Television Icon Andy Griffith Dies at 86

Andy Griffith, the television icon Americans adored for his role as the town sheriff in the 1960s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and later as a stern defense attorney in the drama Matlock, died Tuesday (July 3, 2012). He was 86. CBN.com reports that Griffith passed away at his home in Dare County, N.C., around 7 a.m., according to close friend and former University of North Carolina president Bill Friday. Local officials also confirmed an ambulance was called to the house around that time. A family statement said the actor died with his wife Cindi at his side and he's already "been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoke Island." His wife said in a statement, "Andy was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord." Read more on CBN.com.