A Florida mother, allegedly stabbed in the neck by her teenage son over the weekend, shared a chilling final message on Instagram just a day before her brutal murder. Catherine "Cathy" Griffith, 39, was found dead in her Auburndale home after police responded to a call made by her son, Collin.
Officers arrived to find her with a fatal stab wound to the neck, while her 17-year-old son, covered in blood, stood outside the house. Collin initially told police that his mother "fell" on the knife, but he has since been charged with her murder. The incident has left the community shocked and neighbors are now questioning Colin's mental health.
Killer Son Doesn't Spare His Mom
Catherine's death came a year after she had posted bail for her son, who had fatally shot his father, a killing he claimed was in self-defense. Though the late mother's posts seem to allude to her family struggles, one poignant message shows her promising to "live life to the fullest."
"This last year has been a whirlwind of life events and memories,' she wrote last week, a day after her birthday. 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.
"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."
In another cryptic post made just days before her murder, she shared lyrics from Taylor Swift's song, "It's Time to Go."
"That old familiar body ache, the snaps from the same little breaks in your soul. You know when it's time to go...Sometimes, givin' up is the strong thing," Catherine captioned an Instagram post with lyrics from Taylor Swift's "It's Time to Go" with an image of a remote footbridge leading into a forest.
Cathy's feed features several posts capturing happy moments with Collin, including one from May 5, where he is seen standing in front of a car adorned with a bow.
"Happy early graduation present!!! Congratulations Collin on your brand new 2024 VW Jetta!!! I love you and am so proud of you!!!"
Loving Mother Killed Mercilessly
A collection of posts from the Fourth of July weekend captures the smiling mother and son exploring Washington, DC. They enjoyed fireworks at the National Mall and even toured the White House.
In many of the photos, they are posed similarly: Cathy standing in front, with Collin right behind her, squinting through thick black-framed glasses.
Deputies who arrived at the scene on Sunday reported that Collin displayed "no emotion" after allegedly murdering his mother. Neighbors recalled seeing him drag Cathy by her hair into the house as she repeatedly begged, "Let me go," shortly before her body was found.
Collin told officers that he and his mother had been involved in a long physical altercation, which he claimed led to her accidentally falling onto the knife, fatally cutting her throat. However, when investigators questioned the inconsistencies between his story and the evidence, he quickly requested a lawyer.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described the incident as a "cold-blooded murder."
Collin had a history of abusing his mother, having attacked her on several occasions, including "stomping" on her, which previously led to him being held for mental health evaluations.
After being released from state care, Collin allegedly threatened to either kill himself or his mother, Cathy.
Cathy's death comes about a year and a half after Collin was charged with shooting dead his father, Charles, at their home in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, on February 14, 2023.
At the time, no one else was present, and the then-15-year-old told police that his father had cornered him, leading him to shoot in self-defense, hitting his father once in the chest and once in the head.
The murder charge was later dropped when Oklahoma authorities were unable to find evidence contradicting Collin's self-defense claim, according to Sheriff Judd.
