Violence Med for Depression 04/10/2004 Minnesota Son Shoots at Parents
 
 Summary:<br><br><!--StartFragment -->Paragraph 7 reads: &quot;&quot;They said <strong>he had been depressed within the past </strong>couple of weeks,&quot; Erspamer said.&quot;<br /><br />Paragraph 8 reads: &quot;<strong>Alcohol was not a factor in the incident a</strong>nd the home was &quot;exceptionally neat&quot; when police arrived, Erspamer said. <strong>Among the items found was prescribed medication for Jody Griffith&quot;.<br /><br /></strong>Paragraph 10 read: &quot;Waller said <strong>the suspect has no prior criminal history in this jurisdiction and police had never before been called to the Griffith home.&nbsp;&nbsp; A sergeant with the Fairbanks Police Department said Friday that there is no record of his agency having any contact with Griffith.&quot;<br /><br /><br /></strong><a href="http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/9814047.htm">http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/9814047.htm<br /><br /><br /></a><h1><strong>Son held in parents&#39; shooting</strong></h1><font size="2"><strong>BY MARK STODGHILL<br /></strong></font>NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER<br /><br />A 30-year-old Duluth man was arrested early Friday after his mother called 911 to report that he had shot her and his father as they lay in bed in their Zenith Terrace mobile home.<br /><br />Jody Lee Griffith was booked in the St. Louis County Jail on two counts of attempted second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree assault.<br /><br />His mother, Paula Elaine Griffith, 56, was shot in the arm. She was treated and released from St. Luke&#39;s hospital. His father, Jerry Wayne Griffith, 56, was shot in the arm and hand. His condition was not available Friday, but Duluth Police Chief Roger Waller said the injuries were not life-threatening.<br /><br />During a news conference Friday afternoon, Waller said police did not know of a motive. He said investigators attempted to question Jody Griffith but he was not cooperative. He said Jody Griffith had spent time in Alaska and had been living with his parents since April.<br /><br />Police were looking for a handgun that was missing from the home and that they believe was used in the shooting.<br /><br />Detective Sgt. Bob Erspamer, head of the Duluth police Violent Crimes Unit, said Griffith&#39;s parents are &quot;confused&quot; by the shooting.<br /><br />&quot;They said he had been depressed within the past couple of weeks,&quot; Erspamer said. There had been a confrontation between the son and his parents about a week ago that Erspamer said police were trying to get more information about. But there was no forewarning of the shooting, he said.<br /><br />Alcohol was not a factor in the incident and the home was &quot;exceptionally neat&quot; when police arrived, Erspamer said. Search warrants for the Griffith home and their truck were executed by police. Among the items found was prescribed medication for Jody Griffith.<br /><br />The shooting was reported at 4:02 a.m. at 56 Arbutus Drive in the Zenith Terrace mobile home park. Paula and Jerry Griffith told police that their pickup truck was missing. The Minnesota State Patrol stopped the truck at Boundary Avenue and Anchor Street at 4:33 a.m. and took Jody Griffith into custody.<br /><br />Waller said the suspect has no prior criminal history in this jurisdiction and police had never before been called to the Griffith home.<br /><br />St. Louis County prosecutor Vern Swanum said Friday afternoon that he hadn&#39;t yet been delivered the police reports, but he anticipated Griffith being charged Monday.<br /><br />Erspamer said Griffith was unemployed and had lived in the Fairbanks, Alaska, area. A sergeant with the Fairbanks Police Department said Friday that there is no record of his agency having any contact with Griffith.<br /><br /><em>MARK STODGHILL reports on legal affairs and public safety. He can be reached weekdays at (218) 723-5333 or by e-mail at <a href="mailto:mstodghill@duluthnews.com">mstodghill@duluthnews.com</a>.</em>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp; 
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