Episode 346

Seventeen-year-old Collin Griffith called 911 in a panic, begging for help. Minutes later, deputies arrived to find his mother bleeding in the kitchen and Collin calm, almost detached. His story of self-defense unraveled quickly, leading investigators back to Oklahoma and exposing dark family secrets and a shocking history of violence. Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Mike Boudet?

  Buy smart, drive for less, and trade for more. That's Toyota Fortability. And it all starts with a great deal on a truck from your local Toyota dealer. Make a smart buy on the off-road-ready Tacoma or half-ton Tundra, two of Toyota's most capable and long-lasting trucks. Built with the strength for the tough jobs, the tech to power your next big adventures, and the rugged style for everything in between. Or discover Toyota's off-road lineup, including the iconic 4Runner and Land Cruiser, designed to go beyond the everyday. And with Toyota's proven reputation for quality and reliability, plus available hybrid power

• 0:43Mike Boudet?

  on many models, you can get more for every mile and drive for less along the way. And long after you leave a lot, your Toyota keeps delivering with great resale value. So you can trade in for more when you're ready for your next Toyota. From a great deal today to a great value tomorrow, a Toyota is right for you. Shop toyota.com for deals and details, or stop by your local Toyota dealer today. Toyota, let's go places.

• 1:14Speaker 01

  ChatGPT for teens is designed to help teens learn, think critically, and grow their skills. ChatGPT for teens supports active learning by breaking concepts down. Rather than giving teens the answer, study mode helps teens work through problems, and interactive quizzes test their knowledge and provide immediate feedback. Safety protections are on by default, and parental controls offer families additional options, like setting study hours and quiet hours. Visit chatgpt.com/parents to learn more.

• 1:42Speaker 02

  Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence, and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

• 1:50Speaker 03

  I said, "You're not going to be successful in killing them. I'll take you out, and then I'm going to have to explain to people that I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6."

• 2:12Mike Boudet?

  If you follow true crime and have for a while, then there's a place in Florida you might be familiar with. It's right in the heart of Florida, and it's far from the beaches and tourist traps. It's a little place called Polk County. It's mostly farmland, chain restaurants, and retirement communities like the rest of Florida. But you may be familiar with the tough-on-crime press conferences that the sheriff loves to hold, many of which have gone viral over the last couple of years. In Polk County is the small city of Auburndale. Nestled between Lakeland and Winter Haven—two shitholes, by the way—

• 2:57Mike Boudet?

  it takes pride in being quiet, friendly, and the kind of place where neighbors recognize each other. Inside the gates of The Hamptons, a 55-plus country-club-style retirement community, are golf carts, manicured lawns, and rows of tiny, pre-manufactured homes. At sunset, neighbors wave from their front porches as golf carts hum down the street. It's quiet, safe—or, well, it should be. But on September 8th, 2024, just after 6:00 in the evening, that calm was shattered. Behind the white siding of 77 Hewlett Drive, a boy's frantic voice reached a 911 operator.

• 3:42Speaker 04

  My mom is having EMDS now. She's bleeding out. Please help. Your mom is doing what? My mom is bleeding out. She's bleeding out. Okay.

• 3:53Mike Boudet?

  On the call was 17-year-old Collin Griffith. He told the dispatcher that his mother needed EMS because she was now bleeding out.

• 4:03Speaker 04

  I think I hit her up. Okay, how do I lift someone? I need to get into the hospital. I was the one. Okay, they say you called number one, so we're gonna send in ambulance. She doesn't have time, she's bleeding at T T's fucking tail, she doesn't have time, she needs to go now.

• 4:19Mike Boudet?

  The ambulance couldn't get there fast enough. Colin's panic was obvious as he pleaded for them to help his mother. She didn't have a lot of time.

• 4:27Speaker 04

  She's bleeding out, she's bleeding. Where is she bleeding from, sir? She's bleeding from the neck, Nancy, this is my mother.

• 4:34Mike Boudet?

  Colin's thirty-nine-year-old mother Kathy was bleeding from the neck and fading fast.

• 4:40Speaker 04

  Is she awake? No, she's unconscious, she's not a patient. Is she breathing? No, no, she's not.

• 4:50Speaker 04

  I don't think she's alive.

• 4:53Mike Boudet?

  He said she was non-responsive and not breathing before he said, "I don't think she's alive." Colin's voice trailed off as he realized his mother might already be dead. The dispatcher guided him through performing CPR. Colin got his mother flat on her back, positioned his hands over her heart, and started pumping. The dispatcher counted him down.

• 5:18Speaker 04

  Four, one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, one, two, one moment.

• 5:27Mike Boudet?

  As the dispatcher relayed information to first responders, Colin continued to pump his mother's chest.

• 5:42Speaker 04

  This is what caused the bleeding. She got real tired and she lunged at me with a knife, and she fell on it.

• 5:51Mike Boudet?

  I know it's difficult to understand, but Colin said, "We got into a fight. She lunged at me with a knife, and she fell on it." He explained it was a long and drawn-out argument that ended with his mother trying to attack him with a knife. But instead, she tripped and fell on it. She now had a gaping wound that was spilling blood. Until there wasn't any left.

• 6:18Speaker 04

  There's no more blood coming out of the wound. He's lost all.

• 6:23Mike Boudet?

  The wound was so large that the only thing CPR had done was help pump the rest of her blood out onto the kitchen floor. Only then did the dispatcher instruct him on how to stop the bleeding. Get a clean, dry towel and apply pressure to the wound. The only thing was, she had no blood left. It was already too late.

• 6:44Speaker 04

  There's no blood. He's lost all his blood.

• 6:47Mike Boudet?

  Even though he himself thought it was already too late, Colin followed the dispatcher's instructions until first responders arrived and flooded the quiet retirement community with flashing lights and sirens.

• 6:59Speaker 05

  As I walked into the house, I immediately began to clear the house as my partner walked up to Collin Griffith. And then after clearing the house is when I walked back into the living room area, made it known that it was clear, and that is when my partner advised me to take Collin Griffith outside.

• 7:15Speaker 06

  And while walking to the kitchen, I saw a knife, a blood-covered knife over in front of the washer and dryer to my left, saw the subject in the kitchen. In the kitchen, I saw a large pool of blood around the subject's head and neck area, as well as blood spatter going up the side of the cabinet.

• 7:37Mike Boudet?

  Deputies cleared the house so fire and rescue could enter safely. They made contact with Colin and immediately noticed something odd.

• 7:46Speaker 06

  For doing normal CPR and everything, everybody, assuming everybody's been taught and seen videos on doing CPR from beside the person, never overtop their head, blocking air, possibly blocking airways.

• 8:00Mike Boudet?

