The Misery Machine - The Case of Austin Harrouff

Starting point is 00:00:00 Austin Kelly Hariff was born on December 21st, 1996 in Palm Gardens, Florida, to parents Wade, a dentist, and Mina, a pharmacist. He had a sister named Haley, who was one year younger. His parents divorced when Austin was 13, or they first separated when he was in third grade. Something he stated he got used to, although he added that he didn't know what it was like to have a family. Wade and Mina reportedly fought often before the divorce. Austin would later go on to tell forensic psychologist Dr. Gregory Landrum that his father frequently shouted at his mother. Although Austin and Haley were raised by their mother in nearby Jupiter, Florida, Wade was still very involved in his children's lives. As Austin grew older,

Starting point is 00:00:47 he became very close to him and looked up to him. During this time, Wade dated a woman that Austin liked very much, but that relationship ended when the two broke up. His father then began dating a woman that Austin described as a Christian. His mother also entered a long-term relationship, though he died of a heart attack. Austin graduated from Suncoast Community High School, a magnet school in Riviera Beach, Florida in 2015, where he received an international baccalaureate diploma. While he was the good student with a 3.22 GPA, he did take remedial reading courses during his time in high school. Austin said he was not a popular student because he was shes. He was shy and lacked confidence. He was quite a handsome boy with brown hair, brown eyes, and a muscular

Starting point is 00:01:34 build. Still, he would not begin dating until he was 17. Austin began playing football during his freshman year at Suncoast. He mainly played on the defensive line, although in his senior year, he would also play on the offensive line as a guard wearing the number 55 on his jersey. But this time, he stood at six feet and weighed 200 pounds. He had aspirations of playing football in a Division 1 NCAA program as he was one of the strongest players on the team. He could squat press 315 pounds. However, this strength didn't necessarily translate to aggression on the playing field. Josh Lonsbury, a former teammate of his, said of Austin.

Starting point is 00:02:13 We used to have to ask him during games to just get angry and more physical. We used to have to beg him and he never would. He just always had a smile on his face. That's just the type of kid he was. After his junior year in high school, he wrote a personal statement to would-be college recruiters, where he noted he sought to major in pre-med. He also wrote, I have learned to discipline myself on and off the field.

Starting point is 00:02:36 I have conditioned my body in a short period of time to be one of the strongest on the team. I paused press 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 placed third in the district. I also joined the weightlifting team this past year and made second in the district. He also provided the recruiters with a highlight reel of his on-field exploits.

Starting point is 00:03:05 Despite being a standout athlete at the high school level, Austin lacked the size required to play in college. Many defensive and offensive linemen weighed in excess of 300 pounds and would have easily dwarfed him during games. Austin would be forced to give up on his football dreams. Austin said he had first experimented with alcohol at the age of 17 and remembered it calming his nerves and that it took the edge off. He also tried weed during this time and he recalled having a low tolerance and said that a couple of hits would make him hungry and stupid. The supper after graduation, Austin took some classes at Palm Beat State College before attending Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida for the beginning of the fall semester.

Starting point is 00:03:46 socially he overcame much of his shyness and even joined the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity his freshman year. In many ways, he was a typical frat boy, albeit one who maintained his solid 3.3 GPA whilst initially majoring in biology. But like many students, Austin was a partier. He claimed to drink three times a week in that he blacked out a lot. He recalled he lost control of how much he drank and would wake up in places without knowing how he got there. Austin began using other drugs as well. He tried hallucinogens such as LSD, mushrooms, and molly. However, he claimed to be disappointed by these drugs as they did not deliver the cool experience that he had hoped for.

Starting point is 00:04:28 But Austin developed a fondness for drugs typically used to treat ADHD, specifically Vivance and Adderall, both of which helped him stay up all night to study and resulted in an uplifting feeling for him. Should be noted that both of these drugs belong to the amphetamine family, but are available by prescription. It appears that Austin simply bought them from campus dealers, as is common on college campuses. It's likely that Austin minimized his drug usage. However, text messages between October 25, 2015,

Starting point is 00:04:59 and August 15th, 2016 did offer many clues. They contained multiple references to using mushrooms and snorting Adderall and Coke together. He texted a friend that he got high every day just because he was bored. He also made references to, getting high on ice. On August 10th, 2016, he texted his girlfriend of four months named Katie Alexander that he felt he was a drug addict. In 2016, the summer following his freshman year, Austin began a summer job as a dental assistant at a Palm Beach County Dental practice.

