A 17-year-old boy allegedly killed his mother in Florida, just a year after shooting his father in Oklahoma, according to police.
Collin Griffith called 911 on the night of September 8, claiming that his mother, 39-year-old Catherine Griffith, was stabbed in the neck during a struggle in which she supposedly fell on a knife after lunging at him. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, where Catherine was pronounced dead.
When questioned, Collin was reportedly “uncooperative” and requested to speak with a lawyer. Investigators found discrepancies between his account and the evidence at the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing Collin and his mother arguing outside their home, with Collin dragging her inside while she pleaded for release. Nancy K. Jones, a neighbor, said, “He just grabbed her — it looked like he grabbed her by the hair.”
Collin’s grandmother, who owns the home where the incident occurred, informed police that the teen had previously been confrontational with his mother. She had reportedly mentioned that Collin “had problems.”
An autopsy revealed that Catherine Griffith died from a deep knife wound to the neck, which was determined to be inconsistent with an accidental injury.
Collin is now an orphan, having allegedly killed his father, Charles Robert Griffith, in 2023. During an altercation at their Oklahoma home on Valentine’s Day, Collin, then 15, claimed he acted in self-defense. He stated that he shot his father twice—once in the chest and once in the head—after being cornered.
Collin’s mother had paid $50,000 to bail him out, but the charges were later dropped as self-defense could not be ruled out. He was reunited with his mother exactly a year later through Florida’s Department of Children and Families, and he had previously threatened her before allegedly killing her.
“Collin Griffith is a violent predator — he has now killed both his father and his mother,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “We will hold him accountable in Polk County and do everything possible to keep him away from society.”
