When Martin County Sheriffs Office deputies arrived, they used a Taser on Harrouff, kicked him in the head and used a law-enforcement dog to remove him from Stevens body. In the weeks, months and now years that have followed, the case garnered international attention, a couple of first-degree murder charges and a diagnosis of clinical lycanthropy delusions, also known as werewolf syndrome. Those closest to the couple, including John's children and. After killing the husband and wife, he stabbed a neighbor, 47-year-old Jeff Fisher, who had come over to help after hearing screams, investigators said. Its an awful case, he said, adding that no one is losing sight of the death and injuries in the case. [8] In backhanded fashion, he expressed willingness to forgive Harrouff if the 25-year-old did to himself what he did to Michelle. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens are the Jupiter, Florida couple killed in a face-eating attack allegedly by fraternity member Austin Harrouff. Michelle Mischon's family files a wrongful-death lawsuit against Austin Harrouff. "I'm so sorry and I never wanted this to happen," Austin Harrouff said in the interview. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and her husband John Stevens. I didnt know you could brutally murder two people, attempt to murder another and not even have a trial. 4:36 PM EST, Tue November 29, 2022. which led to more court hearings fighting over the release of all footage, The State Attorney's Office in Martin County releases Austin Harrouff's jail calls. It was almost like happy hour in somebodys garage and they cooked all these lobster tails for everybody. Toxicology results are still pending, though officials have said there has been no confirmation of Flakka in his system as of yet. In a newly released clip from the upcoming interview, Dr. Wade Harrouff says he was with his son, Austin Harrouff, at dinner on Aug. 15 just before Austin allegedly attacked John Stevens III. ProsecutorBrandon Whitevoiced sympathy for the families. Feb. 6, 2019: Martin County Circuit Judge Sherwood Bauer schedules a Nov. 4 trial date for Austin Harrouff. We dont create the facts and we dont create the law, he said. Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Investigators believe he drank something from inside the garage where the fatal attacks occurred, damaging his organs. Phil is aired on TV, showing more in the interview than what was previously provided in public-records request, which led to more court hearings fighting over the release of all footage recorded by McGraw and his production company. There were lacerations, stab wounds and blunt trauma,, Michelle Mishcon Stevens & John Stevens III: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. That's because he's accused of entering private property to initiate the attack. The two were killed outside their home in Tequesta by 19-year-old Austin Harrouff, according to investigators. John Stevens IV told The Post he doesn't believe Austin Harrouff's crocodile tears in the Dr. Not only for myself but for my family. (left) Ivy Stevens, (center) John Stevens III, (right) Michelle Mishcon Stevens (courtesy of Ivy Stevens).png TEQUESTA, Fla. (CBS12) On Monday evening, Ivy Stevens got a knock on her door. She called Harrouff a disgusting person. The "false narrative advanced by the State that the homicides were the result of" her client "ingesting Flakka, or bath salts, was debunked repeatedly," King said in a statement to CNN. "Two experts, one for the defense and one for the State, determined Austin was experiencing a psychotic break at the time of the homicides and lacked the intent necessary to be criminally responsible for his conduct," said King. Harrouff was found not guilty by reason of insanity for killing John Stevens III, 59 and Michelle Mishcon, 53, during a brutal attack Aug. 15, 2016 at their home on Southeast Kokomo Lane. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Shania Twain Discusses Whether Her Ex-Husband and Her Former Friend Are Still Together, Venezuela Businessman Faced Mounting Personal, Financial Issues Before Coconut Grove Murder-Suicide. Thats what they were doing when 19-year-old Austin Harrouff allegedly approached them on Monday and fatally stabbed then before trying to eat Stevens face what the local sheriff called a random and unprovoked attack on two people hed never met before. The reason I think someone is waiting inside my house to stab me to death when I get home every day. The text messages with his friends outlined the life of a student who was smoking marijuana, taking other drugs and abusing alcohol during the year before killing the couple. A random, vicious attack killed Martin County couple John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon. A random, vicious attack killed Martin County couple John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon. Was Austin insane? Michelles brother Mason Mishcon said. Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida Create Discover. You have not only destroyed the memory of them for me, but you have caused me to live in a constant state of fear. Michelle Mishcon Stevens. On Monday night about 9:20 p.m., John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, died after an attack. He said he was not happy with the result either, but he noted that two experts one from the state, and the other for the defense determined Harrouff was insane. Emailus. In many of the 80 calls made one week in January and obtained by WPBF 25 News, Harrouff talked about his upcoming trial for the deaths of John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon. Four words come to mind: white, rich boy justice, Mishcon said, according to WPLG. Deputies encountered Harrouff biting off the face of Stevens in the driveway of the couples home around 9:20 p.m., said CBS 12. You didn't answer 'yes,'" Mishcon said. One speaker, who identified herself as Hailey, told Harrouff that his parents enabled him. Harrouff purchased hallucinogenic mushrooms a few days before the attack, investigators have said, but they found no traces of the drug in his blood that night, according to CNN affiliate WPLG. John Stevens, 59, and his wife Michelle. In a relatively short but visceral statement, she acknowledged that like the defendant, she previously abused drugs and alcohol, But Hailey said that during this low point, the only person she wanted to harm was herself. His parents had set up an appointment for him to be evaluated, but the attack occurred first. June 17, 2019: Bauer denies Austin Harrouff's defense attorneys' motion to find Florida's insanity defense law unconstitutional. They said he tried to test his powers and said things like, "I've become like almost immortal.". CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. I didnt know that.. According to Local 10 News, former North Miami Beach Mayor Jeff Mishcon says Michelle Stevens was his daughter. (Facebook/Austin Harrouff). Police said Harrouff, 19, had no known connections to the victims and the attack was random and unprovoked, said CBS 12. He was super excitedso thats made it that much more hard for us.. Michelle Mishcon Stevens is the wife of Joseph John Stevens III. Have a tip or story idea? and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, two days after suffering an unexpected heart attack. Col. John Stevens, III (June 26, 1749 - March 6, 1838) was an American lawyer, engineer, and inventor who constructed the first U.S. steam locomotive, first steam-powered ferry, and first U.S . "You can't even look at me?" It was a place they loved that John says they called it their "Garage Mahal.. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "They met there and. Harrouff's parents, Wade and Mina Harrouff, issued a statement Friday expressing their condolences to the Stevens family and their apologies to Fisher "for the pain and suffering caused by Austin. The assault was baseless and random because he had no idea about the couple. The victims families did not buy that Harrouff was insane when he beat and stabbed their loved ones to death on Aug. 15, 2016. When asked what it was, he replied, Humans.. But he's not sad about what he did, he's sad that he's about to go to jail," John Stevens IV said of Harrouff. Miami's independent source of Austin was a 19-year-old college student at FSU with good grades, a gentle demeanor, a penchant for working out, and no prior criminal record. John Stevens was a retired owner of landscaping business Greensmart Lawn and Garden, which state record show was established in 2013 and was operated out of his home, said The Tallahassee Democrat. Aug. 15, 2018: Two years after her father and stepmother's deaths, Ivy Stevens spoke with The Post about learning to cope with the loss. [He] apparently attacked both of them with a knife that he was known to carry, Snyder said. Friends and family of the two people killed by a 19-year-old college student accused of eating the face of one victim Monday night said their final goodbyes Friday. His daughters baptism is about two weeks away. On Monday, victim impact statements were read in the courtroom, a court manager told CNN. "My hope is that one day, when I think of them, I can veer my focus off the brutality of their murders and have happy memories instead," she said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post, the first she has given since their deaths. The Miami Herald said