A 17-year-old Florida boy, Collin Griffith, has been charged with the murder of his mother, Catherine Griffith, a year after allegedly killing his father in a separate incident.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced that Collin was taken into custody after calling 911 on Sunday. Collin claimed his mother had accidentally “fallen on a knife” during an argument.
Authorities quickly dismissed his account after finding inconsistencies and determining there were no signs of a struggle at the scene.
“The medical examiner confirmed it's not feasible that she died in the manner he described,” the sheriff explained. “It didn't happen that way.”
Judd noted that when officers arrived, Collin was covered in blood but appeared “calm, cool and collected.”
In February 2023, Collin shot and killed his father in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, claiming self-defense. Although initially charged, the case was dropped due to lack of evidence.
“He shot him once in the chest and once in the head, and he claimed self-defense,” Judd said, informing reporters about the 2023 homicide.
After moving to Florida to live with his mother, Collin was involuntarily committed for psychiatric treatment following threats to kill himself or his mother.
Despite his inpatient treatment, Collin's violent attacks continued, including one in which he stomped on his mother after she took away his video game privileges.
Once again, Collin claimed he was acting in self-defense, but the police didn't believe him and he was arrested.
In February 2024, Collin got into another altercation with his mother and ran away to his grandmother's house in nearby Auburndale, Florida. Both his grandmother and mother told the Sheriff's department they were afraid of Collin, leading family services to take him into temporary custody.
By March 2024, Collin was back home, and things remained relatively peaceful for several months. However, on Sept. 7, Collin fought with his mother about chores and ran away to his grandmother's house. She was not home at the time.
Collin refused to return home, but his mother went to get him from the retirement community the next day. According to Sheriff Judd, Collin's mother arrived around 4:00 p.m., and 30 minutes later, neighbors saw them arguing outside.
Shortly after, Collin grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the house. It was the last time anyone else saw her alive.
Sheriff Judd expressed grave concerns about Collin's escalating behavior, describing him as a “psychopath” and warning that he poses a threat to anyone he comes across. He has been charged with first-degree murder, and the Polk County Sheriff's Office is seeking to have him tried as an adult.
Judd also plans to share information with Oklahoma prosecutors to help reopen the investigation into Collin's father's death.
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