Sword and Scale - Episode 105

Episode Date: December 10, 2017

"CENTAUR... you have awoken. Don't let them kill you." The bath salts epidemic has reached new proportions in the state of Florida, as more and more shocking cases make their way to the front pages of local papers, before capturing International attention through the news wires. This is the story of a young man named Austin Harrouff who earned worldwide recognition for his actions on the night of August 15th, 2016. Could drugs explain his behavior that night, or was something else to blame?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sort and scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences Listener discretion is advised We know in this in our business that people on flakka or bath salts will do this type of behavior where they attack They're victim and and they do the biting and actually just remove pieces of flesh. This is it guys, final episode of the season, final episode of the year. Welcome to season 4, episode 105 of Sword and Scale. A show that reveals that the worst monsters are real. Oh Imagine you're a 59 year old man. Spending an August night with your wife in the garage.

This isn't just some normal garage. No, this is a garage you've set up just to your liking. You open up the garage door so you can wave hide your neighbors as they pass by. Steady breeze comes in through the open door, tempering the heat of another warm floor at night. On a night like this memories come rushing back. You think about all the family dinners you've shared. Right here. The cigars you've smoked. The last minute bachelor party you threw together. And all the barbecues you've hosted.

And of course, you can't help but think about the countless nights you've spent in this garage watching TV with your wife over the last 19 years. You take a seat on the couch, glance over at her, and think, this is what retirement is all about. This is what life is all about. You've worked hard for this moment, and now it's time to enjoy it. You flip on the TV and settle in. Never suspecting that your life is about to end. Or that your face will soon become someone's dinner. On December 21, 1996, Mina and Wade Herroth gave birth to, was raised in Northern Palm Beach County, and according to his parents, he had a great upbringing. His family was affluent, his father working as a cosmetic dentist and his mother as a

successful pharmacist. Growing up, Austin enjoyed playing video games and shooting airsoft guns at popcans in the backyard. When Austin was in sixth grade, he and his older cousins made a video of themselves reviewing a new airsoft gun. Alright, in that way, we'll see the game. Do it! Exploded after the first two shots! Austin was a happy kid, quirkly, and always smiling. Say bye guys.

Bye! His parents divorced in 2010 when Austin was just in his early teens. But they stayed nearby, both parents finding homes in the town of Jupiter, Florida. In high school, Austin's primary residence was his mother's house in the shores. An upscale housing development where the cost of homes averages around half a million dollars. Austin attended Sun Coast Community High School in Riviera Beach, Florida. About a 20-minute drive south, down Florida's Atlantic coastline from his mother's home in the shores. In school, Austin excelled. He received good grades and took challenging courses through Sun Coast's International Baccalaureate program. However, he was a bit socially awkward.

Early on in high school, very quiet kid, maybe a little bit socially lacking. When he entered high school, Austin was quiet and reserved, mostly keeping to himself. He was a nice guy, quiet. He was pretty shy, he didn't talk too much, but I think you're a good friend. He was also self-aware. Austin wrote the following about himself as part of a class assignment. The way I see myself may or may not be different from the way others see me. I view myself as happy, shy, nice, positive, and I never give up. I view myself as happy because usually I have a few things to feel sad or

depressed about. One of the main things I dislike about myself is that I'm shy. I want to be more confident and assertive. I am not that shy around my close friends because after I get to know someone, I start to open up more towards them. I also see myself as nice because I will go out of my way to help people. I'm usually not very mean unless someone or something has made me angry. I also don't give up even when I'm in a difficult situation like if I'm not doing well in school, I will do my best to work harder and get my grades up. I also see myself as creative. I love imagining anything. What I want to be is to become more confident and social. I also want to be more well-known because right now I feel as though I am unknown.

As Austin went through high school, he realized his goal of becoming more well-known. He just opened up more, and then when I came back to Sun Coast to watch a football game, I saw him as a senior, and he'd opened up a lot more. It seemed like he was just kind of coming out of his shell more than anything else. We spoke to a friend of Austin's from high school. My name is Michael Lusik, and I attended Sun Coast High school from August of 2010 to May of 2014. Michael Lusik played football with Austin for three years and the two spent a lot of time together. I knew him pretty well.

He started playing on the football team my sophomore year because he's a year younger than me. So I've known him. I kind of knew who he was my sophomore year and then my then my junior and senior year, I knew him pretty well, because he lived in Jupiter about 10 minutes from where I lived, and he'd give me rides back home for practice sometimes. And my senior year, he and I actually played

on the defensive line together. To some degree, playing on the football team helped Austin to overcome some of his shyness. I'd say people knew him, but he wasn't like one of the popular kids that makes sense. It was like he had his like popularity from playing on the football team. In addition to playing football, Austin was on the school's weightlifting and wrestling teams.

And in spite of his quiet personality, he stood out amongst his peers. At least physically. Austin was six feet tall, 200 pounds, and able to bench press nearly twice his body weight. He was usually one of the strongest kids on our team. I remember my senior year, his junior year, he could bench 345 pounds for a set of two or three, and then he could squat a lot. He was a big big strong guy. But Austin's physical stature bellied a kind, gentle interior. According to Michael, Austin's football coaches practically

had to beg him to be more aggressive on the field. I remember when we used to play our football coaches, we would actually have to tell them to get me to more aggressive see how the tendency of being a very reserved guy. He's strong though, big strong football player, just almost like a general giant. It's kind of like how I describe him. As an upper-classman, Austin began to think about playing football in college. He wrote the following on a college recruiting profile. I joined the football team a college recruiting profile. I joined the football team in my freshman year.