  The home was narrow, no larger than a single wide trailer. There wasn't enough room for Colin to kneel next to his mother, so he knelt over her head. But from the looks of her wound, it didn't matter if he was doing it the right way.

• 8:14Speaker 06

  The stab wound itself did not seem to be very wide. It was kind of narrow in size.

• 8:23Speaker 06

  Upon further inspection after starting the CPR, it was obvious that every time I did a compression, there was air coming through the wound itself. So it was obviously.

• 8:33Speaker 07

  Pretty deep. Um, it looked like a lot of the vasculature and the stuff inside of the wound itself was very obvious and could be seen. Um, and that they had cut major areas such as arteries.

• 8:45Mike Boudet?

  EMTs rushed inside and surrounded her body, but there was nothing they could do. Only thirteen minutes after the 911 call started, Kathy was pronounced deceased. But her cause of death was questionable. The EMTs didn't have all the information from the 911 call. They didn't know about the long fight. All they knew was what they saw, and it seemed improbable that Kathy tripped and stabbed herself directly in the jugular. The knife entered the front part of her neck and exited the back left. The entire prospect was too cartoonish. Stranger still was Colin's behavior in the moments after first responders arrived.

• 9:29Speaker 05

  When I first walked him outside, he was a little bit frantic. Seemed like something was definitely going on, and then as he began to explain what happened is when he became very calm, his demeanor completely changed.

• 9:42Speaker 07

  From my personal experience, it was a little odd in nature. Um, he didn't seem very distraught or upset. Um, he seemed kind of calm upon my entering the residence. And then upon exiting the residence, he seemed almost have a, um, not a full argument, but somewhat argumentative with the deputies that were trying to assist him out of the residence.

• 10:03Mike Boudet?

  He was calm, too calm. He had just witnessed his mother die, but he wasn't distraught. He wasn't even panicked, like in the 911 call. Before deputies could ask him any questions, he exclaimed, "I know my rights. I want an attorney." On the 911 call, he claimed her death was accidental after he and his mom got into an argument that got out of hand. Then he asked for a lawyer before any questions could be asked. But later, he would offer up another explanation. He said he was on the floor and his mother was on top of him with a knife. She was bearing down, ready to stab him when, at the last second, he turned the blade towards

• 10:48Mike Boudet?

  her and she fell on it. Just like in the movies, you know? Colin was placed in the back of a patrol car as the nervous neighbors looked on. Every law enforcement officer who witnessed the scene knew Kathy didn't fall on that knife. But the only person who could tell them what happened had just lawyered up. Was Kathy a deranged mother in a homicidal rage? Was she mommy dearest? Or was Colin a cold and calculated killer? Only a thorough investigation would provide that answer.

• 11:39Mike Boudet?

  Buy smart, drive for less, and trade for more. That's Toyota Fortability. And it all starts with a great deal on a truck from your local Toyota dealer. Make a smart buy on the off-road-ready Tacoma or half-ton Tundra, two of Toyota's most capable and long-lasting trucks. Built with the strength for the tough jobs, the tech to power your next big adventures, and the rugged style for everything in between. Or discover Toyota's off-road lineup, including the iconic 4Runner and Land Cruiser, designed to go beyond the everyday. And with Toyota's proven reputation for quality and reliability, plus available hybrid power on many models,

• 12:23Mike Boudet?

  you can get more for every mile and drive for less along the way. And long after you leave the lot, your Toyota keeps delivering with great resale value. So you can trade in for more when you're ready for your next Toyota. From a great deal today to a great value tomorrow, a Toyota is right for you. Shop toyota.com for deals and details, or stop by your local Toyota dealer today. Toyota. Let's go places.

• 12:53Speaker 08

  Hi, I'm Jenna Oshkowitz. You might know me from Glee. This is At the Table, the food allergy podcast, a show about food, connection, and what it really looks like to live with food allergies. Each episode, we hear stories from real people like Daniel.

• 13:08Speaker 09

  People would always think I was lactose intolerant, so I just kind of shortened my explanation to I'm deathly allergic in a big way that defined a lot of my childhood.

• 13:19Speaker 08

  And while there are challenges, there are moments that remind you you're not alone.

• 13:24Speaker 10

  One of the best guys that I dated, he made a point to memorize all my food allergies.

• 13:30Speaker 08

  So join us and hear their stories and more, because living with food allergies isn't just about what you can't eat. It's about still having your seat at the table. Brought to you by Genentech and Novartis. Listen to At the Table, the food allergy podcast, on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow At the Table and start listening on the free iHeart Radio app today.

• 13:50Speaker 01

  ChatGPT for teens is designed to help teens learn, think critically, and grow their skills. ChatGPT for teens supports active learning by breaking concepts down. Rather than giving teens the answer, study mode helps teens work through problems, and interactive quizzes test their knowledge and provide immediate feedback. Safety protections are on by default, and parental controls offer families additional options, like setting study hours and quiet hours. Visit chatgpt.com/parents to learn more.

• 14:24Mike Boudet?

  Inside the Hamptons, a quiet retirement community in Auburn Dale, Florida, seventeen-year-old Colin Griffith called 911. A teenager in panic, he begged the dispatcher to save his mother as she bled from a wound to the neck. But when deputies arrived minutes later, they found a different Colin. His mother Kathy lay in the kitchen. It was too late to help her. And the boy who sounded so desperate on the phone was now composed, cold even.

• 14:58Mike Boudet?

  What started as a call for help had become a homicide investigation. The scene inside the house was grim, but outside, others had seen and heard things that would soon cast Colin's story in more doubt. Neighbors along Hewlett Drive told investigators what they witnessed that evening.

• 15:17Speaker 11

  Let me start from the very start.

• 15:18Speaker 12

  Yeah.

• 15:19Speaker 11

  I got a phone call yesterday from the lady that owns the property, because I do.

• 15:24Speaker 12

  When you say the property, what property are you referring to?

• 15:26Speaker 11

  Uh, the White House.

• 15:28Speaker 12

  Okay, the one that's directly across?

• 15:29Speaker 11

  Yeah.

• 15:29Speaker 12

  Where the deputies are at?

• 15:30Speaker 11

  Yeah.

• 15:31Speaker 12

  What is the name of the lady you spoke with?

• 15:33Speaker 11

  Susan, Susan Dirkum. I don't know how to, she's got a weird last name.

• 15:39Mike Boudet?

  The owner of the home was Colin's grandmother, Susan Detman. She called her neighbor the day before to let her know Colin would be arriving and not to worry.

• 15:49Speaker 11

  My grandson is gonna be coming to stay at my house. I just want to let you know, if you see a black car in the driveway, it's my grandson. And I said, "Oh, okay, yeah, I know Colin, yeah, no problem." That was the end of the conversation.

• 16:05Mike Boudet?

