Legal expert weighs in on 17-year-old found not guilty of murder of mom

Collin Griffith, a 17-year-old, has been found not guilty in the death of his mother, Catherine Griffith, who was fatally stabbed in the neck.

This is the second time Griffith has avoided jail for the death of a parent after claiming self-defense.

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Griffith also claimed self-defense in the shooting death of his father in Oklahoma, over a year before his mother’s death.

Tom Gilhooly from Foley and Wilson Law Firm said, “I mean, it’s not often that a case with such high stakes comes down to such a crucial evidentiary ruling.”

The jury, unaware of his past actions, found Griffith not guilty in his mother’s case.

“I think that anyone looking at this case is going to feel that the ruling to keep that information away from the jury was monumental,” said Gilhooly. “In fact, it was probably the biggest factor in the defendant being found not guilty at the end of the trial.”

Griffith’s father’s death charges were dropped, and the details were not shared with the jury.

“What the legislature is really worried about is they don’t want people to be convicted of a crime simply because they’ve committed that type of crime in the past or another crime,” said Gilhooly. “They want fairness and impartiality among the jury, and that’s one of the core principles of our legal system.”

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd believes Griffith is responsible for both deaths, though his father’s case may be reopened in the future.