I mainly played as a defensive tackle. This coming year, I'll be playing both a defensive and offensive line. I have learned to discipline myself on and off the field. I have conditioned my body in a short period of time to be one of the strongest on the team. I pressed 365 pounds by my junior year. Offseason, I joined the wrestling team in my sophomore year, and I was the most improved player by my junior year. I will be the captain in my senior year.

I also joined the weightlifting team this past year and made second in the district. I would be a great asset to your football team. I love the competitiveness of the game and I have the drive to improve. Thank you for considering me. However, when it came time to apply for college, Austin decided not to push his luck at a higher level of play. Most of the guys that played his position at the college level, especially the Division 1 level, were very, very large. Most knows tackles at the division one level or you know over six foot one over

300 pounds. He was strong but he didn't feel like he had the size to compete. At least based on the conversations we had. Austin graduated high school in 2015 and decided to attend Florida State University about 400 miles from his mom's house in Jupiter During his freshman year Austin seemed to be coming out of a shell more and more Even joined the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at Florida State. I know he joined a fraternity just looked like You know from like a tell on social media that he was just living a normal college students life I was happy for him. It seemed like he had kind of again come out of the shell a little bit. Although he'd stopped playing football, Austin maintained an intense interest in physical fitness

and weightlifting. Fittingly, he decided to pursue a degree in exercise science. He also became interested in bodybuilding, and he began posting fitness videos to YouTube. On March 8, 2016, toward the end of his freshman year at Florida State, Austin uploaded the first of these videos, which he filmed with the help of a couple of friends. How's it going? Y'as today? I'm going to be talking about fitness as a whole and the challenges it brings okay the challenges with fitness are that you got to stay dedicated

dedication is a very important point I mean we're doing this shit almost every fucking day every fuck eat like you got to cut out some time in your day that you would devote what, like drinking, playing video games, whatever, whatever it may be. After school, after work, after whatever you do, come here, pay your dues every day. Right? Yeah. Don't be lazy. So every, almost every day, like take like a day or two off,

but you also got to eat, right? That's what it's, that's, cleaning. All right, it's 30% exercise, 70% eating, man. The video stretches on for about 15 minutes. I don't know if his advice is any good, but he clearly was passionate about his field of study. After the school year ended, Austin spent summer break with his family. In July, he went on a fishing trip with his dad and video blogged about it. Today, we're going fishing.

Austin was reportedly working a summer job and living with his father over the break. Neighbors said they frequently saw Austin throwing parties with his friends in the backyard of his dad's house. He was a 19-year-old college kid, home for the summer, after all. On August 15, 2016, Austin went hiking with his father and hung out on the beach with his sister and some of his fraternity brothers. That evening, Austin went out to dinner and jupiter with his sister, a childhood friend, his father, and his father's girlfriend at Duffy's sports

grill, a popular floor-to-chain restaurant. At dinner, Austin didn't seem like himself. At one point, he up and left the restaurant without saying anything. He walked about two miles to his mother's home, and his mom drove him back to the restaurant. Austin's dad was upset. Austin started to laugh, and his dad grabbed him by a shirt collar asking, what is wrong with you? Austin began to react, but his dad's girlfriend intervened.

Austin relaxed, and turned to leave the restaurant for a second time. We know that sometime around 830 he was at the Duffy's which is just a walking distance to the south on Indian town road with both his mother and father. They say that it's sometime during the evening during that, he became agitated over. I'm not exactly sure. I think the meal was slow and getting there and actually walked away. Close circuit TV footage from Duffy's shows Austin calmly exiting the restaurant around

8.30 pm dressed in a blue polo shirt with a button-zoned-done and wearing a red make America great again hat turned backwards. Worried about their son's safety, Austin's parents contacted the police, and some of his fraternity brothers formed a makeshift search party. They were actually out in the neighborhood looking for him. Mom and dad had called the Jeeper Police Department

to report they walked out and they were looking for him. So he was not officially a missing person just within an hour or so. As the night went on, nobody heard from Austin. It wasn't like him to disappear for a long period of time without telling anyone where he was going, but it was still too early to file a missing person's report. Austin's mother, Mina Heroff, was concerned enough to call 911. Police Department logic order court in the CIS. Yes, I need to.

I don't know how to do this. My son, he's kind of taken off. And I'm concerned about his own safety. I was asking a little strange. 19. Does he live with you? Yes. What do you mean I can change?

It seems like he's a little delusional or like he's acting like he's a history of that or anything. No, this is just like recent change that we're noticing. And he was out to dinner with his dad today and he took off. And we're just, he was with his sister and he said, you know, he feels immortal and like a superhero. So I'm just, I don't know what's going on with him. Pay close attention to the next question, as it is going to play an important role in

the rest of the story. Do you know if he's been taking any drugs or anything like that? Nothing. I've asked. Nothing recent. Right. I know of. He had not been taking drugs recently.

That she knew of. So did he leave the house? Or did he leave from the restaurant? Where is he left in it? Left from the restaurant. Where's Jeffie to that? By I-95. And what city though? We've just fetched for five. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. going towards North or Church Street. How long ago was this study left? I wouldn't say 10 o'clock. It's not 9.30. If he left on foot? Nobody. Yes. Yeah, no idea on him. His phone.

And he's never done this before. We knew this was something new. I mean, it's friends I'm calling all those friends that they like it's just people changed. The operator sends an officer out to Mina Heroff's house to decide whether or not Austin's disappearance warranted a missing person's alert. While Austin's family and friends continued searching for him, the Martin County Sheriff's Office received more frantic 911 calls from a house located about four miles away from Duffy's restaurant. Please, medical, medical on the line, laser.