Starting point is 00:05:32 The job began in July, and he was also taking classes towards his sophomore year. Things looked quite good for the college student. Now, around this time, Austin created a YouTube channel called A Frost on March 8th, 2016, where he reached 2,500 subscribers with some videos reaching tens of thousands of views. There, he posted 53 videos, most of which were either fitness-related. All right, ladies and gentlemen, today's video is about doing the vacuum pose. All right. Now, this is a pose many can't do. It's, it's hard if, if you're a, if you're a, if you you're not like skilled with breathing. You have to practice on your breathing, okay? Sorry if you can't see my face. It's right here now, but I'll show you, all right? All right. I know it might look like a douche or a tool or I don't even know, but watch.

Starting point is 00:06:36 Or featured him singing the lyrics to popular songs, usually shirtless. Cover, counting stars. Austin developed an alter ego by the name of Oste Frosty and was convinced that he would become a famous rapper. Hello ladies and gentlemen, this is music television, and we are presenting Osty Frosty. The tagline to this channel was,

Starting point is 00:07:18 this that fuck around music y'all been hearing about. I've got a psycho side and a normal side. I've lost my mind. Help me find it. This statement now seems rather ominous, given the nature of what would unfold a mere few months later. Now, during this time, he considered dyeing his hair blue... You gotta have blue hair. ...and spent excessive amounts of money on expensive clothing and designer sunglasses.

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Starting point is 00:09:25 a visit to his girlfriend Katie Alexander in Tampa, Florida. There he had trouble sleeping, reporting that he saw monsters and heard a demon-like figure. He remained unsure of whether this occurred while he was asleep or awake. As he returned from Tampa, he began researching philosophy, religion, and the Illuminati. As the summer job was winding down, Austin believed he could manipulate the water while sterilizing the dental instruments and that the water served as a source of power to him. He became convinced that he could bless water, causing it to become sterilized. In a departure from the pipe dream of becoming a great rap musician, Austin set his sights on becoming a civil rights leader like Martin Luther King Jr. or Gandhi, using his self-described

Starting point is 00:10:10 special charisma to unite everyone. On August 12th, 2016, he determined he had superpowers and perceived himself as a Christ-like figure. He determined that he would not die, but would be worshipped. Austin wore light-colored clothing because he believed that darker clothes made him evil. To this end, he began sleeping with the lights on as he became terrified of the dark. A dark spirit, he pondered, would kill him in his sleep if he did. He was very worried for his family, particularly his sister Haley. He wanted to sleep in her room with the family dog Hubble.

Starting point is 00:10:46 It is important to note that Austin refrained from alcohol and drugs during this time. On August 13th, he went on a bike ride with his father, Wade, and his father's live-in girlfriend, Carrie Knowles. He heard a group of dogs barking, which he interpreted as the dog's souls asking for help. He also began collecting business cards of people he encountered, feeling that he could offer protection to them. However, he became convinced that possessing the business cards might actually put those people in danger, so he tore them up. Austin believed he could hear God conversing with him. At a restaurant, he consumed copious amounts of water because he believed it was the fountain of youth. Later that day, he was given a ride in a Dodge Ram pickup truck. Austin believed the Ram logo was the devil

Starting point is 00:11:35 staring at him. His paranoia increased and he slept with Hubble, his family dog in Haley's room for both of their protection. On Sunday, August 14th, Austin took a lot of the first. Austin took a lot of a couple for a walk, something that was allegedly very out of character for him. He concluded he was half dog, half person, and his dog spirits gave him the strength and agility. Being a Sagittarius, he also self-identified as a centaur, a mythical creature that is half man and half horse. Austin believed that if he ate a snake, it would give him power over the devil, much like Adam and Eve. Later, he would purchase snake jerky and eat it. Now, Austin went with his father to a gun show and conversed with a knife dealer at length.

