted last November, was arrested in connection with her son Finley’s murder
Cullom, pictured above in a booking photo, allegedly killed her son with a plastic bag. She is in custody on first-degree murder charges
Police said the boy’s teenage sister found her mom holding Finley and blood covering the home when she came back from school
Holloway didn’t provide additional information on what was in the note, but added: ‘We don’t believe there is any danger to anyone in the community.’
The affidavit noted that Cullom was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, hadn’t indicated any mental health issues, and there were no weapons found at the scene.
Cullom was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on a first-degree murder charge just after 2am, according to jail records. She has not yet entered a plea.
Cullom and her husband, Damian, had four children together, according to an online biography.
Damian worked as a dentist in St Petersburg. He did not provide a comment when approached by The Daily Mail.
The family’s home was listed on Zillow for $1.3 million on Sunday.
Cullom owned and operated her own consulting and brokerage firm after obtaining her real estate license, according to the biography.
The gruesome scene at the family’s $1.3million home initially led police to believe Finley had been stabbed but this was later disproven
The police chief told local news a note was also recovered and there is no danger to the public. The investigation is ongoing
‘In her free time she loves to spend time with friends and family, including her seven siblings, time with God, construction, fishing, architectural design and renovation projects, gardening, business ventures, charity work, travel, reading/research, music festivals and almost any outdoor activity,’ the biography concludes.
Cullom appeared in court on Tuesday for an advisory hearing. She is not eligible for release on bail.
A spokesperson for the St Petersburg Police Department said the investigation is active.
