Michelle Mishcon and John Stevens III were murdered at their Florida home on Monday. Austin Harrouff Appeared Legally Insane: Psychologist | Law & Crime First published on November 28, 2022 / 5:29 PM. The victims' families did not buy that Harrouff was insane when he beat and stabbed their loved ones to death on Aug. 15, 2016. What does that mean? It was a place they loved that John says they called it their "Garage Mahal.. Currently the site of Stevens Institute of Technology. Ivy Stevens spoke with The Post about learning to cope with the loss. "I look at my daughter every day (and think) how much joy he would have gotten out of knowing her. The New York Daily News says the neighbor who intervened was expected to recover but suffered substantial injuries. "The Harrouff family loves Austin as they know the Stevens and Mishcon families loved John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon," the statement reads. You are the reason I check all my doors at night. Powered by. To date, it's unknown what Harrouff ingested. She said that she had begun writing her victim impact statement when she was "naive enough" to think there would be justice. / AP. Your dad asks you on the afternoon before you killed my sister, Did you throw the drugs out? 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. Open main menu. This case was always about mental illness, she said. 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. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens III were attacked and killed in 2016. 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. CNN has reached out to the prosecutor for comment. Michelle Mishcon Stevens & J. Stevens loved life like no other couple I know! Michelle Mishcon Stevens, Woman Killed by Face-Eating Austin Harrouff He said that prosecutors and the defense agreed that Harrouff had not formulated mental intent in the attack on the couple in their garage; doctors determined he suffered a psychosis during a manic episode of bipolar disorder. 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. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens III were attacked and killed in 2016. August 17, 2016 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. That's because he's accused of entering private property to initiate the attack. 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 . 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. Attack killed his father and stepmother Tuesday. Mishcon read numerous bizarre conversations Harrouff had via text message leading up to the killings, directing them at Harrouff in court, WPLG reported. Updated ("Austin) must have some psychological break. At the scene, a bloody knife and a pair of scissors were found, according to crime-scene photos. 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. Funeral services are held for John Stevens and Michelle Mishcon, the victims of an alleged attack by Austin Harrouff in Tequesta. Eventually, after another fight with his father, he leaves and finds himself wandering the streets near Southeast Kokomo Lane. I hope you never find happiness for the rest of your life, she said. Their loved ones were experiencing a lot of pain and hurt. 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. 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. The assault was baseless and random because he had no idea about the couple. Thank you, she said, sardonically. 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. A family has been left heartbroken, trying to somehow understand the unthinkable. 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. 2 men found not guilty of murder in 2016 shooting death of Riviera girl. A neighbor tried in vain to help the couple. I love you to the deep blue and beyond. Miami's independent source of 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. "But here we are, opening the prison doors for a double murderer. Something went way wrong," Wade Harrouff told 'Dr. Who were John Stevens and Michelle Mishcon? - Treasure Coast 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Become a member to support the independent voice of South 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. Police said Harrouff, 19, had no known connections to the victims and the attack was random and unprovoked, said CBS 12. 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. 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. "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. 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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. 4:36 PM EST, Tue November 29, 2022. In the other court documents, more details emerge: In the hours before the attacks, friends and family said Austin Harrouff had been acting strangely. Harrouff, who did not know the couple, stabbed the them to death while they were watching TV in their open garage. crime. Sadly, their lives would be cut short in a bizarre rampage where there were more . It was almost like happy hour in somebodys garage and they cooked all these lobster tails for everybody. Neighbors described the husband and wife as great neighbors who were always having fun and were kind to everybody. Four words come to mind: white, rich boy justice, Mishcon said, according to WPLG. Eventually, Harrouff is taken to St. Marys Medical Center. The company was inactive by September 2015. 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. Suspect in 2016 double murder, face-biting case found not guilty by Chris Harris. 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. [emailprotected]. friends and family said Austin Harrouff had been acting strangely. Have a tip or story idea? And she says that if she could ask Harrouff one question, it would be, Why?. He then tried to eat Stevens' face off, police said. June 2017: The State Attorney's Office in Martin County releases Austin Harrouff's jail calls. Episode 149 - Stranger In The Night - The Case Of John Stevens They said they will ask for the death penalty in any future case. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Deputies encountered Harrouff biting off the face of Stevens in the driveway of the couples home around 9:20 p.m., said CBS 12. By. Harrouff remains hospitalized in stable but critical condition. I didnt know you could brutally murder two people, attempt to murder another and not even have a trial. His dad will never get the chance to meet and to hold his new granddaughter. John Stevens was born into a wealthy family in New York City in 1749. Did you throw the drugs out? You didnt answer yes, Mishcon said. They had a television and chairs in their garage, which faced the street, and they were known to sit there with the garage door open waving at neighbors. He could have been using the drugs bath salts or flakka (alpha-PVP), according to the police. 