St. Petersburg — The quiet on Tanglewood Drive NE was shattered Tuesday afternoon when 16‑year‑old Jessica Cullom came home from school and found her 4‑year‑old brother, Finley Joseph Cullom, lifeless inside their family home. Police were called shortly after 3:30 p.m. and found the boy unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Finley’s family is now facing an unthinkable heartbreak. Neighbors say the Cullom household was not known to police before this tragedy, and there were no previous calls about trouble at the home.
Officers also found the children’s mother, 43‑year‑old Diana Cullom, injured inside the house. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of stab wounds that were not life‑threatening and later released into custody. Diana Cullom was booked early Wednesday on a first‑degree murder charge linked to her son’s death.
Law enforcement officials initially reported the boy may have been stabbed, but the Pinellas County medical examiner later ruled that Finley died by suffocation. A knife and a note were recovered in the home; police believe the note may have been left by the mother, though they have not shared its contents.
Police Chief Anthony Holloway told reporters investigators do not believe there is any danger to the public. The family’s father was not at home when the tragedy happened, and detectives have been speaking with neighbors and family members as they continue their work.
For young Jessica, the memory of finding her little brother will be with her forever. Community members and first responders say they are deeply shaken by what they saw and are offering support where they can. Local victim service teams are helping the teen and others affected by what Holloway described as a “heavy” and emotional scene.
St. Petersburg residents are trying to make sense of a loss no family should ever have to face. Friends, neighbors, and even people who never met Finley are remembering the little boy for the bright promise he represented — a life full of birthdays, laughter, and uncounted moments that will now never come.
