Florida Man Friday | 17-Year-Old Accused of Murdering His Mother by Stabbing Her in the Neck | Collin Griffith

17 year old Colin Griffith called 911 claiming his mother had been killed

On Sunday, September 8, 2024, 17 year old Colin Griffith called 911 from a home in Arbordale, Florida claiming his mother had been fatally injured in an accident. When deputies arrived, they found 39 year old Catherine Griffith unresponsive and pronounced her dead at the scene, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Collins said that during a heated argument, Catherine had lunged at him with a knife, but she fell on it causing the fatal neck wound. However, the medical examiner’s findings contradicted Colin’s account. Welcome LaMs. Welcome to Love and Murder, heartbreak to homicide. Your Florida Man Friday edition. Hi, my name is Ky and I will be your host. If you’re new here, take a listen all the way to the end and if you like it then go ahead and hit subscribe so you don’t miss any more episodes. If you’re a returning LaM, thank you so much for your continued support. I also want to say thank you to my LaMs in patreon patreon.com forward/love and Murder who are the sponsors of this podcast? If you want to be a sponsor of Love and Murder, head on over and become an exclusive lamb. patreon.com forward/11murder we have a December sale going on right now where you get half off your first month as a as a LaM Patreon. Patreon patreon.com forward/love and Murder now let’s get back to your Florida Man Friday edition.

Colin Griffith claims self defense after allegedly attacking his mother Catherine

The autopsy revealed a deep knife wound to Catherine’s neck that was, quote, inconsistent with an accidental injury. Police also noted that the crime scene showed no signs of the physical altercation Colin described, with investigators also noting that the house remained, quote, neat and orderly. Witnesses reported seeing Colin dragging his mother into the house by her hair as she pleaded for him to let her go. Normally I would say something at this, but further on into the episode you’ll see the reason I’m holding my tongue. After questioning the witnesses, police noticed that There was a two hour delay between what the witnesses saw and the 911 call. Reports reveal a pattern of confrontational behavior by Colin towards his mother. A year before, Colin had been arrested for allegedly attacking Catherine over video game privileges. Although he claimed self defense in that incident, witnesses including his grandmother said that wasn’t true. So apparently this is the second time he’s claiming self defense. But evidence isn’t pointing to self defense. Investigators documented a history of concern and behavior. Records from Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office reveal that Catherine had tried to get help for her son, reaching out to mental health facilities across Florida. This Is why I didn’t want to say anything. It seems like he has mental health problems. Records also showed that in September 2023, Colin had a mental health evaluation under the bakers act, meaning it was involuntary. He was diagnosed with PTSD and a personality disorder. They didn’t really say what personality disorder in the reports, but that’s what it said. Then Colin made threats against his therapist, who diagnosed him with PTSD and a personality disorder. So somebody told him that, okay, we understand, uh, why you’re going through this. You do have a mental health disorder. And he was like, I’m coming for you. Not that he said that, but I’m just saying. He then made threats against her. How dare you say I have PTSD and. And a personality disorder. It’s like, clearly we could tell something’s wrong and he didn’t want to hear it. His grandmother reported to investigators a history of physically and verbally aggressive behavior towards his mother, describing, quote, a pattern of behavior that had escalated over time. Then on, um, November 2023, he attacked his mother during a meal. Sheriff Grady judge said, quote, colin Griffith is a violent predator. He has now killed both his father and his mother. We will hold him accountable in Polk County. Oh, are you a, uh, surprise by that statement? Yeah. So 15 months before this incident, on February 14, 2023, a then 15 year old Colin had fatally shot his father, Charles Robert Griffith, in stroud, Oklahoma. Colin claimed. What did he claim? Self defense, Saying that his father had cornered him in a bedroom and was armed with a knife. According to an affidavit, Collins said he picked up a gun in fear and shot his father twice. Once in the chest and once in the head. So he just turned into Baba Yaga. John Wick. You were afraid and your aim got that good. Once in a chest, once in the head, really? The Lincoln county sheriff’s office did arrest him, but when they were doing their investigation, physical evidence supported his account of being cornered. The Oklahoma self defense statute passed in 2014 said that a person can use deadly force if they, quote, reasonably believe. Believe that use of deadly force was necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm. This law applies even when the danger isn’t real, as long as a reasonable person would believe they faced imminent danger. That is a really problematic sound in law, if I ever heard one myself. Because you could twist anything to make it sound like you faced imminent danger. That the law applies even when the danger isn’t real. As long as a reasonable person would believe they faced imminent danger. No, I don’t like that. I don’t like that at all. That’s very problematic. What do you all think about that law and what it says there? I. I really want to hear. I want to hear if that makes you cringe as much as it makes me cringe. Uh, let me know in the comments below. Like, seriously, that’s a really skating on thin ice type of law right there. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation examined the case thoroughly. Quote, after evaluating all of the evidence and possible theories, it was determined that the District Attorney’s office could not rule out that Griffith acted in self defense and did not file any charges. So basically, they couldn’t prove self defense and the case was dismissed. By the way, Catherine had paid $50,000 already to bail him out of jail. So my thing is, if you figured he had mental health issues, I understand, don’t leave him in jail. That’s not the place to be. But wouldn’t you have bailed him out of jail and said there could have been something that you could have said to go straight from jail into a, um, mental health facility under involuntary admittance. But you know what? In knowing people who are dealing with this, I know how hard everybody makes it for somebody to get admitted. It’s really, it’s, oh, my God, the level of diff. You think it would be easy, like, well, this dude is saying he’s seeing flying unicorns and he just broke into somebody’s house because there was a portal to Galactica’s palace over there and they were trying to get into this portal. So I would like to admit him. And they’ll literally look you in the eyes and say, no, he looks fine to me. While this person is telling them, like, my name is Galandar and I’m the ruler of the Nexus Star. And they’ll be like, no, they sound reasonably fine to me. Or the other thing is they’ll say, oh, look at their eyes. Looks like they’re high on drugs. And it’s like, they’re not high on drugs. They’re high off of whatever chemical is pouring into their mind right now. And they’re not seeing reality. And they’re like, you, uh, say that. But to me they look fine. Like, seriously trying to get people institutionalized. And I’m not saying keep you there permanently. I’m saying just so you can look them over, give them the correct help, and then, you know, once they are okay, let them out, try to get people into that area. It would actually be easier to go to Antarctica and sell the people there some ice from my freezer that would actually be easier than trying to get somebody admitted involuntarily when you see they need it into a mental health institution. They want the person who’s not in their right mind to say, yeah, I’m not in my right mind and I want to be in here. Which makes no sense because to them they’re in their right mind and you’re the one who’s crazy. So just so you understand how it works, this is just me knowing people who, who are dealing with this right now. I’m just letting you know how difficult it is. So I was hoping, and maybe she did try this, maybe she did try to bail him out and then put him in a mental institution to get help. But again, she was hit with those same roadblocks. So they would make a law that says even if the danger isn’t real, you could use deadly force to prevent death or great. Or to um. Yeah, to prevent death or great bodily harm. But if a person isn’t clearly like, like I can’t even when I say clearly, I mean clearly isn’t in their right mind, they say no, they’re fine anyway.