  Like any good neighbor, the residents of the Hamptons looked out for each other. I mean, they have a lot of free time on their hands. It is, after all, a retirement community.

• 16:15Speaker 11

  Now, that white car didn't show up till today.

• 16:19Speaker 12

  Do you know whose white car that is?

• 16:21Speaker 11

  It's a young lady with dark hair.

• 16:23Speaker 12

  Have you ever seen her before?

• 16:24Speaker 11

  Yeah, I've seen her over there before.

• 16:26Speaker 12

  And you don't know who she is?

• 16:28Speaker 11

  Susan said it's her daughter.

• 16:30Mike Boudet?

  Almost immediately after Colin's mother arrived, they started arguing.

• 16:35Speaker 11

  This car shows up today, and she pulls in the driveway, and the kid comes out, and she backs out of the driveway, and she pulls it right there. And she gets out with her purse and walks up there and, uh...

• 16:49Speaker 11

  Him and her started arguing and then start throwing stuff in the black gar. I don't know what it was. It looked like clothes and stuff. And next thing I know, he pulled her by the hair of the head and pulled her back into the house.

• 17:02Mike Boudet?

  This neighbor could hear the argument, but not what they were saying. Another neighbor heard a little more.

• 17:09Speaker 13

  Then I heard her say, "Let me go, let me go. You've got my head. You're hurting me. You're hurting me." And he dragged her in the house.

• 17:17Mike Boudet?

  Two neighbors witnessed the start of the argument. As soon as Kathy got out of her car, she started talking with Colin. The neighbors couldn't hear what they were saying, but their body language screamed "argument." Then Colin grabbed a fistful of his mother's hair and pulled her inside as she yelled, "Let me go. You're hurting me."

• 17:37Speaker 11

  Do you know I knew some problems that she had with her grandson before?

• 17:41Speaker 12

  What were those?

• 17:42Speaker 11

  Huh?

• 17:42Speaker 12

  What are those problems?

• 17:44Speaker 11

  Well, she said that the mother and the grandson were at each other last winter. And the grandson come and stayed here. I guess there was some problems here because the cops were out here two or three times last winter.

• 17:58Mike Boudet?

  Apparently, this wasn't the first time Colin had fought with his mother. The previous year, Colin stayed with his grandmother to let things cool off between him and his mom. But the tension between them never left a simmering point.

• 18:12Speaker 11

  I called Susan. Soon as all this happened, I called Susan. I said, "Susan, something going on over at your house." I said, "There's cops everywhere." I said, "Your grandson's outside. It looks like he's crying." She said, "Where's my daughter?" I said, "I don't know."

• 18:26Mike Boudet?

  That tension must have built and built as it erupted in a fight in the driveway, ending with Kathy being stabbed in the neck.

• 18:34Speaker 11

  And then, while you guys were out there doing that, guess what phone call I get?

• 18:39Speaker 12

  What's that?

• 18:40Speaker 11

  His probation officer calls.

• 18:42Speaker 12

  Who's that?

• 18:43Speaker 11

  Colin's.

• 18:45Speaker 12

  Called you?

• 18:45Speaker 11

  Uh-huh.

• 18:46Speaker 12

  What?

• 18:47Speaker 11

  I got the phone call on there. It's from a 946 number. And she says, is this Kay Jones? I said, yeah. She says, well, I am Colin so-and-so's probation officer. I'm a juvenile detention officer. Is Colin okay? And I said, yeah, there's cops sitting out there talking to him, but I don't know anything else. And she said, did you hear any gunshots or anything? And I said, no. I said, what's going on? She said, is Colin okay? And I said, yeah. And she hung up.

• 19:24Mike Boudet?

  The neighbors at the Hamptons didn't know Colin's background, but a call from his juvenile probation officer hinted at him being a troubled teen. When his grandmother finally arrived home, she found her normally quiet street in chaos immediately. She knew her daughter was dead, and she also knew who had done it.

• 19:44Speaker 14

  How was the relationship at the beginning?

• 19:45Speaker 15

  In the beginning, it was fine.

• 19:47Speaker 14

  Okay.

• 19:47Speaker 15

  And then there started to be problems.

• 19:51Speaker 14

  Okay. Can you describe the problems?

• 19:53Speaker 15

  He didn't want to do what Kathy told him to do. Kathy would basically harp on him.

• 20:04Mike Boudet?

  When Colin attacked his mother and stomped on her hand, she was only trying to discipline her 17-year-old son. He hadn't done the chores she assigned him. She threatened to take away his Xbox and cellphone. That's when Colin flipped out.

• 20:19Speaker 15

  So anyway, so I was there, and he pushed her and stomped on her hand.

• 20:26Mike Boudet?

  Colin stood up, looked at his mother in the eye, and said, "Let's go," before pushing her to the ground with a single move and stomping on her hand. Needless to say, the police were called.

• 20:39Speaker 16

  I'm in a constant state. A lot of quiet and I don't know if I think she's gonna do something. Even if she's not, I might act. I'm not gonna like go crazy or anything, but I'm I'm not sure how to understand.

• 20:54Speaker 15

  Yes, so then he was in the police squad. Kathy refused to go to the hospital for her hand. And he called me over to the police squad and said, Mama, you know, she pushed me first. And I said, Colin, I was there. That's not what happened. I said, I agree that she was very aggressive to you. I said, but you pushed her and we talked about this and then you stomped on her hand.

• 21:19Speaker 16

  Yeah.

• 21:20Mike Boudet?

  Colin tried to say she attacked him first, but his grandmother witnessed the whole thing. He was arrested and charged as a juvenile for domestic violence.

• 21:29Speaker 15

  So he was put on probation.

• 21:32Speaker 16

  Okay, for that incident?

• 21:33Speaker 15

  Yes.

• 21:33Speaker 16

  Was he charged with domestic violence?

• 21:35Speaker 15

  Yes.

• 21:35Speaker 16

  Okay.

• 21:36Speaker 15

  He was. He was. He was put on probation. He was supposed to be getting off of probation this month.

• 21:45Mike Boudet?

  Colin was processed, charged, and sentenced to probation. The court recommended he remain separate from his mother for some time before going home. So he lived with his grandmother for a couple of weeks, as if that's a solution. Am I the only one noticing a lack of male paternal figures in Colin's life?

• 22:07Speaker 15

  When she came to pick him up, he ran away. So then he was gone for two days. We couldn't find him. Because she came and he said, he looked at me and he said, "You are fucking crazy if you think that I'm getting in the car with my mom. You have gone completely nuts." And I went, Colin, we talked about all this. He said, "I'm not going back." And he took off. It was pouring down rain. So finally, you all picked him up and took him to DHS or whatever it's called in this state. You know, the...