Starting point is 00:12:23 It's unclear if this was like actually some sort of gun convention or if Austin and his dad went to the neighborhood ninja store where they sell katana's and blast pipes for tobacco use only. But he described feeling paranoid of spirits and felt he needed protection. He purchased a knife at the event because he was in fear of everything. He spoke with one vendor about becoming a survivalist. Another vendor gave him advice on hand-to-hand combat. Now, during the remainder of the day, Austin wavered between seeing himself as a protector and feeling fearful and vulnerable. On August 14th, Austin texted his girlfriend Katie and it read,

Starting point is 00:13:04 I am no longer afraid of anything. I am no longer afraid to die. Everyone will remember me as a great figure, but I am just a living example of what we all do. do. On August 15th, 2016, Austin donned a Michael Vick football jersey because the dog spirits told him to put it on. It made him feel invincible. Austin tested this purported invincibility by standing in the road and almost being hit by a car. He recalled purchasing a Fitbit that day and transforming into what he believed to be a Terminator because he believed deep down he was a cyborg, half man and

Starting point is 00:13:40 half-robot. He was confident that he would eradicate evil from this world. Austin walked in the middle of the street believing nothing could hurt him. Cars went around him and this further concreted Austin's feeling of being invincible. He also claimed to have heightened intuition and a sick sense where he could read people and tell if they were good or evil immediately. A chance encounter with a stranger led Austin to conclude that he had conferced with an angel. He also told his friend Sam Polichick that he had a special ability to speak telepathically with black people. These were his words. That afternoon, Austin visited Dave Yates, a fraternity brother at his house with his sister Haley,

Starting point is 00:14:20 where Austin was encouraged to drink beer. He reported that he was feeling super hyper and simply poured the beer onto his left hand, believing he was drinking through osmosis. He remained at the small get-together for approximately an hour and a half and did not drink alcohol or take any drugs, except for feeding his hand beer. Haley insisted on driving after the party because Austin was acting very strangely, understandably, and had completed an illegal U-turn at a red light earlier that day with her around. Austin rode in the hatchback because he said he felt like a dog.

Starting point is 00:14:54 Haley drove Austin and his friend Sam to his father's house where he would change into a blue polo, white shorts, and a red maga cap. He wore that hat backwards because he believed it would propel him forward. his father, Wade Hariff, noticed that Austin was on edge and offered him a Xanax, which Austin refused. Wade took Austin's car keys away from him, so Austin leaped onto the hood and roof of Wade's car. Wade eventually returned his keys to him. That evening, Austin joined his father, Haley, and Carrie at a restaurant named Duffy Sports Grill for dinner. There, both his father and the server pressured him to drink an alcoholic beverage,

Starting point is 00:15:35 but Austin adamantly declines. He drank copious amounts of water yet again believing it was the fountain of youth and thought he would literally become younger by consuming it. Graham can now feel strength and renewal flowing through him. Austin ordered chili at Duffy's but felt trapped because the service was slow. Austin recalled thinking that he was an angel of death while Carrie was an angel of life. He also felt the presence of the Grim Reaper. Austin excused himself to use the restroom and snuck out of the restaurant.

Starting point is 00:16:05 without telling the others. Now, Austin did not recall how he got to his mother's house, nor did he remember putting Wesson cooking oil and cheese into a bowl and eating it in his mother's presence. His mother, Mina, ended up driving her son back to Duffy's to rejoin his party. When Austin returned to the table, Wade grabbed his shirt in an angry manner. Austin drew back his fist to hit his father, but not strike him upon Carrie's request. Feeling once again invincible, Austin stormed out of the restaurant for a second time. Along the way back to Wade's house, Austin encountered a friend of his cousins that he remembered as Daniel. Austin determined that Daniel was a bad guy who wanted to kill Austin.

