A 17-year-old Florida teen, Collin Griffith, is now charged with first-degree murder in the brutal stabbing death of his mother, Catherine Griffith, just 19 months after he fatally shot his father in Oklahoma, authorities revealed. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd addressed the shocking case during a Sept. 11 news conference, highlighting the tragic sequence of events that led to the teen’s second alleged killing.
Griffith had previously been arrested in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, after calling 911 and admitting to shooting his father in the chest and head in what he claimed was self-defense. He was only 15 at the time. Although he was arrested on probable cause for first-degree murder in February 2023, the case was ultimately dropped when the district attorney’s office could not rule out self-defense.
“My question is, was there anything else that could have been done?” Sheriff Judd said. “Had Oklahoma been able to act, Catherine would be alive and well today.”
According to deputies, Griffith claimed his father had chased him through their home with a knife, cornering him in his bedroom, where he shot him. After the case was dismissed, Griffith relocated to Charlotte County, Florida, to live with his mother. However, his time in Florida was marked by escalating violence.
Authorities reported multiple incidents of violent threats against his mother, including two occasions when he threatened to kill her. In November 2023, he was charged with domestic violence battery against his mom, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Despite these alarming signs, the tragedy escalated, with Griffith now facing a first-degree murder charge in his mother’s death, leaving authorities and the community questioning if more could have been done to prevent this horrific outcome.