Oklahoma investigators found physical evidence that didn’t match Collins initial account

Continuing on, this incident now raised questions about Collins history and the dynamics within the family. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agents found physical evidence that didn’t match Collins initial account of his father’s death. Why didn’t they find this physical evidence before? The investigation uncovered similar patterns in both 911 calls. Quote, he used similar language to when he made the 911 call about 18 or 20 months earlier when he shot his father. In each case Colin called 911 claiming self defense and described similar scenarios of being attacked in. Actually in all the cases, not even the ones that they called 911, anytime he did something he always said it was in self defense. If you remember earlier it said uh, like he attacked his mother and then he said he was doing it in self defense. Not even this fatal attack, but another one. So Colin was arrested and the state Attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Brian Haas, decided to charge Colin as an adult. Quote, I made the decision to charge this 17 year old as an adult based upon the egregious facts and circumstances of this case. So Colin faces charges of first degree murder, kidnapping and violation of a ah, no contact order. Polk county deputies worked with Oklahoma authorities to share evidence that might affect both cases. Lincoln County’s district attorney confirmed the Oklahoma case could be reevaluated if new evidence emerges. Quote, my prosecutors and the deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Will continue to work together to pursue justice in this case and hold Colin Griffith accountable for his murder. Lincoln County District attorney Adam Panter announced the possibility of reopening the Oklahoma case following the new developments in Florida. Quote, if anyone gives his office relevant and credible evidence, it could result in a reevaluation of the case. We are working with authorities in that state to be sure they are provided all relevant information and evidence to evaluate their case. I mean, my thing is, you can see a clear pattern here. So that’s, uh, that sounds like reasonable doubt to me. It’s been 15 months. I mean, I don’t know what kind of evidence you would be able to collect right now. But it sounds like clearly he has a pattern of attacking and then saying self defense, which I don’t know about the personality disorder, but I, but I deduce somewhat, if you’re having like hallucinogenic epidemic episodes, then you may think somebody’s attacking you. In thinking about the cases, I don’t really think that fits into Collins pattern. Like they said, he has a personality disorder. I think it’s that personality disorder that’s leading to this, where he attacks and then claims self defense. Because I really believe that he knows that he’s lying. But it’s the personality disorder portion that’s leading to all of this. Again, not an excuse, just facts saying what it is. Like for instance, if that personality disorder means that he’s a sociopath or a psychopath. Now even though everybody’s saying that, you know, if we receive evidence and this and this and this, we’ll reevaluate the case. The Oklahoma State bureau of Investigation confirmed that they haven’t received an official request to reopen the case. So that’s where it’s standing right now. And that’s my thing. It’s been 15 months. What other evidence are you going to get? Like, so this case is still ongoing. They haven’t taken him to trial. I don’t know how he pled. I would think he needs to. I mean, he’s guilty. He’s definitely guilty. And I’m going to say allegedly because the case is still ongoing. But then my thing. Is he guilty by reason of insanity or are they just going to find him guilty of a first degree murder? Then by reason of insanity would get him the help he needs. And just being guilty will keep him stuck where he is. So he’s not going to be rehabilitated. So what are you going to do? Keeping in prison for the rest of his life? So these are, this is What I’m wondering about. And going on into 2025, I’ll continue watching this case. I mean, you know how some cases go. This could not even move an inch in 2025. It could only gain traction in 2026. Like you never know. But I’m going to put it in my files of updates to keep watching for it. Sheriff Judge said, quote, this is one of the most disturbing cases we’ve ever seen. The evidence is clear. Collins actions have taken two lives and we will ensure justice is served.