BEEP Don't open that door! I'm trying to rescue a shi-adress. Young man, leading up a woman across the street. Okay, are they outside or in a house? It's in a garage. OK, can you tell if he has any weapons? I think he had a knife, but I'm not positive.

OK, can you tell if she's injured or he's injured? Again. Are either of them injured. Can you tell from where you are? Yes, there's a girl laying on the ground. He beat her up. I ran over there, I'm bleeding profusely here at the moment. Okay.

I don't know what happens. All right, can you tell if she's conscious or she unconscious? All right. Say again. Can you tell if she's conscious? No, he does not appear so new. Okay, and how what kind of injuries do you have? I've been stabbed in the back.

A knife? Yes, I believe so. Okay, you can talk a long, it was anything? Community ambulance. We're sending them, we're sending them. And where is he? Is he in the area? Right across the street from my house. Okay.

Alright, we're going to get the parvinics right out there. Sir, what did the guy look like? Was he white, black, Hispanic? He is white. You know how old he is? He's got 25 years old. And what was he wearing? Short t-shirt.

Do you know who he is? I have no idea. Does he live at the house or? No, he does not. Do you have the female that look familiar to you? I believe it was the daughter of the house of Lizard there on my positive. Can you have your wife or I don't want you moving

if you've been stabbed, but I can you have your wife or someone look out and see if he's still there? No, I don't want you moving if you've been stabbed, but can you have your wife or someone look out and see if he's still there? I don't know. See if that cord's still there. He's yet to appear if he's still there. You said you definitely saw a knife and that's what he hit you with in the back? No, I did not see it. My wife's looking in my back and it appears I got punctured.

Yes, that. And the neck and the head. Three, three puncture bullets. Okay, we got units in route, okay? Okay. Okay. All right, just call us back if anything changes, all right? No, don't do it. Don't do it. I'm doing it. All right, I call us back if anything changes, all right? No, don't do it, don't do it.

All right, I'm bleeding pretty bad. Okay, we got an ambulance tonight, buddy, and we're out just stay right there and stay calm, okay? Okay, thank you. All right. 47-year-old Jeff Fisher was getting ready for bed when he heard screaming across the street. He ran barefoot to his neighbor's house. Their garage was open,

and a young man was attacking his neighbors inside. Jeff attempted to break up the attack, but when he stepped in, he was stabbed five times by his attacker, and his side, his neck, and his back. Jeff's wife called 911 again, worried that responders had forgotten about her husband. out the deputies just got on scene they have to secure before we can get in. Is your husband still conscious? Yes. Okay. Here. I can get you back on if you want to get some more advice from them but they're on their way. Okay. Okay. Okay. I mean I think we've got it in control but I promise you they are coming. Yes. Now everybody's coming.

The deputies have to secure this scene before the fire asks you can come in. Okay. Okay. well he better secure it or I'm going to keep it up. You're going to be able to come in across the street right now, okay? Yes, okay, thank you. All right. All right. Officers arrived at the three bedroom, two bathrooms, Stucco House, and immediately called for backup. That's all I units, 1033, 335, at 1-9,

here's your nine Southeast Pokemon lane. There was no way that officers could have anticipated the scene That's all units 1033-335-19009 Southeast Kokomo Lane. There was no way that officers could have anticipated the scene now in front of them. Our first deputy arrived at 920. That Port of Martin County is cut off from some of our patrol zones. It took about 10 minutes, our first unit arrived at 19009 southeast Kokomo Lane. The deputy, when she arrived, observed our offender on top of the victim, our male victim, who is laying on the driveway leading into the garage. She immediately closed the gap between herself and that fight, and deployed her tase, or when she got there, she realized that the offender

was actually abiding the victim in the face and causing it turned out to be some substantial trauma to his face from bite marks. When the first deputy arrived, the attacker was on top of one of the victims, shirtless, making animal noises and biting chunks of flesh from the victim's face. 630-5, can fire as you go in. and biting chunks of flesh from the victim's face.

When asked if it was safe for fire and rescue to go in, the deputy on scene responded, no sir, I've got this guy wrapped around him and he's biting him. She deployed her taser, she used her taser. I shot the suspect with the taser. It did not work. She took a hold of him and tried to pull him off. But he was exhibiting abnormal levels of strength, had no shirt on. You see his picture later, he's fairly muscular.

I'm out. I'm out. Get him to the back. Get him back! More deputies arrived and tried to assist in removing the suspect from the victim. Nothing was working. They were using all the force that they were able to muster physically. Forrest Sheriff's deputies and an electric stun gun were not enough to overpower him.

He did see the assault, he did try to intervene, he did the best he could, the suspect in this case, apparently was abnormally strong. So getting that excited delirium type, increased the adrenaline strength. He looked to me, I saw a picture of him in shorts fishing, he looked fairly muscular. Somebody not feeling pain, not responding to a dog biting, not responding to repeated stuns from a taser, taking three, three, four deputies and an officer and a dog to get them off. That's somebody with a lot more strength than you would normally encounter. Finally, a police dog bit the attacker and the deputies were able to dislodge him from

the victim's body. After several minutes, that fight finally ended and they were able to overpower the suspect and take him into custody. He was apprehended. The attacker begged police to kill him, saying, shoot me now. I deserve to die. There goes the nearby rescue. 10th person in fire. FH 2031.

23rd Indian and Nazi and all our people. That's all really quite cheesy. Right away, I saw a possible true signal service. We need to be here now. There were two possible signal sevens. Signal seven is the Florida police code for a deceased person. 30, really, under the aggregate handful. Do you have any suspects or not, N12? We have everybody, N12. One suspect. There were three victims, two possible signal-7s and a suspect, 10 1015, which is code 4 in custody. Jeff Fisher, the Good Samaritan neighbor and 3rd victim, were taken to a nearby hospital.

