The last heartbreaking post from Florida mom Catherine Griffith, 39, who was killed by her son, Collin Griffith, 17, after a fight , hauntingly referenced her decision to ‘live life to the fullest' after a rough year.
The police report shows Griffith was fatally stabbed in the neck after a confrontation with the son , who was once accused of killing his father last year. The mom's life ended in a 55-and-over community in The Hamptons in Auburndale on Sunday.
"This last year has been a whirlwind of life events and memories," she penned just last week on Facebook , a day following her birthday. "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."
Her death occurred a year after she had posted bail for the teenager who had fatally shot his father, an act he insisted was in self-defense. He's now facing murder charges for allegedly killing his mother, too.
A 911 call was made in which Colin Griffith claimed he "had a very long fight" with his mother and she "fell on a knife" resulting in a neck wound. An autopsy report from the Medical Examiner's Office revealed that Catherine Griffith died due to a deep penetrating wound to the neck.
Local resident Nancy K. Jones told WFLA that Collin dragged his mother back into the house.
According to deputies who arrived at the scene, the teen was "calm, cool, collected... and he had blood on him", Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd reported. "The medical examiner said it's just not reasonable or plausible that [Catherine] died the way that he said she did," the sheriff stated.
"It just didn't happen." Collin became "uncooperative" with deputies and requested to speak to a lawyer.
While the late mother's social media posts hint at her family struggles, various posts paint a picture of an idyllic mother-son relationship, with shared memories of cruise vacations and trips to Disney and Universal Studios.
In May, she even surprised the teenager with a brand new $26,000 2024 VW Jetta as an early graduation gift.
A week before she died, she thanked all her friends and family on Facebook. "I am thankful that no matter what I encounter or experience- I have family, friends and a community of people who are here to support me, even on the days when I have not been the best me. Thank you to everyone who has helped me see that life is an adventure worth living and fighting for everyday. Life lessons are just those- lessons."
According to WFLA, Collin's grandmother informed police that he had previously had both verbal and physical altercations with his mother. Despite allegations of a prolonged fight, police found the home to be "neat and clean, [with] no evidence of any kind of a long fight, as he said."
With his mother severely injured, police reported that the teen showed "zero remorse" and no urgency towards his mother's condition. "He looked the deputy in the eye and said: 'I know my rights,'" Judd stated, adding that the teen then requested a lawyer.
The teenager now faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and violation of a no-contact order following his mother's death.
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