• 22:42Speaker 16

  DCF?

• 22:43Speaker 15

  Yes. So he ran away from DSF.

• 22:47Mike Boudet?

  Dyslexic much?

• 22:48Speaker 15

  He was out again. So finally, he was picked up and law enforcement brought him home. And that's when they said, "We're going to have police coming." You know, every so often, like every day, it's anywhere from, I think, 7:00 in the morning to midnight to check and make sure you guys are okay.

• 23:07Mike Boudet?

  After a couple of weeks at his grandmother's, Colin refused to return to his mother's house. He ran off into the rain and was gone for two days. When the police finally found him, they took him into the Crisis Stabilization Unit. CSU is a short-term specialized facility that provides immediate, round-the-clock psychiatric care and support for individuals experiencing a severe mental health crisis, such as suicidal thoughts, severe agitation, or psychosis. There, Colin was evaluated, deemed not a threat to himself or others, and released. They love their catch-and-release at these places because they just don't have the money,

• 23:50Mike Boudet?

  the funding, the beds to keep people. Why is that, when we spend so much money in this country? So much more than we even make, really, in taxes every year. We can't even provide basic services. I wonder who's sneaking into the cookie jar when we're not looking. Anyway, the front doors opened wide for Colin, and he walked straight out of that facility. Curled, supposedly.

• 24:18Speaker 17

  And when the doors opened, the young man came straight up to me and approached me and said, "I need to be Baker acted." Were you surprised to hear that? Oh, yeah, because usually people want to leave. Did you ask him why he said that? Yes, I did, because it's unusual. He said, "I need to be Baker acted because I'm either going to go kill myself," or... and he said his mother.

• 24:43Mike Boudet?

  Colin didn't want to go back home with his mom. He went further, saying he would throw them out of the car, shoot them, or stab them. He also mentioned that his grandmother wasn't safe if he went home with her either. Maybe sometimes we should listen to these people when they're telling us exactly what they're going to do. No? Okay. Suit yourself. Colin was placed on a psychiatric hold for three more days. Eventually, he had to go back home with his mom, though. Anyway, for a while, everything was okay. A couple of officers were assigned to him, and they would check in at random times every day to ensure he and his mom were okay. He even started to go to church with one of the officers.

• 25:27Mike Boudet?

  He graduated from high school a year early, got a job, and enrolled in college. Then the tension between him and his mom arose again. By September 7, 2024, the day before Kathy's death, they were doing nothing but arguing.

• 25:44Speaker 15

  So Colin called me at 1 and said, "My mom kicked me out. What am I supposed to do?" I said, "You need to go back home." He said, "No, no. I don't feel comfortable."

• 25:56Mike Boudet?

  Kathy had kicked him out of the house, so Colin loaded up his car and went to Grandma Susan's. Susan was once again inserted into the middle of the argument. She spoke with Kathy, and even though she kicked him out, she now demanded that he come home the next morning.

• 26:13Speaker 15

  She wanted Colin to be at home at 10 o'clock in the morning. 10 o'clock in the morning? Yes. She said if not, she was calling the police, that she was turning him in as a runaway. I said, "He can't be turned in in a runaway. He's at my house." And Detective Lacy even said, "That's fine." And she said, "Well, he didn't tell his probation officer." I said, "Yes, he did. He left a message that he was going to his grandmother's house." Yeah, she said, "I'm gonna come and get him. He's gonna follow me with, um, with his car. He didn't have gas. She had blocked his checking account, his check card, so he didn't have access to that." I told Colin, I said, "Your mom's gonna be there." I said, "Don't touch her.

• 26:57Speaker 15

  Be nice."

• 26:59Mike Boudet?

  Sadly, Colin didn't take that advice. Kathy lay lifeless on her mother's kitchen floor in a pool of blood. Collins sat in the back of a patrol car waiting to be taken to the station and charged with murder. In the days that followed detectives spoke with the rest of Collins' family trying to understand exactly what had happened between him and his mother. His grandfather wasn't surprised at all.

• 27:25Speaker 18

  He and his mom were having difficulties and when she'd set down limits on behavior, he would not just rebel, he would become violent. And they had asked me, because Susan said, "Hey, I can't, I can't deal with this. And he can't be with Kathy because he's threatening to kill her." And I said, "He's threatening to kill you too, right Susan?" She said, "Well, yes, of course he has." I said, "Okay." And I told her multiple times, "I don't care what you have to do, get rid of this boy." "Well, will you take him?" I said, "Hell no." "Just no, but hell no."

• 27:59Speaker 14

  Yeah.

• 28:00Speaker 18

  "That boy is thrashed in the head. He is weaponized. He is going to kill you, your mother, me."

• 28:08Mike Boudet?

  Collins' grandfather painted a frightening picture of Collins and Kathy's relationship. He was a violent teenager who didn't like authority or responsibility. I mean, who does, really? Both Grandma Susan and Kathy were afraid of him. But what do you do with a seventeen-year-old you can't control? Ladies, any ideas? Man, this society is cooked, isn't it?

• 28:34Speaker 18

  He also had told me in detail, four months ago, how he wanted to murder his mother. And he really wanted to literally see the blood squirt out of her neck. That's what he wanted.

• 28:47Speaker 14

  He told you this four months ago?

• 28:49Speaker 18

  Oh, yeah. Wasn't anything else, he wanted that. I mean, he talked about strangling her. And he said, "But I could do that. But really what I want to do is I want to watch the blood squirt out of her and watch the life squirt out of her." I said, "That's not really good." He goes, "Yeah, but it's what I want to do." And so I just let the kid go. And be like, "Well, tell me more, tell me more, this sounds interesting."

• 29:13Speaker 14

  Yeah.

• 29:14Speaker 18

  "Oh, I want to see the gore. I want to watch it pump out of her."

• 29:18Speaker 14

  Wow.

• 29:19Speaker 18

  "You are the puppy." He goes, "Yeah." Well, that'd be a lot of power. He goes, yeah.

• 29:26Mike Boudet?

  Detectives were building a case. The story of the fight and falling on a knife was way too far-fetched. Colin seemed to be troubled, and there were records of this with every interaction he had with law enforcement and the Department of Children and Families. Even his own grandfather saw him as a danger to those around him. And there was a big reason for this. As if the murder of a woman by her teenage son wasn't horrific enough, the Polk County Sheriff held yet another press conference to inform the public of the rest of the story.