Starting point is 00:16:49 He ran away in terror while screaming, heading towards a white light stemming from an open garage. Inside that garage sat 59-year-old veteran Marine John Joseph Stevens III and his wife, 53-year-old Michelle Karen Mishkan. John was the retired owner of Green Smart Lawn and Garden, a landscaping business. Michelle had retired after working in the financial services industry. John and Michelle were typical Florida retirees. They rode in their golf cart with their dog around their Kokomo Lane address in Tequesta, just north of Jupiter, Florida, and frequently sat in their brightly lit, open garage that they dubbed a garage mahal.

Starting point is 00:17:28 It contained a television, couch, and bar, and served as the informal neighborhood hang out. John was a new grandfather to a three-month-old granddaughter whom he was set to meet for the first time in two weeks. But sadly, this introduction would never occur. Austin approached John and Michelle with the intent of asking for a ride to his mother's house. However, upon getting closer to them, he perceived Michelle as screaming at him. He believed she was a witch, and so he took measures to protect himself. By his own admission, he said he picked up a machete or something from inside the garage, and he began stabbing her with it. He thought himself to be a dog and began to bite her. Austin remembered drinking something that he thought was alcohol, although it was a different

Starting point is 00:18:20 sort of chemical, possibly antifreeze, he thought. He had a vague recollection of seeing a man with a mustache standing in the doorway with a dog. He remembered that John was yelling at him, but but he did not understand why. Austin stabbed John several times as well. A neighbor, 47-year-old Jeffrey Michael Fisher, responded quickly to this ghastly scene. He had been lying in bed, but the noise of what was going on outside convinced him to run out.

Starting point is 00:18:47 There he witnessed Austin slamming Michelle's car door. As he got closer to the scene, he saw Austin, grab a hold of Michelle, lock eyes with Jeff, and then throw her to the ground. Jeff said that Austin stood over Michelle. Austin looked at Jeff and said something to the effect of, you want no part of this, or you don't want a part of me. When Jeff dashed closer, Austin clashed with him. Jeff recalls Austin swinging a sharp object, likely the machete and slicing his face and body.

Starting point is 00:19:17 Austin kept coming at Jeff, but he was able to knock him off balance. Austin fell face first on the ground. At this point, Jeff realized he was bleeding and in pain. He ran around the back of the house and kneeled behind a bush. In his crouched position, he looked towards John. in Michelle's garage but could not see Austin. He could hear him though, he recalled, the words were not making sense, like ah, ah, something to that effect. Whether he was trying to speak words or not, I don't have a clue. Jeff sprinted back across the street to his house and dialed 911.

Starting point is 00:19:47 His breathing heavily as he recounted the events as he knew them. A neighbor told the 911 dispatcher that he'd been stabbed in the back while attempting to break up the attack on his neighbors. He said, I need an EMT, quick, please. His wife, provided more detail as she spoke in the background, she said, there are three puncture wounds, also in the neck, in the head. In reality, it was determined that there were a total of five stab wounds, including one that was close to the jugular. As the EMTs rushed Jeff Fisher away for critical medical treatment, police descended on the home belonging to John and Michelle. Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder called the scene a heinous, vicious stabbing attack that occurred

Starting point is 00:20:27 around 9.20 p.m. Michelle was laid out on the floor of the garage. Austin had tackled John and was in the process of biting off pieces of John's face when the police arrived. Austin did not acknowledge the police. He just kept on chewing. The first deputy on the scene, Grace Zoff, ordered Austin off of John, but he did not comply. She said, he told me to fucking shoot him. Deputy Zoff used a taser on Austin, but it had no effect on him. He simply continued biting John in the face. attempted to pull Austin off of John, who at this point was only in his boxers, but he was exhibiting abnormal levels of strength, she said. Tequesta and Jupiter police officers arrived to aid the Martin County deputy, and the Tequesta police dispatched a canine police dog to attack

Starting point is 00:21:14 Austin. However, even the two dog bites did not prevent Austin's assault on John. Deputy Wayne Troken described the scene as Austin lying on top of John, chewing the left side of his face. Austin put his left hand inside of John's mouth and tried to pull his cheek off. Deputy Trokan said he wouldn't get off so I started kicking and stomping on his head. Still, this had no effect on Austin whatsoever. Officer Valerio stated that Austin showed signs, as he said, superhuman strength as Austin continued to attack John. Another deputy performed a heel strike kick on Austin's head, which appeared to daze him.