If Colin goes free without mental health help, he’s going to attack others

So what did y’all think about this episode? I think, you know, with mental health and cases such as these, if people don’t get the mental health help that they need, I mean they’ll never get rehabilitated. It’s just going to continuously be the same pattern. So if Colin does go free without any mental health help, he’s going to attack somebody else. I’m going to say he might, he might attack somebody else and then claim the self defense and it’s going to be that same pattern. Might be that same pattern. So I think we really need to put mental health and uh, prison like kind of hand in hand. Like if you go to prison, part of that prison term is you actually have to get a mental health evaluation. You actually have to go through therapy and um, you know, not just that group therapy that they put every, but therapy. Especially if your mental health evaluation comes back, like you have something, you need to go through therapy, you need to take medicine, whatever it is, you know, I think we need to have that working hand in hand. I know they kinda, uh, have it in prison a little bit, but it’s not, I don’t think it’s to the, I don’t think it’s to the degree that it needs to be. Anyway, let me know your thoughts on this case, especially that Oklahoma law that I told you about because that is not sitting right with me. Let me know in the comments below. Or you can record your comment on your phone and then you can actually email it to [email protected] and actually right now, even though I’m not reading comments, I do still see your comments. And I saw somebody sent a comment that said they don’t see any comments for me, so they were going to do me a favor and leave a comment. Thank you for doing me a favor. I do want to hear your comments. First of all, I’m not dragging this person, but I do want you to take in consideration that my podcast is across many platforms and I do have comments Whether it’s on social media, whether it’s on my website, or whether it’s on Spotify, Apple or wherever. But, um, I do get comments and I’m just wondering, what do you think that I’ve been reading out all these times? Do you think I’ve been like, making stuff up and then reading it out? I don’t, I don’t understand, but thank you for leaving me a comment. It could have done without the beginning part of. I don’t see any comments on your platform like it really. I’m saying this because sometimes people just need to be nicer. It’s kind of giving, like, have you gained weight? But that dress looks really pretty. You know what I’m saying? A backhanded compliment type of deal. So just be mindful when you say things. I’m talking in general. I’m not just talking to this person who left a comment in general. Be mindful when you say things. Think about, would you want somebody to tell you something like that? Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you is the rule for today. So if you don’t want to be treated a certain way, don’t treat people that way. If you don’t want somebody to say something to you like this, don’t say it to somebody else. Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you. Oh, another reminder. That was my own personal rant. Another reminder is don’t forget, starting on Monday, you’re going to have a series of quick rants. So it won’t be this normal episode. It’ll probably be like five minutes. It might be 10, 20 minutes maybe, but it’s just going to be a number of quick rants because I’m going on vacation and I decided that usually for the last three years in December, I don’t have any episodes coming out. Well, for 2024, I decided that I’m not stopping my podcast in December, but I still need to have some type of vacation to reset my mind and everything like that. So instead I’m giving you quick rants. All of them are pre recorded. You can still leave comments on them, but I am not going back to reading comments until 2025. So don’t hesitate to leave your comments. They will be addressed. They will be ready. Um, I will not be answering anything on social media. I will not be on social media. I won’t even be answering anything in my Patreon. I’m going to be on complete vacation and part of my vacation is prepping for season five to bring you a better podcast and a fresher, clearer, mentally healthy Ky. So between, uh, this Monday coming up, which is the 16th, all the way to January 3rd, you will be getting your normal Monday, Wednesday, Friday episodes. But it’s going to be quick rants, so I just wanted to remind you all of that. And I know every day I’m getting new podcast listeners. So in the beginning of the quick rant, I’m going to remind you that it’s just a quick rant and that I’ll be back in season five. So I want to thank you for listening to this episode. Like I said, if you’re new here or if you haven’t subscribed to Love and Murder yet, please subscribe so you don’t miss any more, uh, episodes. You could also subscribe on the Patreon. You could actually subscribe on the Patreon for free. Or you could be a supporter of Love and Murder in the Patreon, patreon.com forward/loveandmurder. And that’s all I have for you today, and I will see you in the next episode. Bye. Um.