A Florida jury has found 17-year-old Collin Griffith not guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the 2024 stabbing death of his mother — a verdict that comes just 17 months after he fatally shot his father in Oklahoma under disputed circumstances.
The highly publicized trial concluded Wednesday after days of emotional testimony and complex arguments over self-defense, mental health, and family violence.
Following the verdict, Griffith was seen embracing members of his public defense team and smiling at relatives seated in the courtroom, including his aunt and grandmother.
His attorney, Public Defender Amy Thornhill, issued a brief statement thanking the jury. “It was a difficult decision, and I thank them,” she said.
The Backstory: Two Parents Dead in Two States
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Griffith called 911 on September 8, 2024, saying his mother, Catherine Griffith, had lunged at him with a knife during an argument at a home in Auburndale, Florida, and that she had fallen onto the weapon. First responders found Catherine with a fatal stab wound to the neck. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
But witnesses told detectives a more troubling story. Several said they saw the teen dragging his mother by the hair back into the mobile home while she screamed for him to “let me go,” casting doubt on the teen’s version of events. Investigators also said Griffith became immediately uncooperative when deputies questioned him, requesting a lawyer instead.
Just one year earlier, Griffith fatally shot his father, Charles Griffith, in Oklahoma. The teen claimed self-defense, telling authorities that his father had pulled a knife on him.
He shot his father once in the chest and once in the head. While charged with first-degree murder, those charges were dropped within a month, and in March 2023, Collin moved to Florida to live with his mother.
Baker Acts and Domestic Violence Allegations
Authorities say that mental health concerns were mounting well before his mother’s death. In September 2023, Griffith was Baker Acted in Charlotte County, Florida, after making statements that he would kill himself or his mother by shooting or stabbing. That same year, he was also charged with domestic violence battery for attacking his mother after she took away his video game privileges.
Just days before the fatal incident, Griffith ran away from home following an argument over chores. He sought refuge at his grandmother’s house, where his mother later arrived to retrieve him — and where the fatal confrontation occurred.
Inside the Trial: Conflicting Narratives
During closing arguments, Prosecutor Mark Levine described the killing as a premeditated act of violence rooted in resentment and rage. He quoted Griffith’s own words, saying he “was going to kill that ‘evil b****’ – his own mom – and so he did.”
Defense attorney Thornhill countered that Griffith acted in self-defense, saying the teen feared for his life during an altercation with a volatile parent. She stressed the lack of conclusive evidence showing that Catherine was held against her will and painted the deceased mother as someone with a history of aggression, including allegedly pointing a gun at her son during a prior incident.
“You heard him on the body-worn camera footage,” Thornhill reminded jurors. “‘I don’t want to kill her, but if she attacks me, I will have to defend myself.’”
Despite the Medical Examiner’s determination that the wound was “inconsistent with an accidental injury,” the jury ultimately found that the prosecution had not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Post-Verdict Reactions
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who publicly addressed the case after both parental deaths, stood by his department’s findings.
“Our detectives firmly believe that Collin Griffith murdered his mother,” he said. “The jury determined that they could not convict him beyond and to the exclusion of all reasonable doubt.”
Judd also reaffirmed that witnesses continue to raise concerns about the circumstances surrounding the teen’s father’s death, saying:
“That investigation is ongoing.”
Had Griffith been convicted, he could have faced life in prison.
The case has sparked renewed discussions about how the justice system treats juvenile defendants, mental health evaluations, and claims of self-defense involving family members.
Legal observers note that the outcome may influence future proceedings involving domestic violence and mental health in criminal courtrooms across the country.
