A teenager in Florida, accused of stabbing his mom to death, is now facing serious charges. What makes this case even more chilling is that it comes just two years after he claimed he killed his dad in self-defense.
In newly released bodycam footage, 17-year-old Collin Griffith can be heard talking to his grandmother about a heated moment with his mother less than a year before her tragic death. Collin recalled saying to his mom, Catherine Griffith, “I’m not a murderer,” during an argument in November 2023 that escalated to the point where police were called, leading to his arrest for domestic violence.
In the video, Collin described the fight, saying, “Mom, I’m not a psychopath. I’m not a murderer. I’m just trying to peacefully leave or coexist.” According to him, the situation got out of control when his mother told him to “shut up” repeatedly, and when he didn’t, she allegedly hit him.
Collin, who is now charged with first-degree murder, was speaking to his grandmother from the back of a police car during the recorded conversation. He admitted he often felt stuck in a constant “fight or flight” mindset when dealing with his mom. “If I think she’s going to do something, even if she’s not, I might act,” he confessed. When asked by a deputy if he might hurt his mother, he responded, “Only if she tries to hurt me.”
The tragic incident happened on September 8 in Auburndale, Florida, within a 55-and-over community where Collin’s grandmother lives. Police say Collin called 911 after the attack, claiming they had a long fight and that his mom “fell on a knife.” However, investigators found Catherine Griffith had multiple stab wounds to her neck, injuries the local sheriff said couldn’t have been accidental.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd shared that the medical examiner’s findings didn’t align with Collin’s story. “It’s just not reasonable or plausible that she died the way he said she did,” Judd explained at a press conference.
Collin’s history with violence raises more questions. Back in February 2023, he reportedly killed his father in Oklahoma but wasn’t prosecuted after claiming it was self-defense. When Florida deputies arrested him for his mother’s murder, Sheriff Judd described his demeanor as disturbingly calm. “He was cool, collected, and showed zero remorse,” Judd said, recalling how Collin demanded a lawyer, saying, “I know my rights.”
The bodycam video from November 2023 also captured a conversation between Collin’s grandmother and a deputy, where she revealed the teenager didn’t want to live with his mother anymore. “Collin didn’t want to come back home,” she said. “He even told me he’d rather go into foster care.”
Before Catherine’s death, the family had already faced tense situations. Two months before the November 2023 incident, Collin was involuntarily committed for mental health reasons after allegedly saying, “I’ll kill myself, or I’ll kill my mother by shooting or stabbing her.”
Collin also had another violent outburst in November 2023 when he reportedly pushed his mother to the ground and stomped on her after she took away his video game privileges. He tried to claim self-defense, but that didn’t hold up, and he was jailed.
Authorities in Polk County are pushing for Collin to be tried as an adult. He remains in jail without bond, facing the possibility of a very long sentence if convicted.
