THIS BLOG IS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR UPDATES.
Teenager Collin Griffith was 15 when he allegedly killed his father in 2023. He claimed it happened in self-defence. In September 2024, Collin stabbed his mother Catherine to death. He claimed she ‘fell’ onto the knife as she lunged at him, but neighbors told police otherwise.
Just to note, some reports spell his name Collin and others say Colin. The majority use the LL so we are going with that.
The people involved in this case are Charles – Collin’s father, who was 41 when he died in 2023. Catherine was 39 when she died in September 2024. Collin was 15 at the time he killed his father and is 17 now. Collin also has an older brother, Christopher who was born in 2000,
Charles and Catherine divorced in May 2020 after twenty years of marriage.
You can view Catherine’s social media here:
In August 2022, Catherine asked for sole custody of Collin (Christopher was an adult by this point). In court documents, it said that Charles had now allowed her ‘any contact with’ the boy since December 31, 2019 after a phone call where he ‘begged his Mother to come get him.’
Charles told the court that he would not let Collin communicate with his mother after she send him a hand-written suicide note in May 2020. He also told the court that Catherine only contacted her son when she was ‘manic. Catherine also pretended to be an adult male on Discord in an attempt to communicate with Collin and to encourage him to run away.
Catherine accused Charles of alienating Collin from her ‘by telling him negative things and by monitoring and stalking her social media in an attempt to find anything to make her look bad.’
Catherine claimed that Charles had harassed and stalked her and that as a result, she suffered from chronic PTSD. She asked for a no-contact order.
Collin apparently told Charles that he was gay and after that, Charles would not even let him leave the house to goto school. This is all according to Catherine.
Catherine had also asked the court to order Charles to take Collin to child therapy, saying ‘This child may already be suffering emotional irreparable harm by [the father’s] parental alienation and emotional abuse of the minor child.’
Charles responded with claims that Collin did not wish to see his mother, saying Catherine had been ‘mentally and emotionally unstable’ and had abused drugs and alcohol during this time.
The custody battle was ongoing in February 2023. On Valentine’s Day, Collin shot and killed Charles. He told authorities that he did it in self defense after his father cornered him in a room and threatened him with a knife.
An affidavit for Collin’s arrest said there was ‘probable cause to believe the defendant, the youth, committed first degree murder.’
Authorities said that Collin’s claim of having been cornered by his father did not match the evidence at the scene.
Collin was arrested for murder. Catherine paid his $50k bail and was awarded sole custody. Duh.
The case against Collin was dropped when prosecutors could not rule out that the murder happened in self-defense.
In September 2023, a school officer called police to do a mental check because Collin had said his mother pulled a gun on him during an argument.
Collin claimed Catherine said she would kill him and threatened to kill herself. She denied the claims to a Sheriff’s officer, insisting Collin was upset because she took his phone and AirPods and because he was failing classes.
Catherine added that Collin had been diagnosed with a personality disorder and PTSD after he had been ‘held captive’ by his father for 1,041 days without human contact.
Collin was then put in protective custody for a mental health evaluation under the Baker Act. He was going to be released after eight days but was kept in the facility after he threatened to kill his mother if he was returned to her custody.
He reportedly told staff: ‘I will kill myself or my mom…. throw them out of the car, shoot or stab them, I’ve done it before, to my dad, I know I can do it again.’
Catherine then placed the teen in a long-term facility near Jupiter, where he spent several months before returning to live with her.
In November 2023, Collin was charged with domestic violence battery against his mother after he attacked her, pulling her hair and kneeing her in the groin. He told officers at the time he would kill his mother if he was released and had to get into a car with her.
In May 2024, Catherine bought Collin a $26k VW Jetta as an early graduation gift.
A week before she died, she thanked all her friends and family on Facebook. “I am thankful that no matter what I encounter or experience- I have family, friends and a community of people who are here to support me, even on the days when I have not been the best me. Thank you to everyone who has helped me see that life is an adventure worth living and fighting for everyday. Life lessons are just those- lessons.”
A friend of Catherine’s has shared these texts that were sent shortly before her murder.
One reads “Hey [redacted] please do not let Collin or the police into my home. I’m not opening my door.” IIt goes on to say “Collin just hates me and I’m tired of this crap.”
The neighbor responds: “Where are you and how am I going to stop him?”
The mother responds: “Don’t give them the keys. I’m home in my room.”
Another reads. “I’m going to sleep I placed the bookshelf on the wall cleared out collins room. I’m exhausted and reading a book and sleeping.”
On Sunday she texts that Collin is violating his probation.
She says that quote: I’m meeting with his probation officer Monday morning if he doesn’t come home today by ten. He knows the time and deadline. He’s choosing to skip it and hide out at my mom’s house in Polk county which is also a violation.”
The last text she received said:
“He won’t listen I am going to drive to get him and if he doesn’t get in the car then Polk county can deal with him.”
That was the last text.
On September 8, 2024, Collin called 911 from Polk County, Florida. He claimed he “had a very long fight” with his mother and she “fell on a knife” resulting in a neck wound. An autopsy report from the Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that Catherine Griffith died due to a deep penetrating wound to the neck.
Local resident Nancy K. Jones told WFLA that Collin dragged his mother back into the house.
Witnesses told detectives they saw the two arguing outside the home, which belonged to the Collin’s grandmother, when at one point, he grabbed Catherine by the hair and dragged her inside the home. Catherine was heard to plead with him, saying “let me go” repeatedly, witnesses told the sheriff’s office.
According to deputies who arrived at the scene, the teen was “calm, cool, collected… and he had blood on him”, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd reported. “The medical examiner said it’s just not reasonable or plausible that [Catherine] died the way that he said she did,” the sheriff stated.
