FL Accused face-eater Austin Harrouff believed he was ‘half man, half dog’ when he allegedly killed couple, attacked neighbor
A Florida man accused of killing a couple and attacking their neighbor believed he was “half man, half dog” when he was discovered by authorities inside the home, biting and ripping into the male victim’s face, according to a forensic psychologist.
Austin Harrouff is facing murder charges in the deaths of Michelle Mishcon and John Stevens as well as attempted murder for allegedly attacking the couple’s neighbor, Jeffrey Fisher. Authorities said Stevens and his 53-year-old wife were beaten to death outside their Palm Beach County home in 2016.
When officers arrived on the scene, Harrouff was on top of Stevens, biting into his face and making growling sounds. The 22-year-old suspect is also accused of attacking Fisher, who was trying to help his neighbors at the time.
In a 38-page mental-health report released by the Martin County State Attorney’s Office this week, Dr. Phillip Resnick said Harrouff didn’t think he was human when he attacked his alleged victims on Aug. 15, 2016, according to the Palm Beach Post.
The fact that Mr. Harrouff persisted in biting the male victim in the presence of police officers, in spite of threats of being shot, being Tased, and receiving multiple kicks to the head, suggests that Mr. Harrouff was actively psychotic,” he wrote.
Resnick, a forensic psychologist connected with some of the country’s most notorious murder cases, added Harrouff “had the delusion that he could run ‘super fast’ because he was ‘half-man, half dog.’ He believed that other dogs’ hair was attached to his face.”
The behavior is symptomatic of “clinical lycanthropy,” a rare condition in which sufferers believe they’re an animal — usually a werewolf.
The report concluded overall that Harrouff was suffering from “severe mental disease” at the time of the alleged crime, including Bipolar Disorder and Acute Manic Episode with Psychotic features.
Resnick acknowledged the fact Harrouff could be faking his symptoms to get lesser charges, but mentioned family members and witnesses said he was acting strangely ahead of the attack. He allegedly claimed that he had “special powers” and that he felt like Jesus.