A mother shared a haunting final social media post before she was allegedly killed by her son, a year after he killed his father.
Catherine “Cathy” Griffith, 39, was found dead in her Auburndale home on Sunday after her 17-year-old son, Collin, called police.
Authorities arrived to find Griffith with a fatal knife wound to her neck, while Collin, covered in blood, stood outside the home, as reported by the New York Post.
Police reported that Collin showed "zero emotion" after allegedly killing his mother.
Neighbors later claimed they had seen him allegedly drag Cathy into the house by her hair as she repeatedly cried: "Let me go."
Collin told investigators that the fatal injury occurred during a physical altercation with his mother, claiming she fell onto the knife.
But authorities quickly questioned the inconsistencies in his account. Collin requested a lawyer when pressed further, per ABC News.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd called the incident a “cold-blooded murder.”
According to Judd, Collin had a history of violent behavior toward his mother, including previous assaults that resulted in him being placed in mental health care.
Upon his release, Collin reportedly threatened to harm himself or his mother.
His mother's death marks the second time Collin has been involved in a fatal family incident. In February 2023, at age 15, he was charged with fatally shooting his father, Charles Griffith, in their Oklahoma home.
Collin claimed self-defense, and the charge was later dropped when authorities could not disprove his version of events.
Griffith posted a compilation of photos in August, showing herself and Collin with Charles, including an image of his headstone.
The post was captioned: "We broke the pattern but the pattern still broke us all into pieces. I still don’t regret leaving. I regret not leaving sooner."
The day before her death, she posted for a final time on social media.
Griffith shared lyrics from Taylor Swift's song, 'It’s Time to Go,' writing: "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."
The post was accompanied by an image of a footbridge leading into a forest.
Griffith’s social media often depicted happier moments with Collin, including a May 5 post celebrating his early graduation gift, a brand new car.
"Happy early graduation present!!! Congratulations Collin on your brand new 2024 VW Jetta!!! I love you and am so proud of you!!!" she wrote.
Photos from the Fourth of July weekend showed the mother and son enjoying a trip to Washington, D.C., where they watched fireworks at the National Mall and toured the White House.
In many of the pictures, Griffith stood in front, while Collin posed behind her, often wearing black-framed glasses.
Just days before her death, Griffith expressed optimism about the future.
"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," she wrote on September 5, the day after her birthday.
Collin now faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and violating a no-contact order. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has requested that he be tried as an adult.
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