• 30:03Speaker 19

  A cold-blooded murder of a 39-year-old mother by her 17-year-old son. It all started on September the 8th, which was this last Sunday, when we got a 911 call from Colin Griffith, who's 17 years of age. Here's what he said. He said he and his mother had a very long fight, and she fell on a knife and killed herself. When the deputies arrived, he met the deputies outside, and he was calm, cool, collected, not upset, and he had blood

• 30:43Speaker 19

  on him. What we found inside was this knife. This knife is 12 inches long, and of the 12 inches, 8 inches of that is the blade. So he's saying that his mother fell on this knife. The medical examiner said it is not reasonable or plausible that she died the way that he said she did. Just didn't happen. There were witnesses outside the mobile home that actually saw Colin drag his mother into the house by the hair on her head. Colin

• 31:28Speaker 19

  is about 6 foot and 160 pounds.

• 31:31Mike Boudet?

  That wasn't even the most damning evidence that Colin had purposefully killed his mother.

• 31:37Speaker 19

  But let me go through some details, because as we start to peel back the layer of this onion... We find out that this is not just a singular event with Colin stabbing his mother in the neck and ultimately killing her. Here's what we found, and follow me as I read a timeline to you. February 14th, 2023, on Valentine's Day, in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, Colin said that his dad pulled a knife on him, and he shot and killed his dad. That's right, his father was named Charles.

• 32:19Speaker 19

  He shot him once in the chest and once in the head, and he claimed self-defense.

• 32:24Mike Boudet?

  That's right. Colin had killed his father just 19 months earlier in Oklahoma. Are the pieces starting to fit together yet?

• 32:35Speaker 20

  Dispatch got a call of a shooting. We responded. Had a 15-year-old male caller on the phone, said that his dad had a knife and had him cornered, and he had to shoot him. Dad has a girlfriend, a fiance, that was at the grocery store, and so she's returned since then, and we've talked to her. So, she's been notified as well. There are several firearms in there, so I don't know, we haven't done any kind of trace or anything on that yet, but there is lots of guns in the house.

• 33:08Speaker 19

  The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations charged Colin with murder in the first degree. They dropped the charges less than a month later. They said they could not disprove Colin's assertion of self-defense. So he was released.

• 33:34Mike Boudet?

  He claimed self-defense, and a month later, all charges were dropped. He just spent a couple of weeks in jail, and that was it. Shortly after, Oklahoma sent him to his mother in Florida. There, he was arrested for beating up his mom, ran away, and was put on psychiatric hold twice. If only humans were good at seeing patterns, you know?

• 33:58Speaker 19

  So now we're to the fateful day on September 8th. Our investigation clearly and unequivocally shows that that circumstance did not occur like that. In fact, he used similar language to when he made the 911 call, what, 18 or 20 months earlier, when he shot and killed his father.

• 34:20Mike Boudet?

  The authorities did notice a pattern. While it was possible that Colin acted in self-defense against one parent, it's highly improbable that he would have done so again with a different one. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, and we won't be fooled again, or some shit. I don't remember.

• 34:39Speaker 19

  It's important to understand, when you look at this, you see a kid. When I look at him, I see a psychopath. I see totally erratic behavior, to the point that he's already, at 17 years of age, shot and killed his father, and got away with it, and stabbed his mother in the neck so hard that the knife went all the way through and was to the back of her neck. And she died there. He's been charged with first-degree murder, obviously, and we're asking the state attorney's

• 35:20Speaker 19

  office, it's their decision, but our state attorney's office is the greatest, to prosecute him as an adult. Now, he's killed two people, and killed his mother and father, and I can assure you, beyond into the exclusion of every reasonable doubt, based upon his conduct, had he gone to live with his grandmother at the end of this, and she crossed him, she would be next. He's violent. He's dangerous. He showed zero remorse. Zero remorse. He is a dangerous human being.

• 35:59Speaker 19

  Nothing gives you the right to unilaterally stab your mother and kill her. And I'm not convinced, based upon what I know now. Now, Oklahoma didn't know this then. There were no witnesses to him shooting his dad. I'm not sure now that he didn't set his dad up to murder him.

• 36:25Mike Boudet?

  It turns out that Collins' story was much more complicated than anyone realized. It started long before he was even born. Collins' Aunt Christine says it all started back when Kathy was only 13.

• 36:39Speaker 21

  Her ex-husband actually had a crush on me and was pursuing me. And when I was like, I am not interested.

• 36:47Mike Boudet?

  Aunt Christine is talking about Charles Griffith, Collins' father and Kathy's ex-husband, who everyone called Chuck.

• 36:55Speaker 21

  But when I finally like, was like, you've got to stop. He, well, actually, he didn't stop. He kept calling my house. And then he would start talking to my sister. He just latched on to her.

• 37:08Mike Boudet?

  Chuck pursued Christine and called her house all the time. But when she told Chuck she wasn't interested, he went for the next best thing. Her younger sister. They became inseparable in a bad way.

• 37:23Speaker 21

  We found out that she was pregnant shortly after one of her many runaway incidences. And I begged her to give the baby up for adoption because I knew that if she had it, that her life with Chuck was never going to be good. So anyway, she, obviously, she didn't. Christopher is here.

• 37:42Speaker 14

  Well, so they end up getting married and she's married at a really young age, 14. He's what, now 17, 18 at that point?

• 37:50Speaker 21

  No, no, no.

• 37:53Speaker 14

  Okay.

• 37:54Speaker 21

  He was 19 when he got her pregnant at 13.

• 37:58Mike Boudet?

  When Kathy got pregnant at 13, her mother gave her a choice. Put up the baby for adoption or marry Chuck. She chose poorly.

• 38:11Mike Boudet?

  She chose to marry Chuck.

• 38:13Speaker 21

  So at fourteen, she got her GED and she started taking college classes because Chuck never had a job, never had a job. He always liked little girls.

• 38:22Speaker 14

  So he never was a teacher or anything like that?

• 38:24Speaker 21

  Oh, no, no, he was a teacher. That's how I found the little girls. Kathy got his degree for him online.

• 38:30Speaker 14

  Oh, wow. Okay.

• 38:31Speaker 21

  Yeah.

• 38:33Mike Boudet?

  Of course, he liked little girls. He impregnated a thirteen-year-old after he was already a legal adult. Kathy and Chuck got married and moved into their own house to playhouse. Kathy gave birth to their first son, Christopher, and then attended school online. She got teaching degrees for herself and for Chuck. But Chuck used that degree not to teach, but to get close to underage girls. That is, until he would get caught and he would get fired. Chuck was unemployed a lot. The family moved often, presumably for work and to escape whatever stigma Chuck stirred up,

• 39:17Mike Boudet?

  being the pedo that he was. Fast forward to 2019 and the family was in Florida.

• 39:23Speaker 21

  But I guess Kathy had a student that she had kind of, kind of, kind of adopted, for lack of better words. Her name was Gabby. Gabby, like, even moved in with them. I mean, Kathy, Kathy called Gabby her daughter. And then it turns out that Chuck and her were in a relationship and Chuck left Kathy for Gabby.

