Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - "Im Not a Psycho" FLA Teen Accused of Killing Parents | Crime Alert Recap Saturday 01.05.25

Episode Date: January 18, 2025

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's three of our top stories this week:  Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's three of our top stories this week:  "Im Not a Psycho, "a  Florida Teen tells police as he's accused of killing his parents. Wendy Williams claims she is being held against her will. An 11-year-old girl in Syracuse, New York,  mistakenly handcuffed by deputies,  searching for a car theft suspect.. Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. I'm Jennifer Gould. Newly released body cam footage reveals the chilling claims of a 17-year-old now at the center of two high-profile murder cases. This video from Polk County Sheriff's deputies in Florida takes place in the aftermath of Colin Griffith's mother's death. It shows Colin Griffith cuffed when he makes a jarring statement.

Take a listen to the body cam obtained by Fox 4 News. I'm not a psychopath. I'm not this murderer. I'm just trying to peacefully leave or peacefully coexist and just figure something out. This eerie and calm assertion coming on the heels of the teen's previous claim of self-defense in the shooting death of his own father. It was back on September 8th of 2024. Colin and his mom, Catherine Griffith, were both at his grandmother's Hamptons home when a domestic incident broke out.

Neighbors reported hearing a heated argument between mother and son outside the residence, where Griffith allegedly dragged his mother by her hair back into the house. Witnesses heard Catherine's desperate pleas of, quote, let me go and, quote, echoing throughout the street, painting a picture of a terrifying struggle. Two hours later, Colin called 911, claiming that during an argument, his mom had lunged at him with a knife and, quote, fell onto it, end quote.

Authorities arrived to find Catherine, 39, lifeless, her body bearing the gruesome marks of two deep stab wounds to the neck. The medical examiner's report contradicted Cody's accident narrative, instead finding the stab wounds to be deliberate and consistent with a violent attack. This tragedy follows the February 2023 shooting death of Colin's father, Charles Griffith, in Lincoln County, Oklahoma.

Then only 15 Colin claimed self-defense, stating his father had pulled a knife on him and chased him through the house before he was forced to shoot. While initial charges of first-degree murder were filed, the case was later dropped due to insufficient evidence to disprove the self-defense claim. Following his father's death, Colin moved to Florida to live with his mother, a move that ultimately led to this latest tragedy. The Polk County Sheriff's Office has charged Colin with first degree murder, kidnapping and violation of a no contact order. Sheriff Grady Judd has described him as a, quote, violent predator, end quote, and a, quote, psychopath, end quote, highlighting his lack of remorse in both incidents. Colin is now facing trial as an adult. In the meantime, Oklahoma authorities are now re-evaluating the circumstances surrounding the death of Charles Griffith in the light of these recent developments.

I'm Nicole Parton. Wendy Williams was visibly emotional on Thursday as she made a heartfelt plea to escape her conservatorship and reclaim her freedom from a wellness facility in New York City where she has been mandated to stay. In a rare appearance on The Breakfast Club, the 60-year-old former talk show host opened up about her current predicament, saying, quote, I'm not mentally impaired. First of all, to start with, my niece Alex knows a lot as well, you know, but I am not cognitively impaired, you know what I'm saying? No, but I feel like I am in prison.

You understand what I'm saying? I'm in New York City, right? And Alex, you know exactly what you're talking about. You flew from Miami to New York, and you were right here with me. Go ahead. She's there in New York in this place, essentially like what some would call a luxury prison. This is her room. That's literally her apartment. But the thing about this apartment, and you know this, not Wendy, because you're there,

it's small. She has a bed, a chair, a TV, a bathroom, and she's looking out one window. And excuse me, through my money, you know, I had this person buy the TV, you know, the kind of TV I like, through this person because all of my stuff is in storage. You understand what I'm saying? Wendy went on to say, I'm surrounded by people in their 90s, 80s, and 70s. There's clearly something off with many of them, but I'm not one of those people. She further criticized the system that has placed her in this situation, saying, this system is deeply flawed and has misrepresented me a lot. I haven't had access to my own finances for three years now. Williams described her daily life in the facility,

