Fla. teen found not guilty of fatally stabbing his mom a year after allegedly killing his dad

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (TCN) -- A jury recently found a teen not guilty of fatally stabbing his mother a year after he allegedly shot and killed his father in Oklahoma.

Seventeen-year-old Collin Griffith was charged with capital murder, kidnapping, and violation of a no-contact order in connection with the stabbing death of his mother. On Wednesday, Feb. 5, a jury found Griffith not guilty of first-degree murder and not guilty of kidnapping, WTVT-TV reports.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a press conference that Griffith called law enforcement on Sept. 8, 2024, and said he and his mother "had a very long fight, and she fell on a knife, and she’s bleeding from the neck." Deputies responded and met Griffith outside and observed blood on his body. He reportedly seemed "calm, cool, collected," and "not upset."

According to Judd, deputies found a 12-inch knife with an 8-inch blade at the scene. Although Collin Griffith said his mother, Catherine Griffith, fell on the knife, an autopsy showed the fatal incident was likely not accidental.

Witnesses reportedly saw Collin Griffith drag his mother into a mobile home, where she died.

Previously, on Feb. 14, 2023, Collin Griffith allegedly called officials in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, and said he shot his dad, Charles Griffith, in self-defense after he pulled a knife on him. He was charged with first-degree murder, but investigators could not rule out Collin Griffith’s self-defense claim, and the charges were dropped.

Griffith moved in with his mother in Charlotte County, Florida, in March 2023. Six months later, Griffith was Baker Acted, which is a temporary involuntary hold due to a mental health crisis. After being released from a hospital, Griffith allegedly told authorities, "I’ll kill myself or my mother by shooting or stabbing her." He was Baker Acted again but released days later.

According to Judd, officials arrested Griffith in November 2023 after he allegedly pushed his mother to the ground and stomped on her because she "took his video game privileges away." He claimed it was self-defense, but Griffith’s grandmother, who was present, did not corroborate the statement.

Collin Griffith reportedly got into a dispute with his mother on Sept. 6 at her house in Charlotte County, and he fled to his grandmother’s home in Auburndale, Polk County, but she wasn’t there. Catherine Griffith drove up to the grandmother’s house at 4:30 p.m. and they allegedly kept arguing. He called 911 two hours later to report that his mother fell on the knife.

Amy Thornhill, Griffith’s public defender, reportedly argued that the victim possibly attacked the defendant with the knife first. Thornhill also said there’s no evidence that Griffith held his mother in the house against her will, according to WTVT.

Griffith faced life in prison if convicted.

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