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. John Stevens IV, Stevens son, told the Sun Sentinel, It is not super important to me what his mindset was. 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.. Things happened rapidly, with Austin experiencing such severe hallucinations and delusions at the time of the offense that he was incapable of making rational and voluntary choices. On Monday night, Harrouff allegedly stormed out of a restaurant, complaining of slow service, and inexplicably turned down the street where the couple lived about a 15-minute walk from the restaurant Martin County Sheriff William Snyder previously told PEOPLE. All Rights Reserved. The couple lived together in a home in Tequesta, Florida a suburb of West Palm Beach, Florida. 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. 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. pic.twitter.com/AKLBqDnuDK, Laurie K. Blandford (@TCPalmLaurie) August 16, 2016, Another friend wrote, I am SO Sad to learn & report of this beautiful couples murder. "I know it's not flakka-induced," Wade Harrouff said. In the hours and days after the fatal attacks, law-enforcement officers said they believed a reaction to a designer drug such as bath salts or flakka prompted the attacks. 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. It does not seem like anyone cares that Michelle and John are dead. Those closest to the couple, including John's children and. 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. Austin Harrouff pictured on his Facebook page. Now, on the third anniversary of the deaths of Stevens and Mishcon, there is a trial scheduled for Nov. 4, but it remains unclear whether Harrouff, his attorneys and prosecutors will put on their case for a jury before the end of the year. "But I don't know if that's ever going to happen.". Your dad asks you on the afternoon before you killed my sister, Did you throw the drugs out? (Facebook/John Stevens). He thinks the suspect was, violent, repressed, entitled and upset and wanted to hurt somebody and now hes hurt a bunch of people.. Discussing Bruces criticism of the advocate and of being kept in the dark about the lack of a potential death penalty, White said he could not speak to that because he was only on the case recently. 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. You are the reason I no longer have a father and a second mother. This case was always about mental illness, she said. He was rushed to the hospital and was released Thursday. Its a sad case. I want him to go through that process and to pay for what he did.. / AP. Andersen recalled a huge dinner of lobster tails the couple once threw in their garage for the community. crime. One Friend wrote on Facebook, God has gotten another angel today. 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. I didnt know that.. 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. The interview took place over video chat while Harrouff was at St. Mary's and just days before his arrest. Ivy Stevens, who is Johns daughter and Michelles stepdaughter, described in detail the absence and trauma Harrouff created. On Monday night about 9:20 p.m., John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, died after an attack. On Fathers Day, Michelle wrote on Facebook: Happy Fathers Day Jeff Mishcon!! He talked about his Dad and Michelle's love of boating and fishing and their chocolate labs. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Mishcon Stevens sister, Cindy Mishcon, was the first to address Harrouff in court, according to WPLG. Aug. 15, 2017: John Stevens IV talks to The Post about loss of his father a year after his death, dealing with the international spotlight and raising his children without a grandfather. 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. To date, it's unknown what Harrouff ingested. John Stevens IV told The Post he doesn't believe Austin Harrouff's crocodile tears in the Dr. Circuit Judge Sherwood Baueraccepted Harrouffs plea, however, on the day trial was set to begin. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. "You can't even look at me?" A number of family members of the slain couple expressed anger at the decision and made victim impact statements directed at Harrouff, his family, the defense team and prosecutors. 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 . Aug. 2, 2019: Bauer agrees to let prosecutors audio-record a psychological examination with Austin Harrouff. 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 . A family has been left heartbroken, trying to somehow understand the unthinkable. crime. 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. White maintained that prosecutors did everything possible to prove the case, but the facts were not there. "Your dad asks you on the afternoon before you killed my sister, 'Did you throw the drugs out? Authorities said they even found Harrouff biting Stevens face. Someone said to me, Wow, you hear about things like this one the news and you think, wow thats crazy. But when you actually know the person it just makes you think about your own mortality.. Discovery Company. 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. "But here we are, opening the prison doors for a double murderer. Normal people dont make the decision to go take drugs and then kill people regardless of what was in the drugs, Stevens said. he said he ate something bad. 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. Updated The two were killed outside their home in Tequesta by 19-year-old Austin Harrouff, according to investigators. 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. The AP quoted Harrouffs mother as telling police he had been acting strangely for days and claiming superpowers but she said he was not a heavy drug user and did not have a mental health history. Harrouff was in stable condition but not able to speak because of a breathing tube, The AP said. 