deputies found the 19-year-old suspect crouched over the bleeding body of the man, biting chunks of his face off.. Martin County Sheriffs officials say Harrouff will be charged with multiple counts, including first degree murder for the deaths of both Mishcon and Stevens, once he is released. (Facebook/Michelle Mishcon Stevens). A judge accepted a plea deal Monday for a man who randomly killed a Florida couple in their garage six years ago and then chewed on one victim's face that will send him to a mental hospital for treatment. Not the defense, the county, the state. "We have two people -- middle-age people -- sitting on their couch enjoying the night and out of nowhere for reasons we may never know, they are attacked by a man with a knife who overcomes them both and kills them," Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said after the killings in 2016. The families of John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon voiced disgust and anger on Monday, as a judge accepted the insanity plea from defendant Austin Harrouff, 25. Aug. 23, 2016: Austin Harrouff's father, Wade, tells The Palm Beach Post his son remains in the hospital and his organs are failing. Bleeding from his injuries, he ran back to his home and called 911. "But here we are, opening the prison doors for a double murderer. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Joseph Stevens III are the married couple murdered in a horrific face-eating attack by a Florida college fraternity student, police say. 2. Two mental health experts, one hired by the defense and another by prosecutors, examined Harrouff and found he suffered an acute psychotic episode during the attack, and couldn't distinguish between right and wrong. . Austin murdered Joseph John Stevens III and his better half, Michelle Mishcon Stevens, on August 15, 2016, before eating Joseph's face. Michelle Mishcon Stevens & J. Stevens loved life like no other couple I know! Not only did defense experts refute this theory, but the State sent evidence specimens to two different drug testing facilities on three different occasions only to have negative results tendered each time, according to King. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens. I love you tons and tons.. When asked what it was, he replied, Humans., leaves dinner with his father, Wade Harrouff, his sister and his father's girlfriend at a Duffy's Sports Grill in Jupiter and goes to his mother's home, Friends and family later tell The Post that John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon, deputies say the former Florida State University student even told deputies to just kill me.. Michelle Mishcon and John Stevens III were murdered at their Florida home on Monday. Harrouff was grunting and growling at the scene and making animal-like noises, police said, according to The New York Daily News. You knew exactly what you were doing, Bruce said. Very proud of him! Many of his photos revolved around deep-sea fishing. You are the reason I think life is disposable and can be taken away in an instant. / AP. All rights reserved. Austin Harrouff, the 25-year-old accused of stabbing a Florida couple to death and biting the face of the male victim in 2016, will be sent to a mental hospital instead of prison. MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. (CNN) -- Austin Harrouff, the 25-year-old accused of stabbing a Florida couple to death and biting the face of the male victim in 2016, will be sent to a mental hospital instead of prison, according to court documents. Mason Mishcon made a similar demand. Snyder said that Harrouff allegedly used many objects in the garage as weapons and wrestled with Stevens until both men were in the driveway. Its not known how he allegedly ended up in the Stevens garage where they liked to sit at night about 45 minutes later. Stevens, John (1749-1838) Inventor. You are the reason I check all my doors at night. She said she realized "you don't care about anyone but yourself" and that "the only victim you and your family see is you, and the Harrouff name.". Investigators said his Google searches consisted of questions about needing sleep, white magic, "How to know if you're going crazy" and several other topics. Michelle, you were loved and respected by so many, wrote a friend on Facebook. I love you to the deep blue and beyond. On Monday, victim impact statements were read in the courtroom, a court manager told CNN. Loved ones argued that Harrouff knew what he was doing when he killed the couple and injured neighbor Jeffrey Fisher. Florida Judge Sherwood Bauer, of the 19th Judicial Circuit, found Harrouff not guilty by reason of insanity and ordered him to be sent to a mental hospital after the