In a chilling incident, a Florida teenager is accused of fatally stabbing his mother, Catherine “Cathy” Griffith, 39, in their Auburndale home. The day prior to her death, Griffith had posted a cryptic message on Instagram, quoting lyrics from Taylor Swift’s song “It’s Time to Go,” alongside an image of a remote footbridge leading into a forest. The post read, “That old familiar body ache, the snaps from the same little breaks in your soul. You know when it’s time to go…Sometimes, givin’ up is the strong thing.”
The accused, 17-year-old Collin Griffin, was found by police officers covered in his mother’s blood outside their home. Griffith had suffered a fatal knife wound to her neck. The mother and son had previously appeared in numerous happy posts on Griffith’s Instagram feed, including a recent one celebrating Collin’s graduation with a new car as a gift.
The pair had also spent the Fourth of July weekend in Washington, DC, where they enjoyed the fireworks on the National Mall and toured the White House. In many of these photos, Griffith is seen in front, with Collin right behind her, both often posing in the same position.
On the day following her 39th birthday, Griffith had written on Instagram, “I’ve learned some of the hardest lessons in my 30’s but I’m vowing that my 39th year will be a year of living life to its fullest.” However, the joyous posts contrasted sharply with the grim reality that unfolded. Witnesses reported seeing Collin dragging his mother into their house by her hair as she pleaded to be let go.
Collin claimed to the police that a physical altercation had led to his mother accidentally falling on the knife, causing the fatal injury. However, when inconsistencies in his account were pointed out, he requested legal counsel. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described the incident as a “cold-blooded murder.”
Collin had a history of violent behavior towards his mother, including physical attacks that had previously led to his detention for mental health evaluation. Following his release, he had allegedly threatened to harm himself or his mother. This incident comes about a year and a half after Collin was charged with the fatal shooting of his father, Charles, in their Oklahoma home. However, the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence contradicting Collin’s claim of self-defense.
Griffith had shared a series of photos of her family, including one of Charles’ headstone, with a caption that read, “We broke the pattern but the pattern still broke us all into pieces. I still don’t regret leaving. I regret not leaving sooner.” Collin now faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and violation of a no-contact order, with the sheriff’s office requesting he be tried as an adult.