• 39:44Mike Boudet?

  Kathy had taken a sixteen-year-old student named Gabby under her wing and into her home. It was an act of compassion for a young girl with few options. Chuck, on the other hand, suddenly had a young girl living in his house. Oh, boy. When Kathy discovered the affair, it was the final straw. She had put up with his infidelity long enough. The divorce was nasty. Colin's older brother, Christopher, was already out of high school. So Kathy and Charles fought over 12-year-old Collin. Eventually, Charles, Colin, and Gabby moved to Oklahoma. Colin became separated from his mother and the rest of the family.

• 40:27Speaker 22

  Why was Dad so bad to Colin? What did he do?

• 40:30Speaker 15

  Well, he isolated him. He wouldn't allow him to leave the farm. He wouldn't let him go to school. He refused to have him in scouts. And he kept saying, "I can't put him in school because I'm afraid Kathy will come to the school and bring DHS in and then they'll get involved." Which DHS in Oklahoma did get involved, but all they said was, "They need family counseling." And they left it at that. Colin did have family counseling. It was court ordered, and his father refused to take him. He took him once, and then he said, "No, I'm not taking him back."

• 41:08Speaker 14

  So did they have any type of communication while he was in Oklahoma?

• 41:12Speaker 21

  No, he would not let Colin talk to Kathy.

• 41:17Speaker 14

  At all? Like, they never spoke? Or did she, every once in a while, like Christmas or birthdays? Like, how did she talk to him?

• 41:24Speaker 21

  Well, usually Chuck wanted extra money. And then he would let her talk to him, but only on speakerphone in front of him. There was one time where he, like, got a phone and called Kathy. And then when Chuck found out about it, he really, really beat him.

• 41:43Mike Boudet?

  For three years, Colin only had his father and the barely older Gabby to interact with. Things were bad and only got worse.

• 41:54Speaker 23

  Go back three years, 11 to 14 years old. Like, he's still wearing the same clothes as an 11-year-old was wearing, as a 14-year-old was. It was to the point that...

• 42:05Speaker 23

  One of my siblings or my mother said like, hey, the shoes that he had weren't fitting him. There was a point that his toes were like.

• 42:11Speaker 24

  Crunched up.

• 42:12Speaker 23

  Crunched up and everything, like the shirts and pants and everything that he was wearing like barely fit him or they were too tight. He was malnourished. Him just going to like a Walmart with my sister was causing them to have social, social anxiety and, and stuff like that, which.

• 42:29Speaker 24

  He said his main food source a week was like a gallon of milk, steak and potatoes. Um, I had to teach him how to like use a towel after a shower. Cause when he first originally got here, he would just come out of the shower and put his clothes on.

• 42:46Speaker 23

  And drip dry.

• 42:47Speaker 24

  In my head, that's triggering, you know, some type of abuse, cause when you're that age, how do you not know how to use a shovel?

• 42:55Speaker 15

  He was on a futon mattress in the laundry room.

• 43:02Mike Boudet?

  As Colin got older and entered puberty, he discovered his sexuality. Another thing Chuck had a problem with.

• 43:10Speaker 15

  Colin said that his dad would have sex right in the next bedroom with him so that he could hear everything that was going on. Because Colin felt that he was gay and so the dad was trying to change him out of being gay.

• 43:25Speaker 22

  Colin felt that he was gay?

• 43:27Speaker 15

  Yes.

• 43:27Speaker 22

  Okay.

• 43:28Speaker 15

  Yeah.

• 43:28Speaker 18

  You realize how mentally perverted Charles was. He'd beat Kathy, he'd beat the kids. I mean, this guy was, this guy was a major psychological manipulator and abuser. Physically, mentally, but this guy was a complete psychopath.

• 43:48Mike Boudet?

  Finally, on Valentine's Day, twenty twenty-three, while Gabby was out of the house, Colin shot and killed his father.

• 43:56Speaker 15

  The dad refused to let Colin have anything to do with his mom. But Colin wanted to leave. He wanted to live with his mom. But the dad cornered him. Or either cornered or the wall and had a knife and said, "You're gonna say into this tape recording that you wanna live with me, and that's all there is to it. I'm not gonna go to court and be embarrassed by you saying you wanna live with your mom." That's, and so, as I said, he had 23 guns loaded in the house. And so, when he went back, one of the pistols was right there, and he pulled it and shot him.

• 44:36Speaker 14

  Was his dad, like, backing him into a corner?

• 44:38Speaker 15

  Yeah.

• 44:39Mike Boudet?

  Colin called 911 and explained that his father had attacked him with a knife, and he shot him in self-defense. The police arrested him and pressed charges only to drop them a month later. They couldn't prove it was or wasn't self-defense.

• 44:55Speaker 18

  His mother and his grandmother, Susan, knew that he had murdered his father because he admitted it to both of them.

• 45:03Speaker 14

  Did he admit, um, to killing him in self-defense? Or did he admit just to killing him?

• 45:09Speaker 18

  He admitted to setting the whole thing up.

• 45:12Speaker 14

  To setting the whole thing up?

• 45:13Speaker 18

  Oh, yeah. I, I told Colin, I said, "Colin, I don't agree with what you did, but you know what? I'd buy you a beer and give you a fucking award. You took the trash out. Thank you."

• 45:26Mike Boudet?

  Let's face it. Chuck was a real piece of shit. Perhaps the police in Oklahoma looked at this meek little kid and felt pity. Why charge Colin with murder if no one was gonna miss Chuck after all? But now, with his mother's death, it changed the way everyone saw his self-defense claim.

• 46:00Mike Boudet?

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• 46:44Mike Boudet?

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• 47:14Speaker 08

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• 47:29Speaker 09

  People would always think I was lactose intolerant, so I just kind of shortened my explanation to I'm deathly allergic in a big way that defined a lot of my childhood.

• 47:40Speaker 08

  And while there are challenges, there are moments that remind you you're not alone.

• 47:45Speaker 10

  One of the best guys that I dated, he made a point to memorize all my food allergies.

• 47:51Speaker 08

  So join us and hear their stories and more because living with food allergies isn't just about what you can't eat. It's about still having your seat at the table. Brought to you by Genentech and Novartis. Listen to At the Table, the food allergy podcast on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow At the Table and start listening on the free iHeart Radio app today.

• 48:11Speaker 01

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• 48:46Mike Boudet?

  Polk County deputies found Colin Griffith calm after the death of his mother, her lifeless body just a few feet away. He claimed it was self-defense. She attacked him and stabbed herself in the neck somehow. But neighbors saw him drag her into the house by her hair. His grandmother described arguments, fights, and threats of violence, even murder. After his arrest, the sheriff revealed this wasn't his first murder. Eighteen months earlier, he shot and killed his father, one to the chest and one to the head. Family members described a life of isolation, neglect, and abuse at the hands of a pedophile father.

