Florida
Florida mom shared eerie final photo before she was allegedly stabbed to death by son, 17, a year after he killed his dad
The Florida mom allegedly stabbed in the neck by her knife-wielding teenage son over the weekend posted a haunting final message on Instagram the day before her gruesome murder.
Catherine “Cathy” Griffith, 39, was found dead in her Auburndale home by police officers who were called by her son, Collin.
Cops arrived to find her dead, with a knife wound to her neck, and the 17-year-old covered in her blood standing in front of the house.
“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 Griffith eerily 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.
Happy times with Collin are seen in many posts on his mom’s feed, including one from May 5, where he is pictured in front of a bow-clad car.
“Happy early graduation present!!! Congratulations Collin on your brand new 2024 VW Jetta!!! I love you and am so proud of you!!!”
A series of posts from the Fourth of July weekend shows the smiling mother and son galavanting around Washington, DC, where they took in the fireworks on the National Mall and even toured the White House.
In many photos, the pair pose in the same position: Cathy in front, Collin right behind her, squinting through chunky plastic black-frame glasses.
“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 Sept. 5, the day after her 39th birthday.
Deputies arriving at the scene Sunday said that Collin showed “zero emotion” after allegedly killing his mother.
Neighbors say that they saw him grab Cathy by the hair and pull her into the house as she repeatedly pleaded, “Let me go” before her body was discovered.
Collin told police that he and his mother were in the midst of a long physical fight, which resulted in her falling onto the knife — fatally lacerating her throat.
However, he quickly asked for a lawyer when investigators pressed him on the incongruities of his story with the evidence at the scene.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described the scene as “cold-blooded murder.”
Collin had a history of abusing his mother, attacking her multiple times — including “stomping” on her — which resulted in the teen being held for mental health concerns.
Upon release from that stint in the state’s care, Collin allegedly threatened to kill himself or Cathy.
Cathy’s death comes roughly a year and a half after Collin was charged with fatally shooting his father, Charles, in their Lincoln County, Okla., home on Feb. 14, 2023.
No one else was home at the time. The then-15-year-old then told police that his father had cornered him in the house and, in an act of self-defense, he shot him once in the chest and once in the head.
The murder charge was dropped after Oklahoma authorities could not find evidence that disputed Collin’s claim of self-defense, Judd said.
Cathy Griffith shared a compilation of photos of her and Collin with Charles — including a shot of his headstone on Aug. 25.
“We broke the pattern but the pattern still broke us all into pieces. I still don’t regret leaving. I regret not leaving sooner,” a caption over the photos read.
Collin is being charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and violation of a no-contact order. The PCSO requested he be tried as an adult.
With Post wires
Florida
Florida man charged with plotting to bomb New York Stock Exchange
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Florida
‘I feel like Bin Laden,’ Florida man arrested by FBI for planning to bomb NYSE to 'reboot' US government
A Florida man has been arrested and charged in connection with a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange in an effort to “reboot” the US government, according to the FBI.
Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, from Coral Springs, Florida, was charged with attempting to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building involved in interstate commerce.
The FBI began investigating Yener in February after receiving a tip that he was storing materials related to bomb-making in a storage unit. Agents searched the area after obtaining a search warrant. They found “bomb-making sketches, numerous watches with timers electronic circuit boards and other electronics that can be utilised to build bombs.
According to the FBI, Yener had also been conducting online searches about bomb-making since 2017.
In March, Yener admitted to authorities during questioning that he had knowledge of making “rockets” and “bombs” and had previously tried to join a “domestic extremist group.” He also revealed that in 2015, he had considered travelling to Iraq to join ISIS but ultimately decided against it because he doubted the group’s ability to meet its objectives.
Yener allegedly told undercover FBI agents that he planned to detonate the bomb during the week before Thanksgiving, targeting the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan. Court documents state that his goal was to “reboot” the US government.
‘I feel like Bin Laden’
“There is one place that would be hella easy… the stock exchange, that would be a great hit. Tons of people would support it. They would see it and think dude, this guy makes sense, they are [profanity] robbing us. So that’s perfect,” he told the agent.
“I feel like Bin Laden,” he told the undercover agent.
Weeks before his arrest, Yener had modified two-way radios to function as remote triggers for explosives. He also planned to wear a disguise while planting the device, according to court filings.
Yener appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon, where it was decided he would remain in custody while awaiting trial.
(With inputs from agencies)
Florida
USC Trojans In Recruiting Battling With Florida, Texas For Four-Star Joseph Mbatchou
With the early national signing period approaching quickly, the USC Trojans have been working hard on the recruiting process. The Trojans have lost some key recruits but gained some big names. One target to watch for is defensive lineman Joseph Mbatchou, who is set to visit USC on Nov. 30.
Mbatchou is a class of 2025 four-star defensive lineman playing for Grayson (Ga.). On3 ranks Mbatchou as the No. 22 defensive lineman in the nation and the No. 36 player from Georgia. The four-star recruit was once committed to the Florida Gators but re-opened his recruitment in October.
Mbatchou is predicted to commit to the Texas Longhorns, but after another visit with the Florida Gators, Florida has jumped into the top two. The Auburn Tigers have also been a top team in the running for the four-star recruit. One last school to watch out for is the USC Trojans.
Mbatchou is considering visiting the USC Trojans on Nov. 30, when they face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the final regular-season game. Mbatchou announced this visit in October and is still considering it. As he narrowed down his decision, there was a chance he would no longer meet with USC, but the official visit is still set.
On3 ranks the USC Trojans class of 2025 as No. 13 in the nation and No. 4 in the Big Ten. Though they may have lost a couple of big names, they were able to flip five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet after a big push for him.
USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans’ staff must work hard to flip Mbatchou. The visit will be the most important way to convince the four-star recruit, as that is how Florida rose back into the top two. Visiting USC during the final weekend of November could help the Trojans with the game being right before national signing day.
Mbatchou is expected to make his decision during the early signing period. Texas is the top prediction for now, but expect the USC Trojans to make a final push for the four-star defensive lineman.
This week, USC will take on the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 23. The game will be broadcast on NBC and kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
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