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. 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. Okay, he said. Friends and family of the two people killed by a. 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. told The Post he doesn't believe Austin Harrouff's crocodile tears in the Dr. 2023 www.tallahassee.com. Chris Harris. 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. 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. Florida man who killed couple and tried to eat a victim's face declared 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. Judge rules Austin Harrouff not guilty by reason of insanity in murder She described him as extremely remorseful for the pain he caused the families, and she said that he was sincerely open to treatment. Download on the App Store GET IT ON Google Play. As far as Stevens and Mishcons families are concerned, thats not justice. Harrouff, then 19-years-old, was having dinner with his family when he stormed off in an agitated state, officials said at the time. John Leavitt Stevens (August 1, 1820 - February 8, 1895) was the United States Minister to the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 when he was accused of conspiring to overthrow Queen Liliuokalani in association with the Committee of Safety, led by Lorrin A. Thurston and Sanford B. Dole - the first Americans attempting to overthrow a foreign government under the auspices of a United States government . A neighbor, Jeff Fisher, tried to intervene when he heard the commotion outside, but he was also attacked by Harrouff. Where was the advocate then?. CBS 12 said authorities are testing Harrouff for bath salts and Flakka but added that he has tested negative in the first few tests. The Miami Herald said Harrouff was a Florida State University sophomore studying pre-exercise science and said he was eating dinner at Duffys, a sports pub down the block, with his parents when he got mad from possibly about slow service and stormed out. Some experts have also raised steroid rage as a possibility. 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. Misdeeds: a true crime podcast on Apple Podcasts 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. Harrouff, then 19-years-old, was having dinner with his family when he stormed off in an agitated state, officials said at the time. WATCH: FSU Student Allegedly Ate Victims Face After Stabbing Him and Wife, Suspect in Slaying of Physician Assistant Is Another P.A. [He] apparently attacked both of them with a knife that he was known to carry, Snyder said. 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. Other family members echoed her sentiments. 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. You didn't answer 'yes,'" Mishcon said. ProsecutorBrandon Whitevoiced sympathy for the families. John Stevens and Michelle Mishcon: Slain Martin County couple 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. I didnt know that.. He was super excitedso thats made it that much more hard for us.. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and John Stevens are the Jupiter, Florida couple killed in a face-eating attack allegedly by fraternity member Austin Harrouff. RIP never forget xoxo.. Phil interview. 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 in the video, he seems calm as he passes other diners and a waiter on the way out. John Stevens IV told The Post he doesn't believe Austin Harrouff's crocodile tears in the Dr. "They met there and. John Stevens posted on Facebook about fatherhood. Mason Mishcon made a similar demand. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Are you ever going to tell us what that means," according to WPLG. Not only for myself but for my family. 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. 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. Everybody is shocked, said Stevens. He thinks the suspect was, violent, repressed, entitled and upset and wanted to hurt somebody and now hes hurt a bunch of people.. His daughters baptism is about two weeks away. On Monday, victim impact statements were read in the courtroom, a court manager told CNN. Michelle Mishcon Stevens and her husband John Stevens. On Facebook, Michelle says she worked at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, lived in Jupiter, Florida, was married, and was from North Miami Beach. Florida man who killed couple and tried to eat a victim's face declared Michelle Karen Mishcon, 53, retired after working in the financial industry, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office. But he's not here," Stevens said of his father. Aug. 2, 2019: Bauer agrees to let prosecutors audio-record a psychological examination with Austin Harrouff. Mishcon read numerous bizarre conversations Harrouff had via text message leading up to the killings, directing them at Harrouff in court, WPLG reported. "You can't even look at me?" 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. 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. 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. Michelle Mishcon Stevens. Not the defense, the county, the state. Circuit Judge Sherwood Baueraccepted Harrouffs plea, however, on the day trial was set to begin. "We want justice for Michelle and John," Jodi Bruce, Michelle Mishcon's sister, read from a written statement outside the Martin County Courthouse. 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 . 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. Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Florida man accused of killing random couple, chewing on victim's face John Stevens IV, Stevens son, told the Sun Sentinel, It is not super important to me what his mindset was. That theory is later debunked by toxicology reports. Toxicology results are still pending, though officials have said there has been no confirmation of Flakka in his system as of yet. All Rights Reserved. His parents had set up an appointment for him to be evaluated, but the attack occurred first. Who were John Stevens and Michelle Mishcon? - Treasure Coast Newspapers 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. G-D help their neighbor who tried to intervene & was injured by the assailant.. More than 500 people attended John Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon's memorial service in Fort Lauderdale Friday. The Herald said toxicology tests for more unique synthetic drugs are still pending and Harrouff is hospitalized. Parents Of FSU Student Who Allegedly Tried to Eat Man's Face Issue He could be anyones son, brother, neighbor, friend. 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.