No street drugs found in system of FSU student accused of stabbing couple

Funeral to be held Friday for victims at Parker Playhouse

Austin Harrouff, 19, was enrolled at Florida State University, where he was about to begin his sophomore year.

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. – Martin County Sheriff's Office officials announced Wednesday that no street drugs were found in initial blood tests taken from a 19-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a couple Monday night.

The victims were identified as Michelle Stevens, 53, and her husband, John Stevens, 59.

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Deputies said the couple was stabbed in their garage by Florida State University student Austin Harrouff, who they did not know before the attack.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said deputies found Harrouff on top of the husband, biting and removing pieces of the victim's face with his teeth when they arrived.

He said the first deputy who arrived tried to stop Harrouff with a Taser gun, but that didn't stop him. More deputies and a K-9 unit were called and eventually overpowered him.

A neighbor who tried to help the couple, Jeff Fisher, 47, was also stabbed.

He was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Harrouff  was also taken to the hospital, where he is stable and coherent, deputies said. The sheriff said he was making "animal-like sounds" when he was first brought to the hospital.

Authorities said he is expected to undergo surgery on his hand.

It's unclear what exactly led to the attack, but Snyder said Harrouff  had been at a Duffy's restaurant in Jupiter earlier that evening with his parents and walked away after becoming upset about the service.

A funeral for the daughter of former North Miami Beach Mayor Jeff Mishcon and her husband will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale.

The couple was married for 19 years. Friends told Local 10 News that the pair loved boating and fishing.


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.