4 Kids Held In Cages, Sprayed With Vinegar At FL Home: Cops

FORT WHITE, FL — Four family members were arrested after four adopted children as young as age 7 were caged under a bunk bed, beaten with a cane and sprayed in their faces with vinegar, Columbia County authorities recently said.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office on Friday said they arrested four adults of the Griffeth family on July 22 in a Southwest Boundary Way home in Fort White in connection with the suspected abuse of the adopted children, ranging in ages from 7-16.

Five of the 10 children in the home were biological, and a foster child was located in Arizona with a biological family member at the time, authorities said.

The investigation into the Griffeths began when one of the children was caught with a functioning electronic stun gun at a church camp about two months ago in Branford, authorities said. Concerns from a mandatory reporter sparked the investigation, authorities said.

"Additional concerns were raised about the adopted children being treated unfairly compared to the Griffeth biological children, in addition to the children not knowing their full name or their own birthdays," authorities said in a news release.

Sometime after, the Florida Department of Children and Families went to the children's home to interview the family about the allegations.

Authorities said, at the time, the adopted children were doing chores while the biological children were playing or watching television. The foster child was not home at the time and was found safe in Arizona, authorities said.

DCF interviewed the children, and authorities said details of multiple forms of child abuse were revealed.

Brian Matthew Griffeth, one of the arrestees, was accused of beating the adopted children with a cane and locking them in their bedrooms with himself and other adults.

This resulted in all children being removed from the home by a court order, which authorities and DCF carried out on July 3, authorities said.

Investigators interviewed all nine children over the next few days during which the children claimed the following allegations, authorities said:

• Being caged under the bunk bed by screwing in plywood to prevent his escape
• Being forced to lie on the floor by the mother, Jill (Elizabeth Griffeth), and having her place a sheet of plywood on top of the child's body and press down on them resulting in splinters and pain
• Being sprayed in the face with vinegar as a form of punishment
• Being given non-prescribed medication
• Being instructed to lie about what happens at home
• Not being taken to or provided with adequate schooling to read or write

Brian and Jill Griffeth, ages 47 and 41 respectively, were arrested, along with 21-year-old Dallin Russel Griffeth and 19-year-old Liberty Ann Griffeth, on charges of aggravated child abuse in connection with the case, authorities said. They were taken to the Columbia County Detention Facility, where they were being held on $500,000 bond, authorities said.

The adoption process for the children was privately held in Arizona prior to the Griffeths moving to Fort White, authorities said. The legal adoptive status of one of the children was uncertain due to no record being found in Arizona, authorities said.

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