Austin Harrouff unable to talk three weeks after face-biting, stabbings

Credit: Allen Eyestone

Credit: Allen Eyestone

For 22 days, Martin County sheriff's deputies have stood guard over Austin Harrouff’s hospital room.

For 22 days, the teen accused of stabbing a southern Martin County couple in their home and biting the male victim has been unable to tell investigators what led to their violent deaths.

Officials are waiting on the results of a toxicology report that would determine whether bath salts or flakka were in Harrouff's system during the Aug. 15 attack. His father has said that mental illness, not drugs, played a role.

For weeks, the Sheriff's Office has called Harrouff's condition "critical but stable." Late last month, the sophomore at Florida State University's dad said his son's organs were failing.

The Florida teen has been in and out of consciousness during his 22 days at St. Mary's Medical Center but hasn't been able to speak, the Sheriff's Office said.

He was making animal noises when he arrived at the hospital following the attack, the Sheriff's Office said. It took multiple deputies, a Taser and a K-9 to pull the teen off John Stevens, whose face the teen was biting.

Harrouff had repeatedly stabbed Stevens and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, killing the couple. The Sheriff's Office said he also stabbed the couple's neighbor, who tried to intervene in the fatal attack.

Harrouff's father, Wade Harrouff, talked to Dr. Phil about the attack in an episode that will air Wednesday.

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