Four adults in Fort White, Florida, have been arrested for allegedly abusing nine children inside their home, where some were locked in makeshift cages, sprayed with vinegar as punishment, and denied proper schooling. Brian Matthew Griffeth, 47, Jill Elizabeth Griffeth, 41, Dallin Russel Griffeth, 21, and Liberty Ann Griffeth, 19, were taken into custody on July 22, following a July 3 wellness check that revealed disturbing living conditions inside the family’s mobile home located in the deep woods of Columbia County, about 35 miles northwest of Gainesville.Five of the children are biological, while four were adopted privately in Arizona. They range in age from 7 to 16, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office as reported by The New York Post.During the wellness check, officials became concerned after noticing the four adopted children were doing chores, while the biological children were watching TV or playing. Investigators later uncovered disturbing forms of punishment and control used on the children.
Beaten, drugged, assaulted
The Griffeths allegedly caged children underneath a bunk bed by screwing in a piece of plywood to trap them. One 14-year-old boy told investigators he was “routinely” locked in the bunk bed cage for most of the day and night and was only let out for meals or when “he wants to play.” He said he had to hold his bladder at night until being released in the morning, as quoted by The New York Post.The teen said he was in the fourth grade, didn’t know his birthday, and had never been properly educated. A 14-year-old girl also said she was “illiterate” and hadn’t been to school in years.Investigators revealed additional abusive practices, including Jill Griffeth forcing children to lie on the floor and pressing a sheet of plywood on top of them, causing pain and splinters. Brian Griffeth allegedly beat the adopted and foster children with a cane but avoided leaving marks. The children were also given non-prescribed medication and were instructed to lie about the home’s conditions.Court documents, obtained by Law & Crime, include allegations of sexual assault involving at least one of the Griffeth adults, as reported by The NY Post.The family had moved from Arizona to Florida earlier in 2024. A 10th child who had previously lived with the Griffeths as a foster child was found safe with her biological parents in Arizona. Authorities said the girl had moved to Florida with the family, but later contacted her mother, begging to be taken back.All four suspects were booked into the Columbia county detention facility. Brian, Dallin, and Liberty Griffeth were each held on $500,000 bonds. Jill Griffeth’s bond was listed at $1,500,000.The Florida department of children and families removed all nine children from the home. Investigators with the Child Protection Team interviewed each child before the arrests were made.
