"We shouldn't give the keys to the prison, so to speak, to psychologists," White said. The interview took place over video chat while Harrouff was at St. Mary's and just days before his arrest. 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.. Prosecutors declined to comment. Nov. 23, 2016: In hundreds of pages of court documents released by the 19th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office, a toxicology report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation says no designer drugs were found in Austin Harrouff's system, only trace amounts of marijuana. The parents of a five-week-old baby mauled by two rottweilers have spoken for the first time since their little girls life was taken. The trial for Austin Harrouff, the man accused of killing a Martin County couple and biting the face of a victim in August 2016, is scheduled to begin in November. ", The report concluded: "the manifestation of Mr Harrouff's psychiatric illness resulted in a psychotic episode so acute that two innocent people were killed.". "Sure, he looked sad and disheveled. The Martin County State Attorneys Office sought a second opinion from another doctor, who concluded that Harrouff was likely on drugs or in withdrawals during the crime, and not simply crazy. The crime report details a brutal attack, with blood found all over the couples driveway and their bodies displaying major wounds. But here we are, opening the prison doors for a double murderer. The injury could have been from ingesting chemicals in the couple's garage as state-appointed psychologist Dr Landrum said in a report that Harrouff "remembers drinking a bottle of liquid". As the Jupiter teen was taken that night to St. Marys Medical Center in West Palm Beach, he said he ate something bad. He then admitted it was human.. Defense attorney Robert Watson told Bauer once the materials are reviewed, they would seek to exclude Gamache as a witness and questioned the validity of his conclusions. His lawyer Robert Watson, on Tuesday said Florida State Hospital, with a range of treatments available, is the place that is best for him.. The move came after Martin County Circuit Judge Sherwood Bauer on Nov. 28 ruled that Harrouff was not guilty by reason of insanity after finding two psychologists concluded he was suffering an acute psychotic episode on Aug. 15, 2016 when he fatally stabbed John Stevens III, 59, and Michelle Mishcon, 53, at their home in southern Martin County during an unprovoked attack. You are the reason I no longer have a father and a second mother. He will be back home in a matter of months, not years, most likely.. 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. Frat boy and American football player Austin Harrouff was born on December 21, 1996. You are the reason I think life is disposable and can be taken away in an instant. Austin, now 25, is a former student at Florida State University. But Gamache had to withdraw from testifying for personal health reasons, and the judge denied the state's request to hire another mental health expert. This story has been shared 117,876 times. KILLER Austin Harrouff could have been legally insane when he attacked and chewed the face of his victim. On Monday, victim impact statements were read in the courtroom, a court manager told CNN. More: Videos give insight into accused killer Austin Harrouff's life inside Martin County Jail A former student at Florida State University, Harrouff, 23, faces two counts of first-degree. Harrouff details on his birthday are not revealed yet. "It's like a nightmare. Assistant State Attorney Brandon White in court Tuesday said after the Jan. 25 deposition, Gamache sent to the state 45 gigabytes of materials on a flash drive but it was lost in shipping and once it arrives, will be shared with the defense. According to police reports, the former college footballer had been acting strangely in the run up to the attack. "Anytime we have a not guilty by reason of insanity, basically we are surrendering the outcome to a bunch of paid experts, and psychology is not a hard science. Michelle Mishcons sisters said prosecutors told them Austin Harrouff could get out of a mental rehabilitation hospital in a matter of months after Mondays controversial plea deal was announced on the same day his trial was supposed to start. This is what wakes me up in the middle of the night as I lay in bed for hours picturing the way that they died, she said. In reviewing his mental condition at the time of the attack Landrum concluded the now 23-year-old Harrouff suffered "an acute psychotic episode" and that he "was unable to distinguish right from wrong.". 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. "We were not happy with this either," Assistant State Attorney Brandon White said. Ivy Stevens spoke with The Post about learning to cope with the loss. court hearings battling over its release. He then pleaded with officers to kill him, saying: Shoot me now, I deserve to die.. 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 . 