• 49:30Mike Boudet?

  They thought he did it on purpose, but they couldn't blame him. After charges in Oklahoma were dropped, Colin moved back in with his mother Kathy. On the surface, it looked like stability. She took him on trips, bought him clothes, got him back in school, and tried to give him the kind of normal teenage life he'd never had.

• 49:50Speaker 03

  She was trying to help Colin reorient to a life where he wasn't just stuck out in the middle of nowhere. So they did things like they went to Washington DC, they went to the White House, they went all over DC, saw everything there was to see there. She took him on trips to Central America, to Caribbean. She was trying to get him... Back into as close as she could in normal life and create opportunities that the two of them missed for so many years.

• 50:32Mike Boudet?

  But Colin was basically an only child for three years. He wasn't required to do much. I mean, he didn't even have to go to school. Besides, he had the barely older, soon-to-be stepmom Gabby to pick up after him. So when Kathy started requiring chores, Colin would rebel, and Kathy would push even harder.

• 50:56Speaker 21

  I feel like she wanted to get back an eight-year-old little boy, but that is not what she got back.

• 51:03Speaker 16

  Yeah.

• 51:05Speaker 21

  I know she wanted the best for him, but she just pushed so much on him. He's gotta take these college classes. He's gotta do this for Bright Future Scholarship. He's gotta, you know, he's gotta help with chores and just so much so fast. And I was like, Kathy, just let him take normal classes. Don't, don't make him take a college class. And I said that to my mom, and she was like, but it was the same credit. And I was like, you're missing the point.

• 51:30Speaker 16

  Yeah.

• 51:30Speaker 21

  I don't care if it's the same credit or not. If a kid who has not been in school in three years, but she just pushed him so hard.

• 51:42Mike Boudet?

  It didn't take long for Colin's teenage stubbornness to outlast Kathy's willpower. Pushing him harder didn't seem to work.

• 51:50Speaker 15

  Because she said that he wasn't following the rules, he wasn't doing the chores, that she wouldn't, he wouldn't help her put a bookshelf up on the wall. It was her last bookshelf to put on, and that she just was had it with him. She said, you know, he has food all over his room. He's not supposed to. We have ants now.

• 52:08Mike Boudet?

  When all of her efforts to teach her son responsibility failed, she decided to teach him some accountability. She turned to punishment.

• 52:19Speaker 21

  Here's something about Kathy that I think is really important to know. When Kathy gets hurt, she doesn't get sad. Like, when her feelings are hurt, she doesn't get sad. She just gets mad. But like... Rage mad.

• 52:32Mike Boudet?

  When Kathy punished Colin, she didn't just stop with taking away his phone.

• 52:37Speaker 15

  I'm selling his car to CarMax. I'm disenrolling him from school. I'm taking away his computer and I'm cutting off his phone.

• 52:48Mike Boudet?

  She wouldn't just take away one thing. She would take away everything in the world that he loved. She would even shut off his debit card. But when that didn't work.

• 52:58Speaker 15

  You know, she made him bend over. She hit him with a belt. Then after that, she grabbed a big 10 pound or 20 pound weight.

• 53:08Mike Boudet?

  She would make Colin hold this 20 pound weight over his head for extended periods of time as punishment. And the belt, well, it didn't hurt as much as it humiliated. So life went on for 18 months. It was a cycle of failed responsibilities and humiliating punishments. Then Kathy started to crack.

• 53:30Speaker 15

  So for a while, everything seemed to be fine. And then Kathy started having her problems with, I want to kill myself. I hate life. She kept saying that her life just wasn't the way it was supposed to be, that Colin wasn't the way he was supposed to be, that he was too much like his dad.

• 53:51Mike Boudet?

  Kathy had battled with suicidal thoughts in the past, but now they were back and it was bad. She even made an attempt.

• 53:59Speaker 15

  She said, I'm taking all the Metropropylol, her heart medicine. And Colin took her, I told Colin, take her to the ER.

• 54:08Speaker 21

  But it got to the point where it was almost like psychologically abusive, you know, just the constant, my life is so terrible. Nothing's supposed to be this way. I can't do this anymore. She was drinking, she was drugging, she was yelling at him, she was being mean to him physically, mentally, all the, all the things.

• 54:29Speaker 14

  I mean, it sounds like he's going, he went through the same thing on both sides, separate times.

• 54:37Mike Boudet?

  Colin's older brother, Chris, witnessed this behavior as well.

• 54:41Speaker 25

  She would kick me out of the house. She would get drunk. She would abuse her pills and she...

• 54:49Speaker 25

  Which is toxic, no other way to put it.

• 54:52Mike Boudet?

  Unsurprisingly, after his arrest, the state attorney made the announcement everyone was waiting for.

• 54:58Speaker 26

  I'm Brian Hawes, state attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit of Florida. The Polk County grand jury indicted Collin Griffith on the charge of first-degree murder for the killing of his mother in Amherd last week. I made the decision to charge this 17-year-old as an adult based upon the egregious facts and circumstances of this case. Polk County law enforcement continues to work with the authorities in Oklahoma to be sure they are provided all relevant information and evidence that will allow them to continue to evaluate their case as they deem necessary. My prosecutors and the deputies from the Polk County Sheriff's Office will continue to work together to pursue justice in this case and hold Collin Griffith accountable for his murder.

• 55:41Mike Boudet?

  Colin pleaded not guilty to one count of kidnapping for dragging his mother inside by her hair and one count of premeditated murder. His eventual trial would last five days. The prosecution portrayed him as a cold and calculated killer, satiating his bloodlust.

• 56:01Speaker 27

  The defendant sits there, a guilty person who stabbed his own mother in the neck and then watched her bleed out in front of him. The death was not instantaneous. She bled internally, she bled externally. She was fighting to get up. She's got a gaping, open wound in her neck, compliments of her son. Thanks, Collin Griffith. Appreciate that. The lady that brought him into this world here on earth, he took out of this world and this earth. The reality of what that person did to his mom is a second-by-second nightmare for her.

• 56:44Speaker 27

  She left this world knowing that the person that took her out was the son that she gave everything to. But the reality of it, for what the defendant's accomplished, which is exactly...

• 56:57Speaker 27

  Exactly what he wanted to do for so long. The writing was on the wall, ladies and gentlemen. The writing was on the wall. The defendant knew what he wanted to do, and it was just a matter of time. If nothing else, he's a man of his word. He said he would kill his mom, and he took her out. But you know what? Now he's in a court of law. Now he has to suffer whatever comes his way in the form of a verdict. And that verdict is guilty.

