Polk County Sheriff’s deputies respond to a 911 call from a home in Auburndale, Florida. Inside, they find 39-year-old Catherine Griffith lying face down with a kitchen knife in her neck. She is pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators begin canvassing the neighborhood to determine what led to Catherine’s death.

The case background begins when, after 20 years of marriage, Catherine Griffith leaves her husband, Charles Griffith. She alleges that Charles abused her and their two sons, Christopher and Collin, for years. Christopher, 20, no longer lives at home, but custody disputes arise over 13-year-old Collin, who goes to live with his father in Oklahoma.

Catherine claims Charles cut off her contact with Collin after he begged her to rescue him, accusing her ex-husband of “holding Collin hostage” since he came out as gay.

Charles, however, contends that Collin no longer wants contact with Catherine because she is “unstable” and that he restricted communication after Catherine sent Collin a photo of a handwritten suicide note. A judge rules that Collin will remain in Oklahoma with his father.

Tensions escalate on Valentine’s Day when Collin calls 911 to report he shot and killed his father. He tells the operator his father attacked him and chased him with a knife through their home. When cornered in a bedroom, Collin says he grabbed a shotgun and shot Charles in self-defense. Investigators, unable to rule out self-defense based on the 911 call and home evidence, send Collin to live with his mother in Florida.

Catherine’s social media posts suggest she and Collin are happy together, as they travel to Washington D.C., take a Disney cruise, and celebrate Collin’s early graduation and his first car purchase. However, friends and family describe a more troubled relationship. Collin frequently argues with his mother and struggles with his mental health.

On September 6, Collin leaves after a disagreement over household chores and goes to his grandmother’s house.

Despite several attempts to bring Collin home, Catherine confides in a neighbor about her exhaustion in dealing with her son. She texts that she has cleared out Collin’s room and will not allow him back without her permission.

The neighbor also tries to convince Collin to return, but he ignores her. Catherine says she plans to meet Collin at his grandmother’s home the following day as a last-ditch effort to bring him back before he misses a probation meeting, warning that if he doesn’t comply, law enforcement will intervene.

Joining Nancy Grace today:

Additional Guests

• Peter Odom – Partner at Price Benowitz LLP in Washington DC; Former Homicide Prosecutor
• Susan Hendricks – Journalist, Author: “Down the Hill: My Descent into the Double Murder in Delphi’;” IG: @susan_hendricks X @SusanHendicks

“Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” on Fox Nation is also a national radio show on SiriusXM channel 111, airing for two hours daily starting at 12 p.m. EST. You can also subscribe and download the daily podcasts at iHeart Podcasts.

[Feature Photo: Colin and Catherine Griffith/Polk County SO/Instagram]