2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Open main menu. 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. Overview. Mishcon Stevens' sister, Cindy Mishcon, was the first to address Harrouff in court, according to WPLG. / AP. 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.. 2023 Cable News Network. 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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. The 19-year-olds internet searches gave more insight into what he was thinking in the days and hours before the homicides. 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. tells The Palm Beach Post his son remains in the hospital and his organs are failing. 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. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. crime. God bless her loved ones and family in this horrible time., Here's a photo of John Joseph Stevens III & Michelle Karen Mishcon who were killed last night, via @MartinFLSheriff. It was almost like happy hour in somebodys garage and they cooked all these lobster tails for everybody. All Rights Reserved. crime. 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. Funeral services were held in Fort Lauderdale for Michelle Mishcon, 53, and husband John Stevens III, 59. 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! 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. Did you throw the drugs out? You didnt answer yes, Mishcon said. You didn't answer 'yes,'" Mishcon said. John Stevens IV told The Post he doesn't believe Austin Harrouff's crocodile tears in the Dr. 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. Married 19. WPTV quoted a police official as saying, Once he got to the hospital, he was making animal-like sounds and was somewhat incoherent, adding that Harrouff lived with his mother nearby. [emailprotected]. "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. Judge Bauer in court defended the Harrouffs team, prosecutors, and the expert witnesses from criticism voiced in court. Michelle Mishcon and John Stevens III were murdered at their Florida home on Monday. The interview took place over video chat while Harrouff was at St. Mary's and just days before his arrest. If not with his life, then with the only thing we can get from him, which is a civil judgment.". Michelle Mishcon Stevens. One speaker, who identified herself as Hailey, told Harrouff that his parents enabled him. He thinks the suspect was, violent, repressed, entitled and upset and wanted to hurt somebody and now hes hurt a bunch of people.. a toxicology report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation says no designer drugs were found in Austin Harrouff's system. 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. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, two days after suffering an unexpected heart attack. Austin Harrouff: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. Do you know what you said to him? Did you throw the drugs out?' 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. 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. 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. He said that he believes there's more to this violent behavior than drugs. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, Dr. Phil interviews Austin Harrouff on face-biting attack, NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead. Thank you Michelle Mishcon Stevens for always believing in me and being a great role model. Michelle Mishcon met Stevens, a divorced father of two, in Miami in the late 1990s. Very proud of him! Many of his photos revolved around deep-sea fishing. You are the reason I check all my doors at night. Generally speaking, loved ones criticized not only Harrouff but sometimes even prosecutors. Michelle Mischon's family files a wrongful-death lawsuit against Austin Harrouff. Chris Harris. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. You have not only destroyed the memory of them for me, but you have caused me to live in a constant state of fear. Miami's independent source of Updated "I know it's not flakka-induced," Wade Harrouff said. 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. Investigators say they are still trying to determine what drove Harrouff to allegedly kill John Stevens III, 59, and his 53-year-old wife, Michelle Mishcon. "And then I think about how I'm going to have to explain this to her one day.". told The Post he doesn't believe Austin Harrouff's crocodile tears in the Dr. The couple lived together in a home in Tequesta, Florida a suburb of West Palm Beach, Florida. 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. 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. Attorney Robert Watson, who said he's representing Harrouff, told TC Palm that the student's parents saw "indications of odd and unusual behavior" in him recently, but he declined to elaborate on possible mental health issues. She said that she had begun writing her victim impact statement when she was "naive enough" to think there would be justice. Michelle posted a video story on her life on Facebook: A co-worker wrote of Michelle, Will always remember this incredible person, always smiling and happy. Its a hard thing to imagine., RELATED: COUPLE REMEMBERED AS DELIGHTFUL, QUIET, He shared a harsh reality. 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. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much June 17, 2019: Bauer denies Austin Harrouff's defense attorneys' motion to find Florida's insanity defense law unconstitutional. 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. 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. In August of 2016, 19 year old FSU student Austin Harrouff attacked, cannibalized, and murdered John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon. An autopsy on Mishcon is scheduled for Wednesday, Snyder said. Snyder said that Harrouff allegedly used many objects in the garage as weapons and wrestled with Stevens until both men were in the driveway. Currently the site of Stevens Institute of Technology. Austin started to mentally decompensate in the weeks, days, and moments leading up to the incident. The prosecutor said, however, that the frustration voiced in court was misdirected. She called Harrouff a disgusting person. 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. The couple was attacked,stabbed and bitten in the garage and driveway of their home near Jupiter, Florida. His father identified the neighbor as Jeff Fisher, 47, said WPTV. 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. Why did the 19 year-old suspected killer suddenly and without reason attack his parents? Discovery Company. "(Harrouff) will pay for what he has done. 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. 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. On Monday night about 9:20 p.m., John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, died after an attack. 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. Neighbors described the husband and wife as great neighbors who were always having fun and were kind to everybody. More than 500 people attended John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon's memorial service in Fort Lauderdale Friday. Person shot in leg at Town Center at Boca Raton, city police say. 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 . 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. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. 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. I hope you never find happiness for the rest of your life, she said. 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 two were killed outside their home in Tequesta by 19-year-old Austin Harrouff, according to investigators. He said that what happened to the victims was horrific, probably one of the worst slayings in the circuit. Harrouff had gone to his hometown with fraternity brothers from Alpha Delta Phi, said The Miami Herald. 