Starting point is 00:21:52 Finally, another deputy was able to remove Austin from John while another put him in handcuffs and still another attached leg irons. Austin continued to act irrationally, thrashing his body from side to side. He yelled, help me, help me, I ate bad things. When a deputy asked him what he meant, Austin replied, I ate humans. He began making a high-pitched scream and gurgling sounds. Three EMTs arrived on the scene to treat Austin for his injuries, including two dog bites, two taser boons, and multiple kicks to the head, even while handcuffed.

Starting point is 00:22:25 Both John Stevens and Michelle Mishkan succumbed to their injuries sustained during the attack and were pronounced dead at the scene. Austin did not know either of them. He stated that the light is what drew him to the garage mahal in the first place as he felt it was a place of refuge. Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder was aghast. The 43-year veteran of law enforcement had never encountered an act so vicious, he stated, I've seen a lot of crime scenes.

Starting point is 00:22:51 I don't know that I've ever seen anything with this much violence. Sheriff Snyder originally suspected that Austin had taken the synthetic drug Flaka. Now, Flaca is a dangerous drug that is similar to the street drug commonly known as bath salts. Flaca is typically white or pink in color and is found in a crystal form. It is known to cause psychotic breakdowns, hallucinations, and random incidents of violence. Now, once in custody, Austin consented to a drug test. It was administered for more common drugs such as weed, coke, and heroin, but all of the Only trace amounts of weed were discovered, which is normal if you've had any use of weed within three to four weeks, it's still going to be there.

Starting point is 00:23:33 So three weeks later, more toxicology tests were returned. There was no indication of any other drug in Austin's system. This included the absence of flaca and bath salts. Before Austin Hariff was charged with the crimes, he was sedated at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach. Situation deteriorated rapidly on Tuesday, August 6th. 2016 to a life-threatening medical condition that was likely brought on by the chemicals he ingested in John and Michelle's garage. Austin's father, Wade, told People Magazine that Austin's liver was failing, his lungs were filling up with fluids, and he was suffering from esophageal bleeding.

Starting point is 00:24:11 Determined that if and when Austin recovered would be arrested in charge of the crimes. On August 19th, 2016, an official arrest warrant was issued by homicide detective Eugene Marqueda. It outlined five separate complaints. Two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of resisting arrest, and one count of burglary with battery while armed. The medical examiner conducted autopsies on both John Stevens and Michelle Mishkan and ruled both as homicides. The cause of death for John was multiple injuries and the cause of death for Michelle was blunt-forced trauma. Additionally, Jeff Fisher suffered multiple stab wounds, a large cut. to his head, a puncture wound to his back, bleeding in his stomach and a broken thumb.

Starting point is 00:24:58 Perhaps the biggest mystery to this unprovoked attack on strangers was Austin's lack of motive. Austin had no prior criminal history and was, by all accounts, not a violent person. Did something simply cause him to snap or have a psychotic break? Austin's lawyer, Nellie King, argued just that and entered a plea if not guilty by reason of insanity. This plea almost never works. The burden of proof shifts to the defense to show that the perpetrator could not be held accountable because he or she could not tell the difference between right and wrong. However, the court allowed them to proceed.

Starting point is 00:25:34 And two experts in the field, forensic psychiatrist Philip Resnick, forensic psychologist Gregory Landrum, were selected, one by the prosecution and one by the defense counsel. Both doctors conducted interviews with Austin as well as his family and friends. Both doctors came to an agreement. Dr. Landrum, the prosecution's doctor of choice, noted that Austin appeared to be responding well to antidepressants and detrazadone for better sleep. Austin noted that he had gained 90 pounds since beginning the medical regimen. Dr. Landrum subjected Austin to a battery of psychological tests.

