The families of John Stevens IIIandMichelle Mishconvoiced disgust and anger on Monday, as a judge accepted the insanity plea from defendantAustin Harrouff, 25. Michelle Mishcon and John Stevens III were murdered at their Florida home on Monday. Harrouff at no criminal record and was a good student at Florida State University, friends said. 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 . 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. June 2017: The State Attorney's Office in Martin County releases Austin Harrouff's jail calls. "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. Normal people dont make the decision to go take drugs and then kill people regardless of what was in the drugs, Stevens said. 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. TCPalm staff writers Laurie K. Blandford, Will Greenlee and Melissa E. Holsman contributed to this report. I didnt know you could brutally murder two people, attempt to murder another and not even have a trial. 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. "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 . On Facebook, Michelle says she worked at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, lived in Jupiter, Florida, was married, and was from North Miami Beach. In the other court documents, more details emerge: In the hours before the attacks, friends and family said Austin Harrouff had been acting strangely. Michelle Mishcon Stevens & J. Stevens loved life like no other couple I know! August 17, 2016 I'm not trying to excuse what happened. he said he ate something bad. The company was inactive by September 2015. The unthinkable violence happened in this case not by choice, intention, or with an identifiable motive, but because Austin has a mental disease., Have a tip we should know? 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. We dont create the facts and we dont create the law, he said. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and Jeff Mishcon. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Wednesday, John's son, John Stevens IV, spoke about his loving parents and his anger about their. She added that she was devastated when she learned what had happened to her friends. 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 . Open main menu. Its a sad case. [He] apparently attacked both of them with a knife that he was known to carry, Snyder said. If you ever have the courage to do something, your bravest act will be to kill yourself. Family members giving victim impact statements after not guilty by reason of insanity plea was accepted today in FL v. #AustinHarrouff pic.twitter.com/DY25mVpunZ, Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) November 28, 2022. Toxicology results are still pending, though officials have said there has been no confirmation of Flakka in his system as of yet. Download on the App Store GET IT ON Google Play. At the scene, a bloody knife and a pair of scissors were found, according to crime-scene photos. That neighbor was able to get. He began stabbing and assaulting both the husband and the wife.. 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. The-CNN-Wire 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. If we need to be the punching bag, thats fine, he told Law&Crime on the phone. But Harrouff. Harrouff remains hospitalized in stable but critical condition. Four words come to mind: white, rich boy justice," Mishcon said, according to WPLG. agrees to let prosecutors audio-record a psychological examination with Austin Harrouff. The victims families did not buy that Harrouff was insane when he beat and stabbed their loved ones to death on Aug. 15, 2016. His father identified the neighbor as Jeff Fisher, 47, said WPTV. 2. All rights reserved. Their loved ones were experiencing a lot of pain and hurt. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Why my two beautiful boys will never have grandparents. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The couples home is in Tequesta, an affluent neighborhood in Florida. His daughters baptism is about two weeks away. On Monday night about 9:20 p.m., John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, died after an attack. and is booked into the Martin County jail on two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and burglary. Much like the Tequesta community, Andersen is looking for answers. A neighbor, Jeff Fisher, tried to intervene when he heard the commotion outside, but he was also attacked by Harrouff. Harrouff's parents and others said he had acted strangely for weeks. At one point, deputies say the former Florida State University student even told deputies to just kill me.. The company went dormant Sept. 28, 2012. He will be back home in a matter of months, not years, most likely.. 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. Discover; Podcasts; The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories; Stevens daughter, Ivy, had moved out of the house days before, said police, according to The Palm Beach Post. 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. 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.. Phil interview. "I look at my daughter every day (and think) how much joy he would have gotten out of knowing her. Austin Harrouff pictured on his Facebook page. 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. Generally speaking, loved ones criticized not only Harrouff but sometimes even prosecutors. Investigators believe he drank something from inside the garage where the fatal attacks occurred, damaging his organs. 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. "clear and convincing" standard wrongly shifts the burden of proof from the state to the defendant. But, the mind is a powerful thing. Aug. 26, 2016, Harrouff is conscious at St. Mary's Medical Center, but remains in the hospital for several more weeks as he recovers. Who'd Once Dated Victim's Wife, N.Y. "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. November 30, 2022 / 7:27 PM Twitter; This case was always about mental illness, she said. 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. I love you to the deep blue and beyond. Aug. 7, 2018 Michelle Mischon's family files a wrongful-death lawsuit against Austin Harrouff. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Thank you Michelle Mishcon Stevens for always believing in me and being a great role model. 2023 www.tallahassee.com. 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.. "I'm so sorry and I never wanted this to happen," Austin Harrouff said in the interview. Chris Harris. Michelle, you were loved and respected by so many, wrote a friend on Facebook. Person shot in leg at Town Center at Boca Raton, city police say. On Monday night about 9:20 p.m., John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, died after an attack. The TV station said Fisher called 911. 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. Harrouff was grunting and growling at the scene and making animal-like noises, police said, according to The New York Daily News. 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. "Do you know what you said to him? Michelle Karen Mishcon, 53, retired after working in the financial industry, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office. 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. But he's not here," Stevens said of his father. Do you know what you said to him? Why would you do something so incredibly horrible to other people and yourself? she says. I don't know how to put it into words.". November 2016: After news of Austin Harrouff saying he ate humans made international headlines, 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. This day was one I will remember especially, capturing this shot after we finished the miami building run as team striano! He then tried to eat Stevens' face off, police said. Fisher ran home after being stabbed several times. He declined further comment to The Associated Press on Friday. "Sure, he looked sad and disheveled. independent local journalism in Miami. denies Austin Harrouff's defense attorneys' motion to find Florida's insanity defense law unconstitutional. 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. One speaker, who identified herself as Hailey, told Harrouff that his parents enabled him. released 22 minutes of unedited video of Austin Harrouff's interview with Dr. Phil McGraw. 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. He also spoke about the garage where they were attacked. crime. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens III were attacked and killed in 2016. . Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. That's because he's accused of entering private property to initiate the attack. 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. Was Austin insane? Michelles brother Mason Mishcon said. "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. "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. My dad and Michelle, they were great people, and we were super close, said Stevens, a former Marine who now lives outside Kansas City. He could have been using the drugs bath salts or flakka (alpha-PVP), according to the police. The reason I think someone is going to murder my children. CNN has reached out to the prosecutor for comment. 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. What does that mean? Fisher told deputies Mishcon and her 59-year-old husband John Stevens III were still alive when he got there Monday night. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens III were attacked and killed in 2016. Though he was conscious when he arrived at the hospital, the sheriff's office said Harrouff was in critical condition and put under sedation. 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. He'llalso be charged with burglary, the statement said. (Facebook/Michelle Mishcon Stevens). Phil interview. 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. 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. RIP never forget xoxo.. Harrouff, who did not know the couple, stabbed the them to death while they were watching TV in their open garage. Local 10 News said former Mayor Mishcon was barely able to speak after the death of his eldest daughter. A local athletic field is named after his wife, who died in 1997 of a heart attack, the TV station said. Four words come to mind: white, rich boy justice, Mishcon said, according to WPLG. He said he has kept them updated on everything. 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. 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. You are the reason I check all my doors at night. Overview. If not with his life, then with the only thing we can get from him, which is a civil judgment.". The two filed a marriage license on June 9, 1997. Austin started to mentally decompensate in the weeks, days, and moments leading up to the incident. Its an awful case, he said, adding that no one is losing sight of the death and injuries in the case. Funeral services are held for John Stevens and Michelle Mishcon, the victims of an alleged attack by Austin Harrouff in Tequesta. Personal Life. The sheriff in Martin County believes that 19-year-old Austin Harrouff had taken the drug. 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There, after acting strangely and drinking cooking oil, his mother drives him back to the Duffy's. Other family members echoed her sentiments. 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. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. 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. Sheriff: Assailant kills Florida couple, bites victim in face. The company used his Kokomo Lane address. Austin murdered Joseph John Stevens III and his better half, Michelle Mishcon Stevens, on August 15, 2016, before eating Joseph's face. He thinks the suspect was, violent, repressed, entitled and upset and wanted to hurt somebody and now hes hurt a bunch of people.. 3:34PM. A 38-page report by forensic psychologist Dr. Phillip Resnick says Austin Harrouff believed he was "half-dog, half-man". I love you tons and tons.. The Herald said toxicology tests for more unique synthetic drugs are still pending and Harrouff is hospitalized. Stevens said he wants the prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case, but he fears they will not. Miami's independent source of 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.