Florida teen accused of murdering mother charged as adult

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A 17-year-old arrested for allegedly murdering his mother in Polk County has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder and kidnapping.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the teen allegedly murdered his mother, Catherine Griffith, 39, of Port Charlotte, on Sept. 8.

At a news conference shortly after the killing, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said nearby witnesses saw the teen and his mother fighting outside his grandmother’s Auburndale home, then the teen dragging his mother into the house by her hair around 4:30 p.m.

Witnesses said they heard the mother repeatedly say, “Let me go.” The teenager’s grandmother was not home when the incident took place.

About two hours later, PCSO received a 911 call from the teen who said he and his mother had gotten into a long argument and she had fallen on a knife and was bleeding from her neck, Sheriff Judd said. The teen was given instructions on how to perform life-saving techniques.

When investigators asked the teen what happened, he reportedly was uncooperative and asked to speak to an attorney. Investigators also noted inconsistencies between the teen’s account of events in the 911 call and what was discovered at the scene.

According to the indictment, Catherine Griffith was stabbed to death with a knife.

Judd said that just over a year and a half ago, the teen allegedly killed his father, Charles Griffith, in Oklahoma. The teen claimed self-defense and said his father first pulled a knife on him.

The teen was initially charged with first-degree murder, but the charges were dropped after prosecutors said they could not disprove the teen’s claim of self-defense.

The teen allegedly threatened to kill his mother multiple times, Sheriff Judd said. In November 2023, the teen was charged with domestic violence against his mother by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.

The teen’s grandmother told the Polk County Sheriff’s Office of several occasions when the teen had been verbally or physically aggressive toward his mother in the past.