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'. They were generous and giving people., Andersen describes Mishcon as a very special person and called Stevens one of the sweetest, mild-mannered men youd ever meet.. John Stevens was born into a wealthy family in New York City in 1749. All rights reserved. On Monday, victim impact statements were read in the courtroom, a court manager told CNN. The New York Daily News says the neighbor who intervened was expected to recover but suffered substantial injuries. (Facebook/Austin Harrouff). Thank you Michelle Mishcon Stevens for always believing in me and being a great role model. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens III were attacked and killed in 2016. . Powered by. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? . 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. On Monday night about 9:20 p.m., John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, died after an attack. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. An autopsy on Mishcon is scheduled for Wednesday, Snyder said. Wade Harrouff appears on Dr. Phil McGraw's TV show. Married 19 years, they were lovers of deep-sea fishing near their affluent Florida community. Its an awful case, he said, adding that no one is losing sight of the death and injuries in the case. On Monday night about 9:20 p.m., John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, died after an attack. John Stevens with his son. 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. 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. Harrouff, who attended Florida State University before the attack, will be committed to a secure mental health facility until doctors and a judge agree that he is no longer dangerous. 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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. 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. It was almost like happy hour in somebodys garage and they cooked all these lobster tails for everybody. Everyone just wants to get this over with, so Austin can get a slap on his wrist and go home and go on with the rest of his life. Austin Harrouff: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. 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 Stevens, 53. 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. Miami-Dade records listed them both as residents of Aventura at the time. The couple have two children, a daughter named Ivy Stevens and a son also named John Stevens after his father. 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. There, after acting strangely and drinking cooking oil, his mother drives him back to the Duffy's. G-D help their neighbor who tried to intervene & was injured by the assailant.. 4:36 PM EST, Tue November 29, 2022. 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. If the trial had gone forward, Harrouff could have faced life in prison. "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. 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 . 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. Did you throw the drugs out?' Was Austin insane? Michelles brother Mason Mishcon said. I love you tons and tons.. "And then I think about how I'm going to have to explain this to her one day.". Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Funeral services were held in Fort Lauderdale for Michelle Mishcon, 53, and husband John Stevens III, 59. 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Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens III were attacked and killed in 2016. 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.. Join the New Times community and help support A Warner Bros. TCPalm staff writers Laurie K. Blandford, Will Greenlee and Melissa E. Holsman contributed to this report. Aug. 7, 2018 Michelle Mischon's family files a wrongful-death lawsuit against Austin Harrouff. They said they will ask for the death penalty in any future case. They must have baked easily three or four dozen lobster tails for me, my family and friends they had because we would all fit into their garage and just gather, Andersen tells PEOPLE. Harrouff had gone to his hometown with fraternity brothers from Alpha Delta Phi, said The Miami Herald. Are you ever going to tell us what that means," according to WPLG. 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. RIP never forget xoxo.. Harrouff was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the killings of John Stevens, 59, and his wife Michelle . You knew exactly what you were doing, Bruce said. a toxicology report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation says no designer drugs were found in Austin Harrouff's system. [emailprotected]. "They met there and. she asked Harrouff, who was sitting at the defense table, wearing a red and white striped prison uniform and glasses. Phil.'. CNN has reached out to the prosecutor for comment. 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. The agreement worked out between the defense and prosecution avoided a trial that had been scheduled to start Monday before Circuit Judge Sherwood Bauer and had been expected to last three weeks. "We love our son and know that he is not the person some are making him out to be.". Aug. 24, 2016: Wade Harrouff tells The Post he blames mental illness for his son's actions. 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. The suspect was biting and removing pieces of the victims face with his teeth, said WPTV. "The weird behavior is coming from schizophrenia in my family.". "I look at my daughter every day (and think) how much joy he would have gotten out of knowing her. "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. 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. 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. "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 . Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. Dec. 5, 2017: Austin Harrouff's attorneys, Robert Watson and Nellie King, file a notice of intent to use the insanity defense during his first-degree murder trial. "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. I hope you never find happiness for the rest of your life, she said. 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. The victim that you and your family see in all of this is you and the Harrouff name, she said. 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.

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