Dec 12, 2023 Beatrice Clogston
A 34-year-old elementary school teacher from Mississippi has been charged with attempted murder after she allegedly drove her SUV into a lake with her two-year-old daughter inside, according to authorities. The mother of three, identified as Cari Campbell Cullum, was arrested on Friday after Columbus police said that she backed her vehicle off a boat ramp at the Columbus Lock and Dam on September 21, according to the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger.
Police Chief Fred Shelton, in a news release, said: "This is a tragic case and we believe this was not an accident. Our investigation continues into the incident. Her children are in the care of another person at this time."
Authorities said that after the 34-year-old old backed into the water, a friend of her rescued Cullum and her daughter by breaking a window of the car. Police said that Cullum, her daughter, and the man who saved them from the partially submerged vehicle were not hurt in the incident.
Reports state that Cullum's daughter is currently in the custody of her biological father in Monroe County. Cullum's Facebook description states that she is a second-grade teacher at Hamilton Elementary School. The school district, however, declined to comment on her employment status and said: "This is something that we’re working through now as a district," according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
Cullum's Facebook profile also states that she had previously earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the Mississippi University for Women.
Cullum made her first court appearance on Monday and her bond was set at $400,000. She was also ordered by a judge to stay away from her children. Jail records showed that the 34-year-old was not listed in custody at the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center as of Wednesday.
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