0:00. Law-enforcement officers say they do not know what prompted the attacks, but believe it may been a drug-fueled crime. One speaker, who identified herself as Hailey, told Harrouff that his parents enabled him. With his mouth, he attempted to bite into the muscle of a man's face. The grisly images were released after court documents revealed Harrouff spat a chunk of flesh out of his mouth when speaking to officers. Bleeding from his injuries, he ran back to his home and called 911. "I'm so sorry and I never wanted this to happen," Austin Harrouff said in the interview. It only takes into account the actions someone takes while actively intoxicated, not the actions they might take while experiencing psychological impacts from withdrawal or long-term drug use. In ruling Harrouff was legally insane at the time, Bauer found he didn't know what he was doing, or didnt know it was wrong, and couldnt appreciate the consequences of his actions. HORRIFIC photos show the crime scene after a teenager allegedly killed a couple and chewed the mans face. While attending Florida State University, Harrouff attacked and killed a couple in their garage, during which he claims to have blacked out. Involuntary custody:What's next for killer Austin Harrouff after being found not guilty by reason of insanity? The 23-year-old attacked a married couple before being caught in Florida. Both experts found that Harrouff was unable to distinguish right from wrong, meaning he meets Floridas criteria to be acquitted by reason of insanity. Judge Bauer in court defended the Harrouffs team, prosecutors, and the expert witnesses from criticism voiced in court. He said he thought he was a half-dog, Cindy Mishcon said. 1:22. She said staffers from the Martin County State Attorneys Office gave them a rough release window of just six to 12 months. Prosecutors may push for changes or additions to some. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens III were attacked and killed in 2016. I'm not trying to excuse what happened. "Its a 2016 case 2016, and it is 2022. The case is yet to be tried, with Circuit Judge Sherwood Bauer indicating the trial could be months away according to TCPalm. An article on Palmbeach revealed he was at the age of 19 in 2016. "Shoot me now I deserve to . Eventually, after another fight with his father, he leaves and finds himself wandering the streets near Southeast Kokomo Lane. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. He recalled stabbing the man and biting him before waking up in the hospital. Phil in 2018, telling the host that his son was acting erratically in the weeks before the slaying and that his mother had made an appointment for him to be seen by a doctor. Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers, and is writer and co-host of Uncertain Terms, a true crime podcast. Judge rules:Judge rules Austin Harrouff not guilty by reason of insanity in murder of Tequesta couple, Troubled signs:Austin Harrouffs parents noticed odd behavior in son before Martin couples fatal stabbing | Photos, video. Authorities said they even found Harrouff biting Stevens face. In the other court documents, more details emerge: In the hours before the attacks, friends and family said Austin Harrouff had been acting strangely. This case needs to come to a resolution. Austin Harrouff, 19, also begged deputies to kill him after they pulled him off John Stevens' body, according to the records, obtained Monday by the Palm Beach Post. Defense attorney Robert Watson argued the state law's requirement for a defendant to prove insanity by a "clear and convincing" standard wrongly shifts the burden of proof from the state to the defendant. Circuit Judge Sherwood Baueraccepted Harrouffs plea, however, on the day trial was set to begin. Gamache's conclusions contradicts the findings of two other mental health experts who issued reports in 2020. Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers, and is writer and co-host ofUncertain Terms, a true crime podcast. 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. Judge Bauer said: This case needs to come to a resolution. White maintained that prosecutors did everything possible to prove the case, but the facts were not there. However, White said a third mental health expert, Michael Gamache, had concluded Harrouff was not insane at the time he committed the murders, contradicting the findings of two other mental health experts. His mother told police he claimed to have superpowers and thought there were demons in the house. Your dad asks you on the afternoon before you killed my sister, Did you throw the drugs out? Despite using an electric stun gun on him the muscly student wouldnt let go of Mr Stevens. Harrouff, who grew up in the Jupiter area and attended Suncoast High School, was 19 at the time of their deaths, which took place at their home on Southeast Kokomo Lane, just north of the Jupiter. Two psychologists concluded Harrouff was not sane at the time of the crime. Court documents: Murder suspect Austin Harrouff tells Martin deputies he 'ate humans' The Jupiter resident who was then 19 and attending Florida State University was found biting and. We thought it was going to trial all the way until last week, and then they told us he was getting a deal. STUART, Fla. A new trial date has been set for the 25-year-old Jupiter man accused of killing a Martin County couple in their garage and then biting the face of one of them. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. Discovery Company. After Austin Harrouff was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the attack and killing of a Martin County couple, a friend of the victims said the agreement by defense and prosecution was "shocking" and "disappointing." Harrouff, now 25, randomly attacked and killed John Stevens, 59, and his wife, Michelle Mishcon Stevens, 53, in 2016. He also injured another victim, to near fatality, but they survived. Phil.'. Eventually, Harrouff is taken to St. Marys Medical Center. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Harrouff Reportedly Behaved Erratically Before Alleged 'Random' Attack. Austin Harrouff attempted to eat Steven's face after murdering the couple. Harrouff, now 25, butchered John Stevens and Michelle Mischon in their Jupiter, Florida, garage with a machete in 2016, and was found by police gnawing on Stevens' face as he lay dying. Do you know what you said to him? "Really, the anger should be at the law.". He wrote Harrouff suffered from "severe mental disease," in particular bipolar disorder and acute manic episodes with psychotic features and clinical lycanthropy delusions, also known as werewolf syndrome. 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.. He could be anyones son, brother, neighbor, friend. Court documents revealed that one officer ordered the frat boy to get off at gunpoint, while another used a stun gun on him but Harrouff would not let go. You go, you get treated, you get out.. Austin's Story. The criminal case for Austin Harrouff might now be closed, but the state attorney's office said it still isn't finished. The victims families did not buy that Harrouff was insane when he beat and stabbed their loved ones to death on Aug. 15, 2016. I didnt know that.. It was only when he was bitten by a police dog that he could be overpowered. Its a sad case. But that doctor suffered a recent health setback that made him unavailable to testify at trial, White said. He bases that not on any eyewitness accounts, he bases it on texts that are between fraternity brothers. He says he does not remember going to his mother's house and drinking vegetable oil, but recalls running to his father's house and hearing voices. Harrouff has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon for the deaths of Mishcon and Stevens; one charge of burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery while armed for breaking into their garage; and one charge of attempted first-degree murder with a weapon for attacking and injuring the couple's neighbor, Jeffrey Fisher. ", That night, Harrouff was out to dinner with his father where "he felt as if time was standing still and like he was the 'grim reaper.'. Not only for myself but for my family. Reached Tuesday, Stevens IIIs son, John Stevens, who lives in Kansas, said he hadnt been told that Harrouff was no longer at the Martin County Jail. The five-hour evaluation was done by Dr. Gregory Landrum, who was hired by the state. Aug. 26, 2016, Harrouff is conscious at St. Mary's Medical Center, but remains in the hospital for several more weeks as he recovers. Where is Austin Harrouff now? Catch up on old episodes of Episode 149 - Stranger In The Night - The Case Of John Stevens & Michelle Mishcon. Harrouff had a known and documented drug habit, but toxicology tests did not pick up on any drugs in his system at the time of the crime. View our online Press Pack. All rights reserved. He also described paranoia at night and a heightened religiosity. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. He said that what happened to the victims was horrific, probably one of the worst slayings in the circuit. We dont create the facts and we dont create the law, he said. Inside the garage of the home on Southeast Kokomo Lane, just north of the Palm Beach County line, deputies found 53-year-old Michelle Mishcon, beaten, bloodied and unresponsive. All times AEDT (GMT +11). 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. Two other mental health experts have been consulted since, with neuropsychologist Michael Gamache contradicting the other findings. He then chewed on one of the victims' face. told The Post he doesn't believe Austin Harrouff's crocodile tears in the Dr. The victim that you and your family see in all of this is you and the Harrouff name, she said. MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. The criminal case for Austin Harrouff has closed, but the state attorney's office isn't putting it in the past yet. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. He also wants to see the state expand upon its definition of "voluntary intoxication." The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. After being removed from the body, Harrouff was taken to hospital for two months, suffering from a burned oesophagus. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 00:04 00:30 A cannibalistic double-murderer from Florida could end up walking the streets again without ever going to trial. After a meal with his father ended in an argument, Harrouff stormed off, claiming the last thing he remembers is walking home. ", He said he would see hallucinations of "demonic things" and could also hear God's voice. The former Florida State University student, then 19, was found biting and chewing on Stevens III's face in the man's driveway. Harrouff, now 25, butchered John Stevens and Michelle Mischon in their Jupiter, Florida, garage with a machete in 2016, and was found by police gnawing on Stevens face as he lay dying. Harrouff ""had the delusion that he could run 'super fast' because he was 'half-man, half dog.' . He lived with his mother and younger sister from the age of 13, when his parents divorced but remained in contact with his father and would visit him regularly. On Aug. 15, 2016, Martin County Sheriffs Office deputies found 19-year-old Austin Harrouff on top of the bloodied 59-year-old John Stevens III, gnawing on his face and making growling sounds. 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