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
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
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