A mother shared unsettling posts on Instagram days before her son was accused of fatally stabbing her during an argument.
According to records obtained by NBC2, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office spoke with Colin Griffith in 2023 a year before he allegedly killed his mother.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, police said the Collin, 17, killed 39-year-old Catherine Griffith, of Port Charlotte, on Sunday evening, at a home in Auburndale. Colin then called 911 and when investigators arrived, said that during an argument with his mother, she lunged at him with a knife and fell on it, causing a deep stab wound to her neck.
Court documents indicated that prior to the shooting, an FSW school officer requested a mental health check at the Griffith home on September 11, 2023. The officer stated that Collin claimed his mother pulled a gun on him during an argument that morning.
Collin alleged his mother threatened to kill him, herself, and asked him to use the gun on her. Catherine denied the claims, according to court documents, telling deputies Collin was upset because she took away his phone and AirPods over his failing grades.
She added that Collin has severe PTSD from being held captive by his father, Charles Griffith, for 1,041 days in Oklahoma without contact with others.
Months earlier, the teen killed his father.
Following the deputy’s interview with Catherine, Collin was placed in protective custody for a mental health evaluation under the Baker Act. The next day, a Juvenile Intervention detective spoke with Catherine, who said she had been contacting mental health facilities statewide for her son.
She reported that Collin told staff at his facility that he would harm himself or her if he returned home. She added that Collin had been seeing a therapist but had threatened to kill the therapist if diagnosed with any condition.
Collin was reportedly diagnosed with PTSD and a personality disorder.
Catherine then said she was divorced, and in 2019, Collin moved to Oklahoma to live with his father.
A 2023 affidavit from by Lincoln County News in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, indicated that Collin, 15 at the time, shot and killed his father, Charles Robert Griffith, during a Valentine’s Day altercation.
Collin reported that an argument occurred between him and Charles, during which Charles allegedly pulled a knife and chased him through the house. Collin claimed that Charles trapped him in the bedroom, leading him to grab a gun and shoot Charles twice—once in the head and once in the chest.
The affidavit highlighted discrepancies between the scene’s evidence and Collin’s initial statement to dispatch. Although he was initially charged with murder, the charges in the 2023 case were dropped less than a month later, according to Sheriff Grady Judd with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Following his father’s death, the defendant moved in with his mother in Florida.
The sheriff’s office stated that when deputies questioned Collin Griffith about his mother’s death, he then became uncooperative and requested a lawyer. Police later noted inconsistencies between his 911 call and the evidence at the scene.
Witnesses said they saw him arguing with his mother outside the home and dragging her inside by her hair, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Witnesses also reported hearing Catherine Griffith repeatedly plead with her son to “let me go.”
The sheriff’s office stated that Collin Griffith’s grandmother was not present during the stabbing, but told police about previous instances where her grandson had been physically and verbally confrontational with his mother.
Judd called the defendant a “psychopath” during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
Collin Griffith remains behind bars without bail on murder charges. Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Collin and Catherine Griffin.Instagram;Collin Griffith/Polk County Sheriff’s Office]
