Face-biting slaying suspect charged with murder, leaving hospital after 49 days

STUART, Fla. — A teenager accused of fatally stabbing a Martin County, Florida, couple in their home, is leaving the hospital Monday after spending 49 days there, the sheriff's office said.

Austin Harrouff, 19, has been at St. Mary's Medical Center since the fatal stabbings.

With his hospital release, Harrouff has officially been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the Aug. 15 deaths of John Stevens and Michelle Mishcon and one count of attempted first-degree murder of a neighbor, Jeff Fisher, who tried to stop the attacks, according to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.

When sheriff's deputies arrived at the couple's home on Aug. 15, they found Harrouff clinging to Stevens and biting off pieces of the man's face, authorities said. He had already bitten the man's abdomen, deputies said.

It's still unclear when the results of Harrouff's blood test will be completed by the FBI. The sheriff's office has said that the results won't change the charges against the teen.

The results will give more insight into whether Harrouff was under the influence of substances such as bath salts and flakka at the time of the violent, and seemingly random, attacks, authorities said.

Harrouff has not yet made a statement to officials, Snyder said. He likely will be ready to speak to officials later Monday, Snyder said, but that will be up to Harrouff and his attorney.

Snyder said Harrouff likely will need therapy and will be housed in the medical facility of the jail.

"We made it clear to the hospital this is a jail, not a therapeutic place to be," Snyder said.

Mischon's and Stevens' family has expressed frustration with the delay in moving Harrouff to jail, Snyder said.

Cox Media Group