Face-eating suspect Austin Harrouff in ‘grave condition’ after killing couple

Jabberwocky

Frumious Bandersnatch
Joined
Nov 3, 1999
Messages
1,290
Location
Looking-Glass Land
A 19-YEAR-OLD university student charged with fatally stabbing a couple outside their home and then biting the dead man’s face is on a ventilator in hospital surrounded by guards.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said Austin Harrouff was incoherent and making “animal-like noises” when he was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Centre after the Monday night attack in a quiet neighbourhood north of Jupiter.

On Tuesday, Sheriff Snyder told reporters that Harrouff’s condition was “life-threatening.”

West Palm Beach television station WPTV reported that Harrouff is sedated and on a ventilator with guards stationed nearby.

Sheriff Snyder said Harrouff stormed out of a restaurant where he was having dinner with his family on Monday night, apparently agitated over slow service.

d386b2fd459a5abf3fe44d812b762801

Harrouff’s mother, Mina, reported her son missing to police about three hours after he stormed out of the restaurant after arguing with his father, Wade.

She didn’t know that about 45 minutes after leaving, according to police, he killed 53-year-old Michelle Mishcon and 59-year-old John Stevens in a random attack.

Mrs Harrouff also told police her son had no history of mental illness and wasn’t a heavy drug user. She didn’t think he was a danger to himself or others.

Dr. Wade Harrouff, a dentist, declined to comment about his son’s arrest.

Neighbours said Mishcon and Stevens had a habit of sitting in their garage, where they often kept the door open while they watched television.

4efd75deee6329c0b34f589ec5b42831

Michelle Mishcon, 53, and her husband John Stevens, 59, were killed by in the ‘inexplicable’ attack, according to investigators. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

Neighbour Jeff Fisher, 47, tried to help but was stabbed during the attack. He was breathing heavily on the 911 call, which was released on Tuesday. He told the operator that the assailant had attacked a woman and then him when he tried to intervene.

Mr Fisher was bleeding profusely and taken to a hospital. His father, Steve Fisher, told WPTV that his son was stabbed once in the neck, three times in the back and once in the side. He’s expected to survive.

When a deputy arrived at the couple’s home, she used her Taser on Harrouff, but it didn’t faze him, Sheriff Snyder said. She tried pulling him off Stevens’ body, but couldn’t. Other deputies arrived
shortly along with a dog and it took all of them to subdue Harrouff. Sheriff Snyder said they didn’t shoot, fearing their bullets would strike the victim.

“The suspect in this case was abnormally strong,” Sheriff Snyder said, making him think Harrouff was on drugs.

He said hospital blood tests showed no signs of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin or other common drugs; it will take longer to test for less common hallucinogenic drugs such as flakka or bath salts.

Michelle Suskauer told WPTV she’ll be representing Austin Harrouff if he survives. She told the television station that his parents have not been able to see him, but she’s continuing to request permission for them to be by his side.

She said he is in serious condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

“Obviously we don’t know what predicated these acts. But certainly, there are mental health issues that are going to have to be investigated here. We don’t know if anything is going to show up on toxicology or not,” Suskauer said.



Source: http://www.news.com.au/world/north-...s/news-story/9dee44b28c6902c554de4fb694584b85
 
Top