The attacker's switchblade had nearly hit his jugular, but he would make a full recovery. The other two victims were not as fortunate. The male victim did expire on the scene and was not transported. The deputies then went inside the garage and found the dead male's wife, and she was also deceased. 59-year-old John Stevens and his wife, 53-year-old Michelle-Machon Stevens, were pronounced dead at the scene. Michelle's cause of death was ruled to be blunt force trauma. John died from lacerations, blunt trauma, and stab wounds to the neck, chest, and head. He had also suffered substantial trauma to his face in the form of bite marks.

The attacker had torn away chunks of flesh using his teeth. The neighbors say that both victims were known to sit in the garage with the door open. It does appear from the scene that that's exactly what happened. John Stevens and Michelle Mishon Stevens had been watching TV in their garage that night. According to John's father, the garage was a preferred hangout space. As he put it, they had a Jimmy Buffett-like bar, three sofas, a flat screen television, an ice cream maker, and a humidor for cigars. Michelle called it their garage mahal. As the investigators worked through the night, it was very obvious that it was an enormous amount of violence inside that garage and both victims sustained massive trauma on multiple portions of their body, their relacerations, stab wounds and blunt trauma.

From every indication, there is no connection between the victims and the suspect. The attacker was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where he began grunting, growling, and making animal noises. He said to deputies, help me. I ate something bad. When asked what he had eaten, he replied, humans, and spit out a piece of flesh. There was hair stuck between his teeth. The suspect is currently in a Palm Beach County hospital under sedation, and we expect

that he will survive. The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Austin Herroth. Right now Austin Herroff is in a hospital that in stable condition, but unable to speak. Investigators are waiting to charge him with the brutal murders of John and Michelle Steak. Now at six, a sickening and deadly attack, a married couple murdered in their Florida home

and police say the young killer bit the face of one of the victims. I went a 19 year old college student suddenly and for no apparent reason assault and stab a couple who were sitting in the garage, then bite the victims flesh. As someone who spent a lot of time with this person, how do you react to hearing, he's attacked and killed two strangers? Well, when I first saw the headline, I found out about it. I was at work.

We were really late when I used to work at a bar. And it's like 3, 4 a.m. and I see this headline pop up on my Facebook feed. And I'm like thinking like, this is like some joke or something. Like this can't be real. And I start reading the news article in the Trimiligidimit site. And I was like, holy crap. Like, this is a real thing. And like, at my, why almost I can't tempt for it.

Just kind of went to pure shock, like I could never see him doing something like that. Imagine finding that one of your high school buddies had viciously murdered two strangers in their garage and eaten one of their faces. One of the last people I would have expected to do something like this, especially this history of like, you know,

not being a super aggressive guy that began speaking for the most part a quiet, nice guy. Michael Lucic was left trying to figure out what had happened to his quiet good-natured friend from high school. What caused him to do something so unthinkable? Why had he been behaving so strangely? And how was he able to withstand the force of four sheriff's deputies and a taser? I'm thinking, you know, it had to be drugs, I thought he'd have taken bath salts or something.

Investigators were baffled as well. Yeah, I think I used the word already just now, perplexing. It's inexplicable. You know, one of the first things we try to do at a crime scene is begin to understand the motive of the offender Because it's the motive of the offender that actually gets us going in the right direction In this case, we can't establish a motive. There's just it's I don't know but they were slowly circling an explanation. I know the question is gonna be drugs, you know kind of drugs The original screening at the hospital which they look for some of our more common drugs that coughs overdoses.

heroin, methamphetamines, cocaine, were not in his body. We will be doing sampling of his blood to see if there was flock or bath salts. Both of those are known to cause what we call the excited deliriums. And he did have some indications that we might be working with that. He had taken off some of his clothes, but not all of his clothes. Investigators' initial toxicology screen had turned up negative, but the initial screening only accounted for some of the more common illegal drugs. I don't have all the drugs that they tested for at the hospital, but I know they

would have tested for cocaine, opioids, but I know they were tested for cocaine, opioids, methamphetamines, marijuana. Several drugs lend themselves to rapid identification and blood work and some take longer analysis. So at some point we will have a full analysis and know exactly what was in his blood screen. Specifically, they were testing for bath salts. A category of drugs known as synthetic cathanones. Bath salts are powerful drugs known to cause a syndrome called excited delirium.

Essentially, excited delirium is a drug-induced psychosis that causes people to take off their clothes, become violent, and exhibit intense adrenaline-fueled strength. Bath salts include cloud nine, scar face, white lightning, and perhaps the most notorious, flaka, also known as gravel or the zombie drug. Bath salts have been growing in popularity over the previous few years and making headlines all over the state of Florida. And as we all know, Florida Man rarely takes a day off.

In 2012, a 21-year-old Florida Man, who was arrested after allegedly using bath salts, began growling and attempting to chew off the hand of a Miami police officer. In 2015, a 41-year-old Florida man ran naked down a neighborhood in Melbourne, Florida, claiming to be God and then performing an undisclosed sex act on a tree. In 2016, a 19-year-old Florida man allegedly took flock up before throwing himself through the front window of a home in Stewart, Florida, and assaulting a mother and son inside. Investigators and media outlets were beginning to pin down an explanation for Austin Herrofs otherwise inexplicable behavior on the night of August 15th, 2016.