“It just didn’t happen.” Collin became “uncooperative” with deputies and requested to speak to a lawyer.
Despite allegations of a prolonged fight, police found the home to be “neat and clean, [with] no evidence of any kind of a long fight, as he said.”
Police said that Collin showed “zero remorse” despite his mother being severely injured and no urgency towards his mother’s condition. “He looked the deputy in the eye and said: ‘I know my rights,'” Judd stated, adding that the teen then requested a lawyer.
Collin now faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and violation of a no-contact order following his mother’s death.
Brian Hass, the state attorney for the Tenth Judicial Circuit of Florida announced that Griffith would be tried as an adult “based upon the egregious facts and circumstances of this case.”
Collin’s trial began in January 2025.
The 911 call that was made following Collin’s attack on his mother was played and Collin asked to be excused from the courtroom before the recording began.
Prosecutors went into graphic detail about Cathy’s murder. They said that she was stabbed with such force that the knife went in one side of her neck and out the other side, killing her.
Collin’s defense tried to present the argument that Cathy was “unpredictable, erratic” and went into “rages.”
On day two, Forensic Investigator Brandy Bange spoke about how Collin was emotionless for the entire 30 minutes that she spent with him. She said that she photographed Collin and swabbed the blood on him. She also testified that he had no defensive wounds on his hands.
Sgt Michael Schneider also testified and said that Collin walked up to him once at a crisis unit and said “I need to be Baker Acted.” When the Sgt. asked why, Collin said that he would either kill himself or his mother.
Deputy Alexander Sharp also testified about meeting with Cathy prior to her death. He said she was nervous, quiet and scared of Collin. She had injuries that were documented and photographed which included redness and bruising on her stomach — Collin had apparently kneed his mom and kicked her with a shoe.
Cathay told authorities that Collin was mad because she took away his X-Box and phone.
Many law enforcement officers spoke about times where Collin had threatened his mother. Detective Lacey Venoniani said she heard Collin threaten harm to his mother multiple times.
Collin told authorities that he would rather be in jail, a psych ward or foster care than to live with Cathy.
Collin hated being told ‘no’ by his mother. She took him on cruises, bought him unlimited Starbucks and paid for everything but he refused to do basic chores like take out the trash.
Collin told one LE officer that he had two different personas: Collin 1 and Collin 2: Collin 1 just wants to survive. Collin 2 protects him and kills for him.
Collin said that Collin 1 would let him kill his mom.
More graphic evidence about Cathy’s death was presented on day three.
Dr David Garavan, the Medical Examiner, said that the knife went through her esophagus, wind pipe, vocal chord, and came out on the other side.
The judge reiterated to the ME that the death of Collin’s father was unable to be discussed. The jury were not informed about his death and the circumstances surrounding it – very Tracey Nix.
Cathay’s father, Robert Walantas, took the stand. He recalled that Collin became mad at his mother and grandmother and said something along the lines of ’I’m tired of these two bitches/want to see them bleed out.’
Text messages between Collin and Cathy were shown in court. A detective read messages aloud, such as: you said you hated me and I was an evil bitch – my dad is sending the recording of you planning my murder – good luck hiring a good lawyer.
Texts from Cathy to Collin said things about shutting down his phone, canceling his car insurance, selling his car, pulling him out of school.
One of the last moments captured on ring cam before Cathy’s death was her telling Collin to either get in the car and follow her or she was going to call the cops.
The defense tried to argue that the talk about murder was from a video game like Roblox.
Susan, Cathy’s mother/Collin’s grandmother testified that day.
She said that in January 2024, Collin stayed with her for weeks and that Cathy forgot where he was.
She also spoke about many instances where Cathy allegedly tried to take her own life. She indicated that Cathy cut herself off from family members and had a history of compulsively lying.
Susan said that Cathy was violent towards Collin. She alleged that Cathy beat him with a belt, made him do pushups and held a weight over his head while he ran.
She said that Cathy once gave Collin a gun and told him to kill her.
Susan said she now speaks to Collin in jail around three times per week. She encourages him to read the bible and pray. She also gives him healthy eating tips as she is a dietician.
Susan said she loves Collin and does not want to see him goto prison. She said she believes that he did not murder Cathy.
Susan did admit that when Collin lived with his dad, he said he would have preferred to live with Cathy. She said that made Cathy happy because she felt like she had missed out on years of his life.
Both the state and defense rested on day four.
The closing arguments on day five focused on the prosecution highlighting Collin’s hatred for Cathy.
The defense basically argued that Cathy committed suicide by picking up a knife and threatening Collin with it. They said that her death happened in self-defense during the fight.
On February 5, 2025, after 11 hours of deliberations, the jury came back with their verdict.
Collin was acquitted on the charges of the kidnapping and first-degree murder of his mother Cathy.
This info is from Fox 13:
Collin was seen hugging his public defense team and then smiling towards his family members, including his aunt and grandmother sitting in the courtroom, who were relieved by the verdict.
In a short statement after the trial, Collin’s Public Defender, Amy Thornhill, said:
“I appreciate all of the attention the jurors paid to what was presented to them. It was a difficult decision and I thank them.”
After the verdict was announced, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd issued the following statement:
“Our detectives firmly believe that Collin Griffith murdered his mother. The jury determined that they could not convict him beyond and to the exclusion of all reasonable doubt. During our investigation, detectives found witnesses that believe he also murdered his father in Oklahoma. That investigation is ongoing.”
If he was convicted, Griffith faced the possibility of life in prison.
SOURCE LIST
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13847467/family-secrets-collin-griffith-parents-murder.html
https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/mom-shares-desire-live-life-692700
https://www.courttv.com/news/fl-v-collin-griffith-deadly-son-murder-trial