Cops: 17-Year-Old Killed Mom, 2 Years After Killing Dad

Teen is taken into custody in Polk County, Florida
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 12, 2024 5:30 PM CDT
Police: Teen Killed Mom, Two Years After Killing Dad
   (Getty / Gorodenkoff)

A 17-year-old in Polk County, Florida, is accused of stabbing his mother to death during an argument, reports WFLA. But what makes the case more chilling is that the same teen shot and killed his father a little less than two years ago, per ClickOrlando.com. "It's important to understand when you look at this, you see a kid," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. "When I look at him, I see a psychopath."

  • The mother: Authorities say Collin Griffith called 911 on Sept. 8 and claimed that his mother, 39-year-old Catherine Griffith, came at him with a knife and then fell on it. "Our investigation clearly and unequivocally shows that that circumstance did not occur like that," says Judd. A neighbor tells WFLA that she saw the teen grab his mother and drag her inside the house as they were arguing. The sheriff says the teen was previously charged with domestic battery for beating his mother when she disciplined him by taking away his video games.
  • The father: The teen fatally shot his father, Charles Robert Griffith, in Oklahoma in February 2023. He was initially charged with murder, but the case was dropped because prosecutors could not disprove his claim of self-defense, per WFTV. Upon being released from custody, he moved to Florida to live with his mother. The teen has been charged with murder again in his mother's death.
(More murder stories.)

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