Livewire Andy Griffith Dies At 86 by David Taintor 07.03.12 | 6:22 am 1 Actor and television icon Andy Griffith died on Tuesday, the News & Observer and others report. He was 86. Dare County Sheriff Doug Doughtie told WITN News that an ambulance arrived at Griffith’s home at 7 a.m. this morning. Send Tips David Taintor is a New York-based senior editor who oversees breaking news coverage. He previously worked at NBC News.