MARTIN COUNTY, Fla.- The accused face eater in Monday’s gruesome double murder, appeared lucid when police arrived to grab him.
As of right now authorities and neighbors are doing their best to piece together the details in this case. Austin Harrouff, a 19-year-old Florida State University sophomore studying exercise science, went from a seemingly normal college student to a cannibalistic killer.
So far the events have unrolled with Harrouff beginning his night at Duffy’s for a family dinner. Surveillance video shows him leaving the establishment around 8:30 p.m. and walking three miles along Island Way. He stopped at Kokomo Lane, one street over from his dad’s house.
In a 911 call later his mother mentioned Harrouff had begun saying delusional things at dinner, talking about being immortal and a super hero.
Once he reached Kokomo Lane, he attacked a couple lounging in their garage with the door open. He beat Michelle Stevens to death, says autopsy results. He then fatally stabbed her husband John with a switchblade he carried around and other “weapons of opportunity” found in the garage. Jeff Fisher, a neighbor, ran over to stop the attack after he saw Harrouff beating Michelle. Harrow stabbed Fisher five times.
Fisher and his wife called 911 at 9:20 p.m., frantically pleading for help. Fisher told the operator that he saw an unresponsive woman lying on the ground and told police, with labored breathing, he saw a “young man beating up a woman across the street.”
Police arrived t 9:30 p.m. and found Harrouff lying on John Stevens body eating bits of his face and stomach. It took several shocks from a Taser and bites from a police dog to haul the “growling,” “grunting” man off of the body.
Harrouff told police to test him, that they wouldn’t find any drugs in his system.
Harrouff was in critical condition with a breathing tube as of Friday, guarded by Martin County Sheriff deputies. He hadn’t spoken to his family or friends since arriving at the hospital. He is expected to be released early next week and will be moved to jail.
He will be charged with one count each of first-degree murder for the deaths of the Stevens family, attempted first-degree murder for Jeff Fisher, armed burglary and resisting arrest without violence.
According to the Miami Herald, “an initial test for common street drugs — including marijuana, cocaine and heroin — showed no traces of them in Harrouff’s system. Samples of his blood, hair and DNA were sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI lab at Quantico, Virginia, for further testing.”
The Steven’s family had a memorial service Friday where a family lawyer read a statement released by the Harrouff family:
“The Harrouff family expresses their deepest sympathy for the pain and suffering caused by Austin Harrouff,” it said. “There are no words we can offer to give any real comfort for this tragic loss.”
“We love our son and know that he is not the person some are making him to be for their own purposes. We will allow the full legal process to find the facts and truth here.”