which consists of spending her time alone in her room, eating meals in bed and watching television. She said, quote, I can't make calls because I can't receive them, she explained. I don't even know what kind of phone I have. I can't browse the internet or use a laptop or an iPad. Her niece, Alex Finney, who joined her during the interview, likened the place to a luxury prison, noting it has minimal furnishings, a bed, a chair, a TV, and a bathroom, with a view of the buildings across the street. Williams asserted that she doesn't have the freedom to come or go as the elevators are secured, and visitors face strict

limitations, including Laura LaRosen from The Breakfast Club being denied entry despite Williams' request. Additionally, she revealed she is regularly administrated medication, some of which she claims doesn't belong to her. Everyone acts like they're a caretaker coming in and handing me pills and then leaving, Williams said. I've taken just two pills throughout my life and now there are seven and I don't even know what they're for. I have consulted my doctor a long time to clarify the purpose. When she expressed a desire to see her doctor concerning her thyroid condition, she has Graves' disease, which affects her thyroid

function, she was reportedly told that her condition is perfect. Quote, this is my life, people, she asserted with intensity. During the most poignant moments of the interview, Williams broke down, fearing she wouldn't be able to celebrate her father's upcoming 94th birthday in Miami, saying, I don't know if I'll get there. I don't know if they'll let me out of the facility. I'm so stressed over the possibility of missing my father's 94th birthday. My life feels completely messed up, she cried, voicing concerns about potential repercussions for her interview. What if now they take my phone away? I won't be able to communicate with anyone. When asked how fans could assist her, Finney encouraged supporters to create as much awareness as possible by using the hashtag free Wendy on

social media and by signing various petitions on change.org and a GoFundMe campaign. We need to do whatever it takes to ensure my aunt can live with her life in dignity as she deserves. Finney also noted this is still a legal matter. There are certain things my aunt and our family cannot discuss. However, I can say that my aunt sounds great. I've seen her in limited capacity, and she's clearly not incapacitated. That's why we fear her situation in this luxury prison. She is being held against her will and is facing consequences for reasons that others have fabricated. I'm Drew Nelson. An 11-year-old girl in Syracuse, New York is mistakenly handcuffed by deputies searching for a car theft suspect.

The incident sparking outrage after a video of the encounter circulates online. The girl was walking home from school on Monday with her cousin when Onondaga County Sheriff's deputies stopped her. According to authorities, she matched the description of a young person involved in stealing a Kia and fleeing a traffic stop. The deputies noted that her pink jacket and camouflage pants resembled those worn by the suspect. As seen in the video recorded by her cousin, the children repeatedly told deputies that they had the wrong person. One deputy showed the handcuffed girl a photo of the suspect saying, quote, girl, you going to tell me this ain't you? Despite the children pointing out the differences in appearance, the deputies insisted it was her.

The girl began crying when additional deputies arrived. Eventually, one deputy determined she was not the suspect after comparing the photo more closely. The girl was released after seven minutes in handcuffs. One deputy apologized, stating, quote, I'm sorry about it, but you match the description pretty clearly. The girl's mother, who didn't want to give her name, expressing her distress to WSAZ, quote, she no longer wants to walk to and from school anymore. That was the only freedom she had, and it's now gone. I can't make sense of it. I couldn't even finish watching the video.

Even if it wasn't my child, I wouldn't be able to finish watching the video because that's not how you handle children. Onondaga County Sheriff's Office defends its actions, saying the detention was, quote, lawful and reasonable and that handcuffing detainees is standard procedure to prevent escalation. They acknowledge the girls' cooperation helped resolve the situation quickly. Following the incident, Sheriff Toby Shelley met with the girl's mother and agreed to a new policy. Deputies must now notify a parent or guardian when a juvenile is detained,

regardless of the duration. A spokesperson says the policy would be formalized soon. The suspect in the car theft remains at large. And for the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this Crime Alert, I'm Drew Nelson. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.