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. Ivy Stevens spoke with The Post about learning to cope with the loss. Aug. 26, 2016, Harrouff is conscious at St. Mary's Medical Center, but remains in the hospital for several more weeks as he recovers. The victim that you and your family see in all of this is you and the Harrouff name, she said. He was super excitedso thats made it that much more hard for us.. A neighbor, Jeff Fisher, tried to intervene when he heard the commotion outside, but he was also attacked by Harrouff. On Monday, victim impact statements were read in the courtroom, a court manager told CNN. This day was one I will remember especially, capturing this shot after we finished the miami building run as team striano! Heres to another 19 years of laughter, life and love. A video Michelle posted on Facebook includes John in it: John Stevens and Michelle were lovers of deep sea fishing and many photos they posted on social media show them on their boat or holding large fish. 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. 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. 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. It does not seem like anyone cares that Michelle and John are dead. Normal people dont make the decision to go take drugs and then kill people regardless of what was in the drugs, Stevens said. "I look at my daughter every day (and think) how much joy he would have gotten out of knowing her. Police in Florida say that a college student killed two people before trying to eat one the victim's faces. "The Harrouff family loves Austin as they know the Stevens and Mishcon families loved John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon," the statement reads. Harrouff was grunting and growling at the scene and making animal-like noises, police said, according to The New York Daily News. Authorities said they even found Harrouff biting Stevens face. We dont create the facts and we dont create the law, he said. Harrouff was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the killings of 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. Harrouff, who did not know the couple, stabbed the them to death while they were watching TV in their open garage. I just want to see the prosecutor ask for the death penalty. John Joseph Stevens III, 59, 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. 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. 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. First published on November 28, 2022 / 5:29 PM. Citing jailhouse phone calls, Michelles sister Cindy Mishconasserted that he did not care about committing the murders. 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. "We want justice for Michelle and John," Jodi Bruce, Michelle Mishcon's sister, read from a written statement outside the Martin County Courthouse. The very garage that a Florida couple transformed into a neighborhood hangout for friends and family became the place they'd spend their last moments. 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. What does that mean? John Stevens was born into a wealthy family in New York City in 1749. You knew exactly what you were doing, Bruce said. She added that she was devastated when she learned what had happened to her friends. On top of that, they sometimes even took his parents to task. TCPalm staff writers Laurie K. Blandford, Will Greenlee and Melissa E. Holsman contributed to this report. 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. A random, vicious attack killed Martin County couple John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon. They said he tried to test his powers and said things like, "I've become like almost immortal.". Its not known how he allegedly ended up in the Stevens garage where they liked to sit at night about 45 minutes later. He has claimed he was fleeing a demon when the attack happened. On Monday night about 9:20 p.m., John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, died after an attack. The Herald said toxicology tests for more unique synthetic drugs are still pending and Harrouff is hospitalized. "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 . Not only for myself but for my family. 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. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 4:36 PM EST, Tue November 29, 2022. "clear and convincing" standard wrongly shifts the burden of proof from the state to the defendant. 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. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens. Its a sad case. (Facebook/John Stevens). That neighbor was able to get. 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. Michelle Karen Mishcon, 53, retired after working in the financial industry, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office. Sadly, their lives would be cut short in a bizarre rampage where there were more . John Stevens with his son. Investigators believe he drank something from inside the garage where the fatal attacks occurred, damaging his organs. November 28, 2022 / 5:29 PM A random, vicious attack killed Martin County couple John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon. November 30, 2022 / 7:27 PM Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Police said Harrouff, 19, had no known connections to the victims and the attack was random and unprovoked, said CBS 12. Harrouff was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the killing John Stevens III, 59 and Michelle Mishcon, 53, during a brutal attack Aug. 15, 2016 at their home on Southeast Kokomo Lane in . CNN has reached out to the prosecutor for comment. Those closest to the couple, including John's children and. "Your dad asks you on the afternoon before you killed my sister, 'Did you throw the drugs out? John Stevens posted on Facebook about fatherhood. Fisher ran home after being stabbed several times. 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. It was a place they loved that John says they called it their "Garage Mahal.. At the scene, a bloody knife and a pair of scissors were found, according to crime-scene photos. In backhanded fashion, he expressed willingness to forgive Harrouff if the 25-year-old did to himself what he did to Michelle. ProsecutorBrandon Whitevoiced sympathy for the families. Discovery Company. Harrouff, who was home for the summer from Florida State University, is alleged to have stabbed and attacked the couple after walking out of a restaurant following an argument with his parents. 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'. Everybody is shocked, said Stevens. Harrouff remains hospitalized in stable but critical condition. "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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. Every share was with a BIG Smile, from their boat, having been out on the water. Sept. 7, 2016: Wade Harrouff appears on Dr. Phil McGraw's TV show. 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. G-D help their neighbor who tried to intervene & was injured by the assailant.. 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. 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. "They met there and. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens III were attacked and killed in 2016. The reason I think someone is waiting inside my house to stab me to death when I get home every day. All of your favorites, now on Zeno. CNN has reached out to the prosecutor for comment. 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. released 22 minutes of unedited video of Austin Harrouff's interview with Dr. Phil McGraw. Thank you, she said, sardonically. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens are the Jupiter, Florida couple killed in a face-eating attack allegedly by fraternity member Austin Harrouff. All rights reserved. She described him as extremely remorseful for the pain he caused the families, and she said that he was sincerely open to treatment.