• 57:28Mike Boudet?

  The defense portrayed him as a kid unable to escape a toxic mother.

• 57:33Speaker 28

  Think about this. All the times that you've heard about Colin saying, "I don't feel safe if my mom attacks me. I'll defend myself. If she comes at me, if she pulls a gun on me, if she punches me, I'll defend myself." Remember, Colin told people that he would rather be in the Baker Act facility. He would rather be in jail. He would rather be in foster care than at home with his mother. And the state wants you to believe that Colin was just a brat who didn't like the discipline he got, so he murdered his mom. That's also absurd. Because, as the state has pointed out many times, Colin had what they think is a great life with mom, right?

• 58:16Speaker 28

  So he gets to go on trips, absolutely got to go on trips. He lives in a clean, nice, organized home with plenty of food. Yes, he has a phone, he has an Xbox, he has a computer, he gets to go to college. Don't you think Colin, as smart as he was to be able to graduate early, would know that if he actually were to be placed in the Baker Act facility, or remain in jail, or went into foster care instead of going home with his mom with whom he didn't feel safe, he would get none of those wonderful things? None of them. He would not have a phone, he would not have an Xbox, he would not go on trips all over the country or the world.

• 59:01Speaker 28

  And yet he still said, please rebake or act me. Please don't send me home from jail with my mom. Please, I'd rather go to foster care.

• 59:11Mike Boudet?

  They blamed the, I mean, they brought up Kathy's mental health struggles is what I meant to say as proof of her toxicity while also providing another what if scenario.

• 59:24Speaker 28

  Isn't it also reasonable that Kathy knew what the outcome was going to be when she picked up a knife and threatened Colin with it? You've heard of suicide by cop? Isn't it reasonable to think that Kathy committed suicide by son? She had never been able to successfully commit suicide before despite her many attempts?

• 59:53Mike Boudet?

  They also tried to say that if Colin were a rage-filled monster, wouldn't he have killed her, I don't know, harder?

• 1:00:01Speaker 28

  They've tried to get you to believe that Colin was rage-filled and hate-filled, and all of these malicious thoughts were geared towards his mom. If you believe that beyond a reasonable doubt, don't you think there'd be more than just one wound on Kathy? Don't you expect that there would be five, 10, 20 stab wounds? That's something you'd consider too.

• 1:00:32Mike Boudet?

  After the closing arguments, 12 of Colin's peers retired to the jury room. They would deliberate for 11 hours, pushing proceedings into the following day before returning a verdict. When Colin entered the courtroom, he smiled at his grandma Susan in the gallery before sitting between his defense attorneys. Then the jury entered the room.

• 1:00:54Speaker 29

  State of Florida versus Colin Griffin. With the jury, final as follow. As to the defendant in this case, the defendant, as to count one, the defendant is not guilty.

• 1:01:08Speaker 29

  As to count two, the defendant is not guilty. So say we all this fifth day of February 2025.

• 1:01:16Mike Boudet?

  Not guilty on both counts. Can you believe that? It's important to note that the jury was made aware of Colin's previous claim of murder by self-defense. They just weren't told it was his other parent. I wonder if that would have made a difference. Also, I'm not meaning to sound sexist here, but I also very much wonder about the gender breakdown of that jury. I'll have to look into that, but I'm assuming it was made up of mostly women. I guess look it up yourself if you want to play. Regardless, a jury of so-called peers acquitted him.

• 1:01:58Mike Boudet?

  Colin killed both of his parents and was deemed not responsible and not a threat. Nuts, right? His family, though, that I assume knows him best, has different opinions.

• 1:02:13Speaker 21

  Oh, no, I don't think this was a self-defense thing.

• 1:02:15Speaker 14

  Yeah.

• 1:02:15Speaker 21

  I think this was that he snapped and lost it thing. That's what I think.

• 1:02:20Speaker 14

  I think he clearly just didn't want to go home to mom, and this was the last straw. And you're right, I think he snapped and, um, unfortunately, he's gonna have to deal with the the consequences and unfortunately, you guys are gonna...

• 1:02:34Speaker 21

  Have to deal with the consequences too.

• 1:02:36Speaker 14

  Yeah.

• 1:02:37Speaker 18

  He needs to be at the end of a rope, but we don't, we don't use the rope in, uh, in Florida, so.

• 1:02:44Mike Boudet?

  Colin was released from jail later that evening. The sun had already set. Outside, news cameras waited for him. Eventually, Colin strolled out of the front doors. He was wearing black-rimmed glasses and a stoic expression. He wore a white dress shirt with no tie and khaki pants without a belt. His boat shoes muffled his hurried steps as he stared straight ahead. He walked with a practiced gait like a soldier. He purposely ignored the cameras following his every move, just a few feet away. He was free, but he left two dead parents behind.

• 1:03:27Mike Boudet?

  His family was convinced he was guilty, but the jury wasn't. As the seventeen-year-old walked into the dark parking lot outside the jail, onlookers couldn't help but wonder where he was going, or if anyone was gonna pick him up. I guess Colin finally got what he wanted: he was alone, completely alone. I'm sure Grandma Susan eventually picked him up. She was probably just avoiding the media. But still, that final image of Colin walking through the darkness dotted with streetlights against the backdrop of barbed-wire fences is an image that stays with me.

• 1:04:10Mike Boudet?

  It's almost poetic. A boy without parents acquitted of murder, stepping out of one cage into the shadows of everything he's done. The only question now is what he'll do next.

• 1:04:25Speaker 18

  Colin wanted to become a lawyer. Why? Because he wasn't gonna just stop with two bodies. It's just, who's next?

• 1:04:35Mike Boudet?

  At the time of this writing, it is unclear if the investigation in Oklahoma was reopened. It's also unclear where Collin Griffith is presently. Having turned eighteen about a month after his acquittal, he could be anywhere. He could be in your town, living next door, buying groceries at the same place you do. Hell, he might even be bringing you your groceries on DoorDash. Nuts, right? Did you order nuts? Did ya? I don't even know what to say about this one. So, I'm just gonna end it here. Good luck out there, Colin. Try not to kill... again.

• 1:05:32Mike Boudet?

  Well, we hope you've enjoyed that story. It's gonna do it for today. I sure didn't. Anyway, if you do like stories like this, head on over to swordandscale.com or check out our brand new YouTube channel, youtube.com/swordenscaletv. There you can check out our new television-based show, which is kinda like a podcast, but it's got moving pictures. I know it's a little complicated to understand, all this new-fangled technology, but just head on over there and subscribe and watch a few videos and you'll get it. Alright, until next time, yeah, I know they could be annoying, but please try to not kill your family, and we'll see you next week. Stay safe.

• 1:07:16Speaker 01

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• 1:07:44Speaker 30

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