News and Investigations

On Sunday, September 8, 2024, at approximately 6:00 PM Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call for service on Hewlett Drive in Auburndale. Collin Griffith, 17, called 9-1-1 for help, stating that he and his mother, Catherine Griffith, 39, had gotten into a fight. He claimed that during this argument, his mother lunged at him with a knife, and fell on it, resulting in a deep stab wound to her neck. 

Polk County Fire rescue responded with emergency medical services and Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies responded. When they arrived on scene, they pronounced Catherine deceased. PCSO deputies asked Collin Griffith what happened and he became immediately uncooperative, and asked to speak with a lawyer. As the investigation continued, detectives began to notice inconsistencies between what Collin had stated happened in his 9-1-1 call and what was discovered at the scene.  

Detectives talked with witnesses who told them that they saw Collin and his mother outside the residence earlier verbally arguing. They witnessed Collin grab his mother by the hair and drag her inside the home. According to these witnesses, his mother repeatedly pled with Collin to “let me go”.

Although she was not present during the stabbing incident on Sunday, Collin’s grandmother told detectives about multiple instances in which Collin was physically or verbally confrontational with his mother in the past. 

His grandmother also revealed that Collin had been arrested in the shooting death of his father in Oklahoma in February of 2023. Collin was arrested and charged in this 2023 incident, but charges were later dropped. 

Collin was charged with domestic violence battery against his mother in November, 2023 by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.

The Medical Examiner’s Office’s autopsy revealed that Ms. Griffith died of a deep penetrating knife wound to the neck. They determined the stab wound to be inconsistent with an accidental injury. 

“Collin Griffith is a violent predator—he has now killed both his father and his mother. We will hold him accountable in Polk County—we will do everything we can to keep him separated from civil society.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff 

Collin Griffith is being charged with first-degree murder (Capital Felony), kidnapping (F1), and violation of a no-contact order (M2).