I think that I'm not going to speculate, except to say, that we know in this, in our business, that people on Flaka or Baths salts will do this type of behavior where they attack their victim and they do the biting and actually just remove pieces of flesh in the bites. In light of these suspicions, some of Austin's behaviors earlier that day started to make sense. When he was hiking with his dad, he claimed that there was an evil presence in the woods. He had worn a Michael Vick Jersey sweatpants and two watches to the beach. His fraternity brothers commented on his odd behavior and he reportedly responded, if you all call me crazy, I'm going to beat the shit out of you.

Shortly before dinner, Austin had walked into traffic, telling his sister he had wanted to test his powers. Austin was not known to use heavy drugs. According to Austin's friend Michael, he hadn't done drugs in high school, but it was possible that he had taken up recreational drug use during his freshman year of college. So you never really, you never did drugs in high school. I suspected it. The only reason I thought of drugs is just because, you know, he joined a fraternity at his college. You know, everybody gets exposed to that kind of stuff in college and some people do it, some people don't. So it was a very plausible assumption to make. You know, when they started, you know, guessing bath salts, I assume that it was a possibility

that he meant to take one thing, but it wasn't, you know, that's the danger of taking an illegal drug. It might not be what you buy, it might not be what it's advertised. And I thought maybe he just taken something he wasn't intending to and had a adverse reaction to it." One of Austin's fraternity brothers told media outlets that Austin had smoked marijuana in college in order to fall asleep. However, his sister said that he had recently quit

smoking and turned over all his paraphernalia to his family. Austin's fraternity brother speculated that Austin was probably sleep deprived since he'd given up smoking weed. Had Austin given in and bought some weed to help him sleep the night before? Had he been so frustrated with his father at dinner that he stepped out to smoke weed and calmed down? When paramedics at the crime scene had asked Austin if he'd taken anything, he told him that he smoked a little weed and drank alcohol. Home from college had Austin been desperate enough to buy marijuana from a dealer he had known.

Maybe he'd bought a bad batch, and, meaning to smoke weed and relax, unwittingly, been ingesting something far more potent. Austin was unable to answer further questions, and he was taken to the hospital, where his liver began to fail. As it turns out, bath salts such as Flocka are also known to cause organ failure. For right now, the big question still was he on any kind of a drug. And the murder suspect, Harus blood, is being tested for flaka and bath salts. They do believe flaka may be involved as the suspect exhibited enormous amount of strength.

We're told the taser was used, we're told the dog was used, we're told multiple deputies were on top of him and we're trying to pull him off of this male victim. We still do not have confirmation of whether Hariff was on drugs during this attack. The Toxicology report is still in the works being handled by the FBI. It's been nearly six weeks now. No update for when that report will be complete. While the FBI was conducting blood tests to determine which drugs he had taken, Austin Hariff slipped into a coma.

11 Days Went By Before Austin Hariff, a 19-year-old college student accused of murdering a Florida couple and attempting to eat one of the victim's faces, finally emerged from his coma. He is now awake and responsive this according to Sheriff's Deputies. Hariff has not been able to provide a statement so far though. So we're here at the Martin County Sheriff's office where Sheriff William Snyder just

informed us that not only do we have yet another attack, which looks like it was flaka induced, but when it comes to that case, the original case of Austin Hariff, who attacked and killed John and Michelle Stevens into Cuesta, while it turns out Hariff today will have his breathing tube removed, he says he

is grunting and making sign language symbols but has yet to give detectives a statement at this point. And so far, he is aware that deputies have him on guard and aware of the charges he faces. Austin spoke out publicly for the first time without the knowledge of the Martin County Sheriff's Department. From his hospital bed at St. Mary's Medical Center, Austin participated in an interview with Dr. Phil. Although the shows producers eventually decided not to air the interview as scheduled, local media outlets fought for the interview to be released.

Florida Law says any document exchanged between the prosecution and defense is public record. The interview was among the documents provided by the State Attorney's Office to Hariff's lawyers. We successfully argued that what Austin Hariff voluntarily said to an entertainment talk show host prior to his arrest is important that it gives everyone a first glimpse at hair of side of the story. His lawyers said releasing the interview would taint the jury pool. Two courts rejected that argument. Florida courts ultimately decided to release some of the unedited interview footage to the public.

In the interview, Dr. Phil asks Austin if he was under the influence of any drugs during the attack. You know, I asked you earlier that there was this theory about flaka that you had somehow taken flaka. Do you know what flakka is? Is it a crystal or something? I don't know. My dad told me it was a crystal or something. Have you ever taken flakka? No. You didn't take it the day of the incident.

No. Have any of your friends ever taken floccah? Do you know anyone that's ever taken floccah? Have you ever seen the drug itself? Is there any chance anybody could have slipped that drug into your food or into something you drank or poisoned you with it contaminated you with it that day. I drank some tea at Duffy's, so I was told so. I don't think they would poison me or anybody would poison me. Right.

Others drank there too and they had no reaction, right? Yes. So when this tox screen comes back, they're not going to find those substances in your tox screen, correct? No, no. And so there's just, and you've heard of bath salts, right? I mean, you've read about that and heard about that. Have you ever taken anything like that?

No. So, there's never seen it. Never seen it, have you ever been your friends ever taken it? No. Uh-huh. So, there's just no way that has anything in your opinion. There's just no way that has anything to do with this incident or what took place. Was Austin playing dumb? Was it remotely possible that he could be telling the truth?

