Jury deliberates fate of Port Charlotte teen charged with mom’s murder

Reporter: Emma Heaton
Published: Updated:

A jury in Polk County is currently deliberating the fate of a Port Charlotte teenager who is accused of killing his mother.

Seventeen-year-old Collin Griffith faces charges of murder and kidnapping in connection with the death of his mother, Catherine Griffith, last September.

Prosecutors said Collin’s mother drove to his grandmother’s home in Auburndale from Port Charlotte to bring him back home when he refused to leave.

During the trial, neighbors testified that they witnessed an argument between the two before Collin allegedly dragged his mother inside the house.

The defense argued that Catherine lunged at her son with a knife during the altercation, causing her to fall on the weapon and die.

Prosecutors presented a different narrative, saying Catherine was attempting to rebuild her relationship with Collin following his father’s death in 2023 despite his violent tendencies and threats.

“Kathy Griffith literally said she knew she would die, but as long as she could spend some more time with her son, it was worth it to her,” said the prosecution. “What thanks did Kathy Griffith get from her son? She got a foot-long butcher knife rammed into her neck.”

An autopsy report supported the prosecution’s claim that the stabbing was not accidental.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described Collin as “calm, cool and collected” during his arrest and said he showed no remorse.

Collin had previously confessed to killing his father in Oklahoma a year before his mother’s death, but those charges were dropped after he claimed self-defense.

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