Lloyd Harbor woman intentionally drowned by son, cops say

The son of a Lloyd Harbor woman was arrested and charged in connection with her drowning, Suffolk police said early Thursday.

Lloyd Harbor police received a call reporting a possible intentional drowning about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday and found the victim’s body in the backyard of the White Hill Road home, said Police Commissioner Timothy Sini at news briefing.

Elizabeth Cullen, 63, was identified as the victim.

“The evidence suggested she was drowned in the pool in the backyard,” Sini said.

Denis D. Cullen Jr., 23, who lives with his parents, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the drowning.

Lloyd Harbor police contacted Suffolk police at about 4 p.m., and officers from the Suffolk police department’s Second Precinct, Emergency Services Unit and the Homicide Squad responded, police said.

“As we were processing the scene, the suspect returned to the home” and was arrested without incident at about 5:50 p.m., Sini said.

Sini would not answer questions about the motive of the slaying or the suspect’s mental state.

Sini said Cullen was being processed early Thursday and will be housed in a precinct overnight before his arraignment later Thursday.

Suffolk Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer said homicide detectives and crime scene investigators conducted an investigation for several hours in the affluent North Shore neighborhood.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.