A short time later, the highly anticipated results of the FBI's toxicology screen came back. From the very beginning, there was a lot of speculation about what the Herov may have adjusted. There were some preliminary tests that were done at the hospital that were not particularly revealing. So we took that blood, we submitted it to the FBI, specialist and chronic of the results are now back. Those results will be in your package, which will be released at 330 by the state of Chinese office. I was surprised by the results, and of course, what leaded up to the jury, now the trial of fact to determine why they think

that the blood work impact will have on that trial. Shockingly, the toxicology tests backed up Austin's claims. The teenager accused of murdering a Martin County couple and then biting the flesh of one of his victims was not high on bath salts or flakka. The state attorney released Austin Hariff's toxicology report and the entire case file less than 90 minutes ago. So what was in the teenager system

that terrible August night? The blood work showed minimal levels of THC, the active chemical in marijuana, and alcohol. There were no other signs of flakka, bath salts, or any other known drug, apart from marijuana and austin-harif system on the evening of August 15th, 2016. Austen's liver failure and subsequent coma had been caused by hazardous chemicals Austin found and drank in the Stevens garage on the night of the attack. It didn't seem possible that no illicit substance was to blame for Austin's actions that night.

That no outside factor had caused Austin to lose control. But yet, there was proof that Austin was not on anything. Proof that would ever drove him to kill two strangers and consume human flesh came from within. And then once the talk screen came out and he wasn't on anything, I just seemed even more bizarre to me. At that point, I just wondered what happened to him mentally, what made him get to that point, is it a, did he just snap, is he under stress? What could have caused something like this to happen? Now, it just seemed so out of the blue, just again, like added more to the, I guess, the

mystery of what happened. What caused Austin to snap? Behaviours that initially seemed to be symptoms of psychoactive drugs were called back and question. Everything from Austin's old notebooks to his internet search history was scrutinized as friends, family members, and investigators tried to figure out what went off inside the mind of Austin Heroff. During the months leading up to the attack,

Austin had been scribbling notes and poems in the margins of unused pages of a notebook from high school. Below an art assignment from August 2013, Austin went back and scribbled, why is the above paragraph so boring and distasteful? It's because I lied about its meaning. I have to know that there's always more to understand and to never follow one thing. I must follow everything. Harmony. He also added lengthy entries to the first and last pages of the notebook, including the following excerpt. Austin wrote, people think I'm crazy. I see the powers of our creator all around me and I choose to ignore it.

I'm going to face my biggest fear to set an example to be a living good true person. I realize I can't help everyone, but I can always do my best. I see that we try to be immortal in our lives. No one knows what I go through. I do. I am Jesus. I am Gandhi. I am MLK. I am all.

I am not going to sacrifice myself. I will change the world." Austin also wrote hundreds of notes on his phone, often in form of wraps or poems. On March 3, 2016, he wrote, I'm in a fit of rage. Go ahead, lock me in a cage. Hide Dad's 12 gauge. Because when I break out, I'm coming for you without a doubt. On March 26, 2016, I've gone to a realization. If you don't have the courage to do things, in most cases, you won't get what you want. Be decisive, make logical decisions, and do your best to make yourself happy. Drugs are fun at times, but they aren't the key to happiness.

For me, alcohol helps me increase the connections I make with other people, and that's really important to me. I like to make people happy and laugh, but when they don't realize that I'm actually a human being, it's frustrating. No one's perfect. June 8th, 2016. I don't think I'm right in the head. Shit comes out of my mouth like this guy should be dead.

July 3rd, 2016. When I show my other side, people want to hide. It's like there's a devil trapped inside my hide. July 19th, 2016. I have no control. Anger seeps through my veins. Try to escape the pains, but it's right behind me. I can't outrun it.

On August 15th, the day of the attack, he wrote five different notes. At 2.18am, he wrote, Sentar, you are awoken. Don't let them kill you. At 3.39am, he wrote a single word. Normal. At 3.43am, try to be as normal as you can be. What goes up must come down. That doesn't mean fulfill any specific role. Yet I still have time. I wish to be normal just a normal guy. Not too nice, not too mean, but I can still run because I can't be tamed. I can do whatever I want. I just know it has consequences. I was called the silent killer for a reason.

I can't go around talking to random people. But if I become completely good, I die. If I become completely bad, I die. I can be a good actor. At 11.42 am, he who hesitates is lost. A few seconds later, he wrote one last note. Keep running, even when they say you crazy, but still listen. Austin's YouTube videos, which before had seemed goofy and lighthearted, now seemed

strange and unsettling. His demeanor, his personality, even the tone of his voice, shift dramatically from video to video, as he discusses fitness, sings karaoke, and performs rap songs. Hello ladies and gentlemen, I'm about to perform Let It Be by Oste Frosty, the one and only, the legend, the myth, the king, Elvis Reborn, baby, Elvis Reborn. I inherited the throne of king. You ready to hear this cover? All right, thank you ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much. Hello, bros. It's Ostefrosti, man. And today I want to talk about personal trainers. Say the family in Key West from being hit by a plane.

Ya, bro, you can't become my team. I will kill your whole fucking family, it's... Alright ladies and gentlemen, today's video is about doing the vacuum pose. Cray, you know the tongue. Hello fellow lifters. Today I'm going to talk about persistence in weightlifting, Aussie Frosty, one Republic cover, counting stars. I'm not even listening to sleep. Dreaming about the things that we could be. Hala, I'm... Hi guys. I'm like Bugs Bunny. I stick my teeth in because it's funny. I'm a loony team. I take a lot of shrooms.

