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 Sheriff William Snyder said evidence shows Austin Harrouff, 19, a Florida. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens III were attacked and killed in 2016. . 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 in . John Stevens, 59, and his wife Michelle Mishcon, 53, often spent warm nights in the garage of their Tequesta, Florida, home with the door open. The television station said that authorities tried everything from a stun gun to a K-9 and manpower to get Harrouff off the victim but called it a struggle. It took three deputies to subdue Harrouff, said The New York Daily News. Chris Harris. Judge rules Austin Harrouff not guilty by reason of insanity in murder He'llalso be charged with burglary, the statement said. In a prosecution that has stretched over six years, Harrouff, 25, is accused of killing John Stevens III, 59 and Michelle Mishcon, 53, during a brutal attack Aug. 15, 2016 at their home on . Episode 149 - Stranger In The Night - The Case Of John Stevens Who'd Once Dated Victim's Wife, N.Y. I didnt know you could brutally murder two people, attempt to murder another and not even have a trial. Funeral services were held in Fort Lauderdale for Michelle Mishcon, 53, and husband John Stevens III, 59. The families of John Stevens IIIandMichelle Mishconvoiced disgust and anger on Monday, as a judge accepted the insanity plea from defendantAustin Harrouff, 25. The TV station said Fisher called 911. All Rights Reserved. He has claimed he was fleeing a demon when the attack happened. John Stevens, 59, and his wife Michelle. Cindy Mishcon, the sister of Michelle Mishcon and an attorney, laid out a methodical case of why she does not believe that Harrouff was insane when the killings occurred. Snyder said that Harrouff allegedly used many objects in the garage as weapons and wrestled with Stevens until both men were in the driveway. a toxicology report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation says no designer drugs were found in Austin Harrouff's system. "Do you know what you said to him? Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said evidence shows Austin Harrouff, 19, a Florida. Austin Harrouff: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com Neighbors described the husband and wife as great neighbors who were always having fun and were kind to everybody. Police in Florida say that a college student killed two people before trying to eat one the victim's faces. Stevens said he wants the prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case, but he fears they will not. Wednesday, John's son, John Stevens IV, spoke about his loving parents and his anger about their. friends and family said Austin Harrouff had been acting strangely. 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. John Stevens IV, Stevens son, told the Sun Sentinel, It is not super important to me what his mindset was. 3:34PM. 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. He declined further comment to The Associated Press on Friday. If the trial had gone forward, Harrouff could have faced life in prison. Harrouff was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the killings of John Stevens, 59, and his wife Michelle . 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. Austin Harrouff pictured on his Facebook page. On Monday, victim impact statements were read in the courtroom, a court manager told CNN. 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 . Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Sept. 7, 2016: Wade Harrouff appears on Dr. Phil McGraw's TV show. 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. Authorities said they even found Harrouff biting Stevens face. To date, it's unknown what Harrouff ingested. 4:36 PM EST, Tue November 29, 2022. Fisher ran home after being stabbed several times. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Officials said it looked like the husband tried to fight back., WPTV quoted a police official as saying, Both victims sustained massive trauma on multiple portions of their body. "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. Phil interview. They said he tried to test his powers and said things like, "I've become like almost immortal.". Austin Harrouff is facing first-degree murder charges in the Aug. 15, 2016, deaths of John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon at their home near Jupiter. Mason Mishcon made a similar demand. That theory is later debunked by toxicology reports. Austin Harrouff: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. Are you ever going to tell us what that means, according to WPLG. 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. Phil.'. 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. Eventually, after another fight with his father, he leaves and finds himself wandering the streets near Southeast Kokomo Lane. When asked what it was, he replied, Humans.. The Miami Herald said multiple weapons of opportunity were used to beat, slash and attack the couple, including a switchblade the suspect was known to carry. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Harrouff, then 19-years-old, was having dinner with his family when he stormed off in an agitated state, officials said at the time. Married 19 years, they were lovers of deep-sea fishing near their affluent Florida community. 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. Austin Harrouff Sentenced in Deaths of Florida Couple (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. 2 men found not guilty of murder in 2016 shooting death of Riviera girl. