AUBURNDALE, Fla. — A 17-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly murdering his mother Sunday evening in Auburndale, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd shared in a news conference Wednesday.
The Port Charlotte teen is accused of murdering his mother, 39-year-old Catherine Griffith. According to authorities, this happened just a year after he shot his father to death in Oklahoma, claiming self-defense.
First-degree murder charges against the teen were dropped when detectives couldn't disprove his claim of self-defense, Judd said.
On Sept. 8, deputies and Polk County Fire Rescue crews responded to a house on Hewlett Drive after the 17-year-old called the sheriff's office, saying his mother fell on a knife while they argued, resulting in a wound to her neck, Judd said.
Once deputies and crews arrived, Catherine was pronounced dead at the scene. When the sheriff's office asked her son what happened, he reportedly became "immediately uncooperative" and asked to speak with a lawyer.
After noting inconsistencies in the teen's story, deputies talked with witnesses, who reported seeing the 17-year-old fighting with his mom before grabbing her by the hair and dragging her inside the home.
Witnesses reportedly heard Catherine repeatedly pleading with her son to let her go.
The teen's grandmother also told deputies about multiple occasions where he was physically or verbally abusive to his mother.
The 17-year-old was eventually arrested and charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and violation of a no-contact order.
In a press release, Judd called the teen "a violent predator."
"He has now killed both his father and his mother," Judd said. "We will hold him accountable in Polk County. We will do everything we can to keep him separated from civil society."
While the teen is 17 years old, the sheriff's office is reportedly working with the state to charge him as an adult.