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In September 2008, Norman Pooh Griffith, an 18-year-old star Pahokee footballer, was fatally shot at a homecoming dance in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Pooh, who was attending the dance in Belle Glade with his best friend Dejay, was found with a gunshot wound to his head inside his car while the friend was unconscious on the ground next to the car. Griffith was airlifted to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Carl Lee Booth Jr., 17, was arrested in October and later assisted authorities in nabbing Willie Felton, 16, whose firing reportedly took Griffith's life. Felton, however, was cleared of all charges after authorities failed to produce sufficient evidence against him, while Booth was indicted on first-degree murder charges, receiving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
ID's Murder Under the Friday Night Lights is scheduled to chronicle one of the most notorious gang violence cases in modern times that led to the murder of rising star footballer Norman Pooh Griffith.
The episode, titled The Muck Bowl Murder, airs on Wednesday, December 14, at 10:00 pm ET.
Norman Pooh Griffith and his best friend Dejay were leaving the dance when the former was shot in an open fire
On September 26, 2008, Pahokee High School was celebrating homecoming. Norman Pooh Griffith, the star player of the Pahokee High School football team, gave a spectacular performance as they beat Jupiter High in the school’s homecoming game. Griffith and his best friend Dejay were to attend the homecoming dance in Belle Glade right after the game.
The two arrived in Pooh's mother's car, and as they left the celebration 45 minutes after midnight, they were involved in a shooting. Pooh was found unconscious and shot in the head in the driver's seat by first responders at the crime scene. Meanwhile, Dejay was unconscious and laying on the ground close to the car. Pooh was airlifted to a hospital but succumbed to his wounds.
While searching the area, investigators discovered 11 shell casings from two semi-automatic rifles, a .380 and a .40 caliber. According to the autopsy report, Pooh was killed by one of the .380 slugs. Upon questioning Dejay, the police discovered that the two arrived late to the party and were asked to wait outside since the dance was almost over.
They then saw some unruly Belle Glade teenagers approaching the scene and decided to leave to avoid confrontation. Pooh attempted to drive away in the car when some teens opened fire at them as the star footballer struggled to leave the parking lot with one bullet hitting him in the head. Dejay was knocked out by the crash as the vehicle swerved and slammed into a telephone pole across the street.
Pahokee and Belle Glade, two neighboring towns in southern Florida, had a ferocious football rivalry that frequently resulted in violent and occasionally fatal encounters. People were scared to speak out against the local gangs. Authorities made the assumption that at least two individuals were involved in the shooting based on the two distinct weapons used.
Who were the two teenagers arrested in Norman Pooh Griffith's shooting case?
On October 2, 2008, the police detained Carl Lee Booth Jr., who was 17 at the time, based on the testimony of a prisoner implicated in a separate shooting. Carl acknowledged being there when the shooting took place, and the next day he helped the police apprehend Willie Felton, the shooter who fired the shots that killed Norman Pooh Griffith.
In December 2010, Carl was found guilty of first-degree murder and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He continues to serve his time at the Liberty Correctional Institution in Bristol, Florida. Authorities withdrew all charges against Willie after failing to produce enough evidence. However, he is now serving time at the Holmes Correctional Institution on aggravated battery charges.
Murder Under the Friday Night Lights airs on ID with Norman Pooh Griffith's shooting case on December 14 at 10:00 pm ET.