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? He was super excitedso thats made it that much more hard for us.. A neighbor heard screams and ran out to help, but was stabbed as well. Friends and family of the two people killed by a. told The Post he doesn't believe Austin Harrouff's crocodile tears in the Dr. Aug. 2, 2019: Bauer agrees to let prosecutors audio-record a psychological examination with Austin Harrouff. Attack killed his father and stepmother Tuesday. She said that she had begun writing her victim impact statement when she was "naive enough" to think there would be justice. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Michelle Mishcon met Stevens, a divorced father of two, in Miami in the late 1990s. The suspect was biting and removing pieces of the victims face with his teeth, said WPTV. Mishcon Stevens sister, Cindy Mishcon, was the first to address Harrouff in court, according to WPLG. On Monday night about 9:20 p.m., John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, died after an attack. 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. Bleeding from his injuries, he ran back to his home and called 911. tells The Palm Beach Post his son remains in the hospital and his organs are failing. Austin Harrouff: 'Cannibal killer' bragged that he was not - news Parents Of FSU Student Who Allegedly Tried to Eat Man's Face Issue The reason I think someone is going to murder my children. I'm not trying to excuse what happened. 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.". Couple Allegedly Killed by FSU Student Died in Garage They - Peoplemag Misdeeds: a true crime podcast on Apple Podcasts 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. The judge said Harrouff will remain in the Martin County Jail until he is taken to a secure mental health facility monitored by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Although the result of the case fails to bring comfort to the families of the victims, this finding brings this matter to its right and lawful end, said King. Austin murdered Joseph John Stevens III and his better half, Michelle Mishcon Stevens, on August 15, 2016, before eating Joseph's face. That seems to be the only thing anyone has cared about for the past six years, not the two dead people that he butchered. He is a former high school athlete. The couple was attacked,stabbed and bitten in the garage and driveway of their home near Jupiter, Florida. On top of that, they sometimes even took his parents to task. Sadly, their lives would be cut short in a bizarre rampage where there were more . he said he ate something bad. "We love our son and know that he is not the person some are making him out to be.". Mishcon read numerous bizarre conversations Harrouff had via text message leading up to the killings, directing them at Harrouff in court, WPLG reported. (Facebook/Michelle Stevens). 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. Thank you Michelle Mishcon Stevens for always believing in me and being a great role model. Austin started to mentally decompensate in the weeks, days, and moments leading up to the incident. South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to the Martin County Sheriff's Office asking that the teen be put on a vegan diet while in jail. agrees to let prosecutors audio-record a psychological examination with Austin Harrouff. Harrouff's parents and others said he had acted strangely for weeks. 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. 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. As the Jupiter teen was taken that night to St. Marys Medical Center in West Palm Beach, he said he ate something bad. The-CNN-Wire 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. 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. It was almost like happy hour in somebodys garage and they cooked all these lobster tails for everybody. Harrouff was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the killings of John Stevens, 59, and his wife Michelle Mishcon Stevens, 53, according to his attorney Nellie L. King. Physician Assistant Was Bound, Stabbed to Death After Being Stalked: 'Unfathomable Grief', Pizzeria Owners Stabbed in Queens While Breaking Up Violent Robbery Targeting Elderly Woman, Arrest Made in 'Brutal' Murder Case of Daytona Beach Couple Stabbed to Death While Biking Home at Night, Surveillance Video Shows Person of Interest Connected to Killing of Couple Biking Home in Daytona Beach, FSU Student, Suspected to be High on Flakka, Allegedly Ate Victim's Face After Stabbing Him and Wife to Death, 5 Things to Know About Austin Harrouff, FSU Student Who Allegedly Tried to Eat Stabbing Victim's Face, Friend of FSU Frat Brother Accused of Trying to Eat Stabbing Victim's Face Says Suspect 'Isn't Himself Now', Son of Man Who Died After Being Allegedly Stabbed by FSU Student Speaks Out, FSU Student Accused of Trying to Eat Stabbing Victim's Face Is Undergoing Surgery and May Not Live, Woman Killed After Man Allegedly Breaks into Her Home, Attacks Her in Bed Because She Gave Him 'Mean Look', FSU Student Who Allegedly Tried to Eat Man's Face Charged with Murder. The victim that you and your family see in all of this is you and the Harrouff name, she said. 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. 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'. He also spoke about the garage where they were attacked. The company was inactive by September 2015. 2. 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. Suspect in 2016 double murder, face-biting case found not guilty by