The Case of Charles & Catherine Griffith

Between February 2023 and September 2024, Charles Griffith and Catherine Griffith were killed in separate confrontations involving their teenage son, Collin Griffith. Charles was fatally shot in Oklahoma, while Catherine died after being stabbed in Florida. Prosecutors declined to pursue charges over Charles's death, and a Florida jury later acquitted Collin of Catherine's murder after accepting his claim of self-defence.

Charles Robert Griffith and Catherine Griffith were divorced parents whose son, Collin Griffith, had lived with both of them at different times. Family tensions and allegations of domestic conflict had existed for several years before the first fatal incident. On 14 February 2023, 15-year-old Collin shot his father, Charles, during an altercation at the family's rural home near Stroud, Oklahoma. Collin claimed he acted in self-defence after his father allegedly threatened him with a knife. Investigators were unable to gather sufficient evidence to disprove his account, and prosecutors later declined to proceed with the murder case. Following his father's death, Collin moved to Florida to live with his mother, Catherine Griffith. During the following months, law enforcement and child welfare agencies responded to numerous domestic incidents involving the pair, including allegations of violence, threats, mental health concerns, and previous arrests. The volatile relationship culminated in another fatal confrontation on 8 September 2024.

Charles Griffith was shot inside his Lincoln County, Oklahoma home after an argument with his son. Collin immediately contacted emergency services and admitted shooting his father, maintaining throughout the investigation that he had acted in self-defence. Eighteen months later, Catherine Griffith travelled to a residence in Auburndale, Florida, where Collin had been staying with relatives following another domestic dispute. During a confrontation inside the home, Catherine sustained fatal stab wounds to the neck. Collin telephoned 911 and initially claimed that she had fallen onto a knife during the struggle. Investigators processed both scenes, collecting forensic evidence, witness statements, emergency call recordings and medical evidence that became central to each investigation.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation examined the shooting of Charles Griffith. Detectives interviewed witnesses, analysed forensic evidence and reviewed Collin's claim that his father had threatened him with a knife. Prosecutors ultimately concluded they could not disprove self-defence beyond a reasonable doubt, and the case was closed without prosecution. Following Catherine Griffith's death, the Polk County Sheriff's Office charged Collin with first-degree murder, kidnapping and violating a no-contact order. Investigators alleged that the physical evidence and witness accounts contradicted his explanation of events. During the 2025 trial, prosecutors argued that Collin intentionally murdered his mother. The defence maintained he acted in self-defence after Catherine attacked him with a knife. After hearing several days of testimony, the jury found Collin not guilty on all charges.

No criminal prosecution proceeded over the death of Charles Griffith after Oklahoma prosecutors determined they could not disprove Collin Griffith's claim of self-defence. Following a jury trial in Polk County, Florida, Collin Griffith was acquitted of the murder of Catherine Griffith and all related charges on 5 February 2025.