I do a lot of stuff that I shouldn't do. Driving while talking, but that's alright. Anyway, I'm going to talk to you about why I don't do steroids. And the reason is, I don't want to, you know. I don't feel like, I don't feel like it'd be beneficial for me to do steroids, you know, it just wouldn't because It damages my health. I feel like I have to depend on it every day That's a life not worth living for me, you know his most recent video titled what I'm about in bodybuilding was posted on August 11th

2016 What's up guys? I just want to let you know that I came to a realization of something. I no longer want to follow Arnold. There are any other bodybuilders. I want to follow myself, you know. I want to actually believe in myself. I want to learn from other things, other people, other bodybuilders and stuff, but I just know that they're not me, you know.

I know it's right for me. I don't need drugs. I know that they can change me, but the thing change me. But the thing is that's not being healthy, you know. Being healthy is what's natural, you know. Just four days later, the same person would viciously attack and kill John Stevens and Michelle Mishon Stevens. We're all the same, the... peace out. Austin's internet search history, throughout the same time frame, reflects yet another hidden side of him. That summer, Austin made a number of searches related to insanity, brainwashing, American Psycho, the devil and mental illness.

In July, he googled, how do I know I'm not crazy? In the days and hours before the attack, his searches became even more bizarre, disjointed and concerning. They included the following. August 8th, 731 pm. How to know if you're going crazy. 740 pm. Can we really control more than we think? 802pm, hearing things in my sleep.

803pm, exploding head syndrome. August 9th, 124am. Can you be unbrainwashed completely? 803pm. What magicians really are? August 10th, 357am, auditory hallucination when falling asleep. 358am, schizophrenia. 401am, I think I'm going crazy, am I? Mania August 11th, 217am Insomnia After Weed 1134pm Are ants good? August 12th, 645am How can I reach Oprah Winfrey? 737am Satan 738am What exactly is hell? 755 AM.

Lucifer. August 13, 942 AM. Losing emotions. August 14, 826 AM. White magic. 407 PM. What am I? August 15, the morning of the attack. 103 am. Centaur. 158 am.

What's the weakest thing about a centaur? 2 am. What's the biggest help to a centaur? Clearly Austin was not in a healthy state of mind that summer. Staying up all night researching auditory hallucinations, Patrick Bateman, White Magic, and Mental Illness. But it didn't stop there. Austin's family members noticed other odd behaviors. Austin would walk around the house at night claiming he was guarding the family against an evil presence. It reached a point where Austin's sister began locking her bedroom door at night when Austin was home. She told investigators that he was becoming a different person, and that he'd been making delusional claims.

Austin had told her that he was immortal and that he had powers. He also told her that he was half human, half horse, which explains a lot of his internet searches about centaurs. told her that he was half human, half horse, which explains a lot of his internet searches about centaurs. On the night of the attacks, when Austin left the restaurant for the first time, his mother said that he showed up at her house and attempted to drink cooking oil from the bottle. Before his mom took him back to Duffy's, he also poured cooking oil into a bowl of Parmesan cheese and attempted to eat that too. Austin's dad told media outlets that some of his odd behaviors stretched

back over the course of the entire summer. He also said he believes his son suffers from an undiagnosed mental illness, stating, quote, the weird behavior is coming from schizophrenia in my family." Unquote. So, in looking back, you recognize that there has been a period of time, weeks, even months, that you have been losing touch with reality, that you've had paranoia, that you have had ideas of grandiosity, superpowers, being worshiped. Oh, I mean, God-like sorts of things that have gone on with you. And this wasn't something that just happened one night. This was something that's gone on with you for a period of time. Yeah, I guess so. Perhaps the most convincing evidence

of a possible undiagnosed mental illness comes from the rest of Austin's hospital interview with Dr. Phil. Were you aware that you had made a shift in your thinking that was making people uncomfortable? Not really. Like, I was aware that I became more serious in things, but I wasn't aware that I was pushing people away, and I didn't know it was affecting my relationships with my friends. Dr. Phil goes on to ask Austin what happened on the night of the attack from his perspective.

You say when you left the restaurant that night, the night of the incident, that when you left there, were you confused or were you thinking straight in your opinion? I don't remember thinking at all. It's like a blur. So I don't think I was thinking straight. At this point, Dr. Phil brings up a person by the name of Daniel, who often saw after leaving Duffy's for the second time.

And how long was it after you left that you saw Daniel? Was it 10 minutes, 30 minutes? A mile away, half a mile away? I think maybe five minutes from the house, so I don't know how far it would have been. Okay. I probably, when I saw him, I panicked and tried to get help. Well, you running or walking when you saw him? I think I was running, but I don't have a clear memory. Take me through, and I mean, this is just from your experience. There's no right or wrong answer here Just from your experience take me through the moment you saw

Daniel what went through your mind when you saw Daniel Wait when I saw him Daniel. I wasn't like a clear person, it wasn't a dark figure because it was like black outside and I couldn't really see it. But I heard his voice distinctly and like when I saw him I just got scared out of my mind. But the person they are discussing, Daniel, does not exist. I'm sorry, did you know it was him by his voice or by his... the visual?

By his voice. But you did see a figure. Yes. And what did the voice say that scared you? Said A Austin. It happened. It just happened and I just got scared for something. It just like I had to just scared me to see him.

Like, also, I don't know. According to Austin, Daniel, this dark figure scared him and chased him towards the garage on Kokomo Lane that night. It's what you knew about him from before that scared you. He didn't threaten you that night. It's just him being there. And what did you say to yourself? I need to, I guess, I need to get, need to find someone to help me, or like, figure out where I'm going. So I don't really remember

I said to myself, I just remember being afraid and being scared. So you panicked at that point. Yeah. Did you run? Yeah. And so you ran down that street and is that when you saw the open garage door? Yes.