prosecution and the defense reached an agreement to avoid trial, according to court documents. His dad will never get the chance to meet and to hold his new granddaughter. During the same hearing, Bauer canceled a September status check without setting a new date, calling into question whether the Nov. 4 trial date will remain in place. The company went dormant Sept. 28, 2012. Hours later, authorities responded to the Stevens home and found the teen stabbing the couple to death and then biting John Stevens face, CNN has reported. The families of John Stevens IIIandMichelle Mishconvoiced disgust and anger on Monday, as a judge accepted the insanity plea from defendantAustin Harrouff, 25. tells The Palm Beach Post his son remains in the hospital and his organs are failing. Their garage was set up with a TV and a bar and a stereo and couches, and they welcomed everybody in the community and it was a place where people could connect and relax after a day of work.. Though he was conscious when he arrived at the hospital, the sheriff's office said Harrouff was in critical condition and put under sedation. June 2017: The State Attorney's Office in Martin County releases Austin Harrouff's jail calls. The TV station said that Michelle, 53, was a 1981 graduate of North Miami Beach Senior High School, and her husband graduated from Miami Killian Senior High School. Did you throw the drugs out?' Catch up on old episodes of Episode 149 - Stranger In The Night - The Case Of John Stevens & Michelle Mishcon. The retired couple were enjoying what seemed to be another perfect Florida night togther, sitting in their "garage ma hall". 3:34PM. Austin Harrouff, 25, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to two counts of first-degree murder and other charges for the 2016 slayings of John Stevens, 59, and his wife, Michelle Mishcon . [emailprotected]. crime. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Ivy Stevens spoke with The Post about learning to cope with the loss. "We want justice for Michelle and John," Jodi Bruce, Michelle Mishcon's sister, read from a written statement outside the Martin County Courthouse. A neighbor heard screams and ran out to help, but was stabbed as well. A pioneer of steam-powered transportation and of patent laws, John Stevens devised efficient innovations for steam engines and helped popularize their use in ships and locomotives. Stevens died from multiple stab wounds and blunt trauma, and he had serious stab wounds to his head, neck and chest, Snyder said an autopsy shows. Harrouff, then 19-years-old, was having dinner with his family when he stormed off in an agitated state, officials said at the time. He will be back home in a matter of months, not years, most likely.. Chris Harris. John Stevens, (born 1749, New York Citydied March 6, 1838, Hoboken, N.J., U.S.), American lawyer, inventor, and promoter of the development of steam power for transportation. The false narrative advanced by the State that the homicides were the result of her client ingesting Flakka, or bath salts, was debunked repeatedly, King said in a statement to CNN. Four words come to mind: white, rich boy justice," Mishcon said, according to WPLG. He could have been using the drugs bath salts or flakka (alpha-PVP), according to the police. (Facebook/John Stevens). Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Where was the advocate then?. Friends and family later tell The Post that John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon spent most of the time in their garage, entertaining guests and relaxing. White maintained that prosecutors did everything possible to prove the case, but the facts were not there. Harrouff purchased hallucinogenic mushrooms a few days before the attack, investigators have said, but they found no traces of the drug in his blood that night, according to CNN affiliate WPLG. He wrote in 2011, This is my son John IV, a marine who will be exiting the Marines in March after having served in Iraq. The 22-year-old Harrouff is charged with murdering 59-year-old John Stevens III and 53-year-old Michelle Mishcon in 2016 and attacking their neighbor, Jeff Fisher, who tried to intervene in the . All rights reserved, Humane Society of Broward County Kicks Off VCA Walk for the Animals in Fort Lauderdale, BSO Searching forMissing 11-Year-Old Girl From Pompano Beach, Miami-Dade Mayor, State Attorney Announce New Measures to Protect HOA Residents, Check Your Change! As the Jupiter teen was taken that night to St. Marys Medical Center in West Palm Beach, he said he ate something bad. "Sure, he looked sad and disheveled. Ivy Stevens, who is Johns daughter and Michelles stepdaughter, described in detail the absence and trauma Harrouff created. He has claimed he was fleeing a demon when the attack happened. