A Florida teenager accused of murdering his mother was acquitted of all charges.
Although the judge acquitted 17-year-old Collin Griffith in February, police said after the trial that they didn’t agree with the verdict, according to WTVT in Tampa Bay, Florida.
“Our detectives firmly believe that Collin Griffith murdered his mother,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. “The jury determined that they could not convict him beyond and to the exclusion of all reasonable doubt. During our investigation, detectives found witnesses that believe he also murdered his father in Oklahoma. That investigation is ongoing.”
Griffith faced first-degree murder and kidnapping charges, and life in prison, had be been convicted for stabbing his mother, Catherine Griffith.
A teenager in Florida has been charged in the fatal stabbing of his mother, less than two years after he shot and killed his father.
Collin Griffith (17) called 911 Sunday evening to report that his mother ‘fell on a knife’ and was ‘bleeding from the neck’ in Polk County,… pic.twitter.com/DXSchPEXFJ
— Rose (@901Lulu) September 13, 2024
The incident happened at Griffith’s grandmother’s home in Auburndale, Florida, where the teen fled after an argument with his mother about chores.
His mother visited the mobile home on Sept. 8, 2024, where witnesses said they saw Griffith grab her by the hair and pull her into the house.
When he called 911, Griffith initially told police his mother had attacked him with the knife and accidentally fell on it, according to KFOR-TV.
When paramedics arrived, they found the woman lying in a pool of her own blood, USA Today reported.
But during the February trial his attorney, Amy Thornhill, said he was acting in self-defense. She also argued that Griffith’s mother was not being held against her will at the Auburndale home.
Thornhill said Griffith and his mother had a “very disturbed relationship,” mentioning at least one instance in which she allegedly pointed a gun at him.
“Isn’t it more reasonable given everything you know that Cathy picked up the knife, threatened Collin with it and he defended himself?” Thornhill said during her closing arguments.
Two serious incidents preceded the September stabbing.
JUST IN: 17-year-old in Florida was arrested for stabbing his mother to de-th a year after she bailed him out for kill-ng his father
‘When you look at this, you see a kid. When I look at him I see a psychopath,’ Sheriff Grady Judd said
Collin Griffith, 17, was arrested for… pic.twitter.com/6T5sKEJGSC
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) September 12, 2024
In November 2023, police charged Griffith with domestic violence battery for beating his mother, who had revoked his gaming privileges.
In February that same year, Griffith allegedly shot and killed his father at his home in Oklahoma.
“Collin said that his dad pulled a knife on him, and he shot and killed his dad. That’s right. His father was named Charles. He shot him once in the chest and once in the head, and he claimed self-defense,” Sheriff Judd said during a September 2024 news conference, according to WTVT.
Because Griffith claimed self-defense, police never charged him, according to KFOR-TV.
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