Do you remember when you took your clothing off? Was it before you saw Daniel or after? I have a, like, I didn't remember it at first, but I have a faint memory of taking my pants off at some point before I saw Daniel. But, like, I never realized that my clothes were off later. Like it's her new explain. Right.

You kind of ran us together for you. Yeah. When you ran up into that garage, and the woman was there, were you running to her for help? Yeah, I don't think I ran up to her. I think I just... I think I just screamed at it. And then it's a blur.

But you think it was just your voice, you yelled. No, I didn't... I don't think I yelled at her. I just showed up and she was shocked that I was, I guess, almost naked. But I mean, I understand that, but I didn't know. I didn't know I was not close properly. Right. Do you remember the first thing that she said? No. I don't remember what she said. Do you remember being yelled at?

Do you remember what happened next? No, no. I don't... I don't... Like, I have some memory of what happened, but I don't remember how we got into the altercation, or into the fading. I don't... I don't remember. Do you remember who her husband coming out? Um. Uh-huh. And do you remember what he said? No.

You said that you had a machete at that point. Do you remember where you got it? I think somewhere in the garage. I don't know. According to investigators, Austin had used a switchblade, along with what they described as weapons of opportunity during the attack. These weapons of opportunity reportedly included a broken liquor bottle and a machete. during this incident that you realized what was going on? No.

Like, I do, it's like, it's like it happened, but I don't, it's like, it's the sort of like it happened, but I wasn't aware of it at the time. Like, I remember like at the end, I remember leaving a dog hijacking their car. You remember leaving a dog and what? Saving a dog and hijacking their car. And then it's a blur. Right. Have you seen a picture of this couple since the incident?

Yes. When you saw that picture and realized that these were the people that't have words to explain how I feel. It's like, it's like a nightmare. In the state of Florida, insanity is determined by the Minotten rule, which requires clear and convincing evidence that a defendant is not able to understand the consequences of his actions, or was not able to tell that his actions were wrong when he carried them out. Although this interview obviously took place after the fact, it reveals certain aspects about Austin's state of mind around the time of the attack.

From a legal perspective, Austin's answers to these next few questions are incredibly important. Is it hard for you to imagine that you did this to these two people? Yeah, it's the hardest thing I've ever gone through. I never ever imagined that it would ever happen. And I'm deeply sorry to the family that was affected. And I hope that something like this never happens again. I didn't ever want to consciously do something like this or I never planned it. I never I didn't want to do it.

I don't know what to say. If their family members are watching this right now, what do you say to them? Look into the camera right now and if they're watching, what do you say to them? I've stopped right through their lawns and I hope that you can try to turn your heart to forgive me. And I'm so sorry and I never wanted this to happen. And I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

It's like a nightmare. I'm sorry. I just... I still don't know how to say... I don't know how to put it in no words. I know what you're saying. I know what you're saying. Oh Boston and you ashamed to what you did I just want to let them know that I'm sorry. I can imagine how much fuel they put in close relative.

And then it was for what happened to me. I would know what to do and I would be so sad. I just...I'm just so sorry. Did you leave that restaurant wanting to hurt anyone? No, no. Why did you do it? I don't know. I don't know.

It might be you who would tell you. Do you think you're mentally ill? I guess so. I didn't know though. What do you think you're mentally ill? It remains unclear how much of the attack Austin remembers, and more importantly, what exactly turned a quiet, unassuming high school athlete into a cannibalistic killer. What was going on inside his mind caused him to viciously attack and kill two innocent people. According to one of his attorneys, quote, Austin had a psychological break as evidence

by the auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoia and persecutory ideations he experienced, and more importantly, as recounted by numerous people, both relatives and nonrelatives, who were around Austin in the days and weeks before the murders. There is a mountain of information about this young man that will substantiate his mental illness at the time of the offense." Austin Haraff, now 20 years old, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. One count of attempted first degree murder with a weapon, and one count of burglary of a dwelling with an assault or battery

while armed. His defense team appears to be considering an insanity defense. In which case, the Doctor Phil interview could play a pivotal role at trial. Austin's lawyers say they believe that the Dr. Phil interview demonstrates a deteriorated mental state at the time of the murders. But the son of John Stevens, the male victim, has questioned Austin's authenticity in the interview, calling his apology an elaborate lie. evil person and he deserves to be in jail. If he acknowledged that, I mean we can start there, but the disapology, I mean I absolutely reject it. The state has decided not to pursue the death penalty. Austin Harroff has pleaded not guilty, but his defense team has not yet given notice of an

insanity defense. We will have to wait until next year. When this case is expected to go to trial to find out what will happen. As we mentioned at the start of the show, this is the last regular show of the season of the year, really. We will be back on January 21st with season 5. But we here at Sword & Scale want to take a moment to wish you a wonderful holiday season and new year, and most of all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being fans of true crime podcasts such as this, and listening, and supporting us all year long. Oh, and it's not just us. From the vanished, this is Marissa.

From Hollywood and crime, this is Tracy Patton. From inside the exorcist and inside Psycho, this is Mark Ramsey. From true crime historian, this is Richard O'Jones. For slaughter, True Crime podcast, it's Lucy and Emma. Hey, this is Esther from Once Upon a Crime, wishing you a happy and safe new year. From True Crime Island, this is Can Bo. How you doing tonight, Aaron? I'm doing good, Justin. How are you?

I'm doing great. We'd like to wish all the listeners a safe and happy holiday from the generation why that goes for us too thank you so much happy holidays and stay tuned for a very special end of the year's sword and scale rewind which will be available right here right 2018, take care of yourself and your loved ones and stay safe. 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1%, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1%, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1%, 1 %, 1 %, 1 %, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. Thank you. you