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Harrouff can only be released on a court order, he said. He sentenced Harrouff to treatment in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services because it was determined that the defendant was danger to himself and others. Okay, he said. He was rushed to the hospital and was released Thursday. Student accused of killing couple in Martin County claimed he had super powers, Student accused of killing couple in Martin County improving in Palm Beach County hospital. Thats all you have to do.. Normal people dont make the decision to go take drugs and then kill people regardless of what was in the drugs, Stevens said. Harrouff, who did not know the couple, stabbed the them to death while they were watching TV in their open garage. As Austin Harrouff stabilizes in a Palm Beach County hospital, the public may soon get answers as to why the 19-year-old allegedly murdered two strangers, stabbed another, and proceeded to eat the dead man's face as police repeatedly tasered him. Harrouff also will be charged with attempted first-degree murder in the stabbing of Fisher, according to a statement from Trisha Kukuvka, a spokeswoman for Martin County Sheriff William Snyder. A 38-page report by forensic psychologist Dr. Phillip Resnick says Austin Harrouff believed he was "half-dog, half-man". This case was always about mental illness, she said. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Aug. 2, 2019: Bauer agrees to let prosecutors audio-record a psychological examination with Austin Harrouff. Palm Beach Gardens homicide puts 'gang . "clear and convincing" standard wrongly shifts the burden of proof from the state to the defendant. Download on the App Store GET IT ON Google Play. Stevens said he wants the prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case, but he fears they will not. Snyder has said Harrouff left in apparent anger after an argument with his father at their table. RIP never forget xoxo.. A psychologist hired by prosecutors determined that "face biter" defendant Austin Harrouff, 23, appeared legally insane under Florida law during the horrific 2016 killings of John Stevens III, 59, and Michelle Mishcon, 53. Harrouff, 25, fatally stabbed John Stevens III, 59, and Michelle Mishcon, 53, in a vicious and random attack that included injuring their neighbor Jeffrey Fisher, who tried to help the. Feb. 28, 2017: The 19th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office released 22 minutes of unedited video of Austin Harrouff's interview with Dr. Phil McGraw after weeks of court hearings battling over its release. He said that he believes there's more to this violent behavior than drugs. "Do you know what you said to him? First published on November 30, 2022 / 7:27 PM. In a statement sent to Law&Crime, Harrouff attorney Nellie L. Kingmaintained Harrouffs actions that day were completely out of character and stemmed from mental illness. First published on November 28, 2022 / 5:29 PM. Defendants are presumed sane under Florida law, meaning that Harrouff must show he had a severe mental breakdown that prevented him from understanding actions or that they were even wrong by "clear and convincing" evidence. I feel so terrible for them, that they will never get to experience the love that my father and Michelle couldve given them, the memories that couldve been made with them, and the lessons they couldve learned from them.. Who'd Once Dated Victim's Wife, N.Y. Mishcon read numerous bizarre conversations Harrouff had via text message leading up to the killings,. "And then I think about how I'm going to have to explain this to her one day.". Wade Harrouff appears on Dr. Phil McGraw's TV show. 2022 The Associated Press. According to his son, Michelle had worked for Stevens at Prudential Securities. (Facebook/Michelle Stevens). Sept. 7, 2016: Wade Harrouff appears on Dr. Phil McGraw's TV show. Discovery Company. Here is a timeline of events in the case of Austin Harrouff as they have unfolded since 2016: Aug. 15, 2016: Austin Harrouff, 19, leaves dinner with his father, Wade Harrouff, his sister and his father's girlfriend at a Duffy's Sports Grill in Jupiter and goes to his mother's home. The couple was attacked,stabbed and bitten in the garage and driveway of their home near Jupiter, Florida. My dad and Michelle, they were great people, and we were super close, said Stevens, a former Marine who now lives outside Kansas City. The Associated Press says that Michelle was beaten to death and also stabbed and that John died of multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma. In the calls, his emotions range from apologetic to worried and sad for his actions to joking with his parents and complaining about how bored he is. They had a television and chairs in their garage, which faced the street, and they were known to sit there with the garage door open waving at neighbors. They had an open-door policy and they had their garage set up like a living room, their friend, 54-year-old Denise Andersen, tells PEOPLE. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and Jeff Mishcon. Phil interview. He is a former high school athlete. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Joseph Stevens III are the married couple murdered in a horrific face-eating attack by a Florida college fraternity student, police say. The interview took place over video chat while Harrouff was at St. Mary's and just days before his arrest. Harrouff had gone to his hometown with fraternity brothers from Alpha Delta Phi, said The Miami Herald. Other family members echoed her sentiments. Discover; Podcasts; The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories; He also spoke about the garage where they were attacked. Did you throw the drugs out? You didnt answer yes, Mishcon said. The sheriff in Martin County believes that 19-year-old Austin Harrouff had taken the drug. Provided by People Austin Harrouff, Michelle Mishcon, John Joseph Stevens III A 25-year-old Fla. man accused of murdering a random couple and attempting to eat one of the victims'. told The Post he doesn't believe Austin Harrouff's crocodile tears in the Dr. Aug. 26, 2016, Harrouff is conscious at St. Mary's Medical Center, but remains in the hospital for several more weeks as he recovers. But Martin County Sheriffs officials say they were dead by the time deputies arrived and found Austin Harrouff on top of Stevens, biting his face. Craig Trocino, a University of Miami law professor, said that finding Harrouff not guilty by reason of insanity would effectively be a life sentence because "it's highly unlikely" that they would risk releasing a killer as notorious as Harrouff. CAKEGATE 2023: Bad Bunny's Restaurant Accused of Gobbling Birthday Girl's Cake, Sen. Rubio's Permanent Daylight Savings Bill Sees Light of Day Once More, Death Train: A Timeline of Brightline Fatalities in South Florida UPDATED, Neighborhood Nazi Jon Minadeo Peddles Hate by the Minute, NFL Legend Ray Lewis Joins World Jai-Alai League Board of Directors, Affordable New "Micro-Units" Slated for Little River, Edgewater. Andersen held back tears as she spoke about the couple who took her elderly, widowed father under their wing until the day he died. The victims' families did not buy that Harrouff was insane when he beat and stabbed their loved ones to death on Aug. 15, 2016. Your dad asks you on the afternoon before you killed my sister, Did you throw the drugs out? "(Harrouff) will pay for what he has done. Wednesday, John's son, John Stevens IV, spoke about his loving parents and his anger about their. That neighbor was able to get. I hope you never find happiness for the rest of your life, she said. 2023 www.tallahassee.com. Eventually, after another fight with his father, he leaves and finds himself wandering the streets near Southeast Kokomo Lane. Harrouff's parents and others said he had acted strangely for weeks. Everybody is shocked, said Stevens. He said that what happened to the victims was horrific, probably one of the worst slayings in the circuit. Powered by. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. A neighbor, Jeff Fisher, tried to intervene when he heard the commotion outside, but he was also attacked by Harrouff. Upon finding Mishcon Stevens and her husband, John Stevens III, 59, sitting in their garage with the door open, Harrouff allegedly attacked them, stabbing the pair with what cops believe. Please enter valid email address to continue. On Monday night about 9:20 p.m., John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, died after an attack. Jodi Bruce, one of Michelles sisters, said she learned from the news not from prosecutors or the victim advocate about the death penalty not being an option in this case. Fisher ran home after being stabbed several times. "Forensically, given the above findings, absent evidence of drug usage at the time of the incident, and observations made by first responding law-enforcement officers . Harrouff remains hospitalized in stable but critical condition. A surveillance video released Friday, shows Harrouff walking calmly as he leaves Duffy's restaurant in nearby Jupiter about 45 minutes before the attack. Oct. 3, 2016: After weeks in recovery, Austin Harrouff leaves the hospital and is booked into the Martin County jail on two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and burglary.