Andy Griffith of "The Andy Griffith Show" is Dead

Andy Griffith of "The Andy Griffith Show" is Dead

Andy Griffith, the famous small-town sheriff in American TV show "The Andy Griffith Show" and the rumpled defense lawyer in "Matlock" is dead. He was 86.

According to a statement released by his family through Dare County Sheriff Doug Doughtie, Griffith, who suffered a heart attack and underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2000, died at around 7 a.m. in his North Carolina home.

"Mr. Griffith passed away this morning at his home peacefully, and has been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoke Island," the statement said.