Starting point is 00:26:08 He concluded that Austin experienced a decompensated mental state associated with an emerging mood and or thought disorder resulting in an acute psychotic episode, and that, in his opinion, and Mr. Heriff could not tell right from wrong. In his own independent evaluation, Dr. Resnick agreed with Dr. Landrum's findings. He diagnosed Austin with bipolar one disorder with an acute manic episode with psychotic features. He highlighted that Austin suffered from delusions of grandeur and clinical lichenthropy delusions, such as believing that he was a dog. He was also fearful due to persecutory delusions that made him feel like he was in danger.

Starting point is 00:26:46 Dr. Resnick went on to say that the fact that Mr. Hariff 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. Harrow is actively psychotic. Furthermore, a forensic search on Austin's computer unearthed the following Google results in the months leading up to the crime. Beat the anxiety trick. How to overcome chronic anxiety. How to sell your soul to the devil. How to know if you're going crazy. Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Ten ways to develop incredible charisma, yet still be yourself. I'm going crazy. Depression, generalized anxiety, panic, and bipolar disorder.

Starting point is 00:27:31 Schizophrenia. Auditory hallucinations when falling asleep. And finally, difference between mania and peacefulness. Meanwhile, after years of delays caused by the pandemic, legal wrangling and recovery from his own critical injury, Austin's trial wasn't scheduled to begin until late November of 2022, more than six years after the attack. During this time, Austin was a resident of the Martin County Jail. But right before the trial was set to begin, Circuit Court Judge Sherwood-Bower accepted a plea deal that would send Austin to a secure mental health facility

Starting point is 00:28:04 monitored by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Under this arrangement, Austin would not be able to leave without a court order. It is very likely that Austin Hariff will die in state custody as it's high. Highly unlikely he will ever be released after the notorious crime he committed. Still, this plea bargain did not sit well with the family members of the deceased. In her victim impact statement, Michelle's sister Cindy lamented that she had been naive enough to think that there would be any justice for her dead sister. John's daughter, Ivy Stevens, also shared the sentiment. In a statement directed at Austin, she said,

Starting point is 00:28:41 You are the reason I check all my doors at night. The reason I think someone is going to murder my children. Prosecutor Brandon White felt sympathy for the families, but maintained that his team did everything they could to prove the case. However, the facts led them otherwise. We don't create the facts, and we don't create the law. Still, Prosecutor White expressed sympathies for the families while alluding to their disappointment and anger.

Starting point is 00:29:06 If we need to be the punching bag, that's fine. One of Austin's legal team, Nellie King, countered, The unthinkable violence happened in this case not by choice, intention, or with an identifiable motive, but because Austin is a mental disease. Jeff Fisher would prove to be an extremely lucky man. He was treated for his wounds at St. Mary's Medical Center and made a full recovery. John Stevens III and Michelle Mishkan were cremated, and the mass of Christian burial was held for the couple on September 3, 2016 at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Jupiter, Florida.

Starting point is 00:29:42 they will forever be remembered fondly by family, friends, and neighbors who spent time with them in the garage mahal. When we cover a case where the perpetrator receives a not guilty by reason of insanity ruling, oftentimes I see a response, whether it be in comments on news articles, on our own channel, or people making their own content where they characterize the insanity ruling as a massive miscarriage of justice. I'm sure for most of these people, it comes from a place of putting themselves in the shoes of the victim's families who are experiencing such a tragic loss in one of the most horrifying ways imaginable, and I'm obviously sympathetic to that. I think it's reasonable that when an innocent person is killed, we want the person who is responsible to be brought to justice. Now, quite often a comment

Starting point is 00:30:32 I see in cases like these is the accusation that the killer is faking insanity, and malingering certainly isn't anything new. There have been a new. or unlimited number of cases throughout history where a person has tried to wrongfully claim insanity. So I corresponded with the clinical psychologist who has had patients similar to Austin. I didn't get permission to use her name, but I found it very informative when trying to figure out what's going on here. So let me discuss some of the things I learned from her. So at a glance, it might be odd that Austin showed no signs of mental health issues prior

Starting point is 00:31:06 in life, but from a clinical perspective, this is not abnormal. Oftentimes, psychosis or psychotic illness will present itself in a person's late teens or early 20s. And for those unaware, there was actually an interview during psychiatric interviews called an M-FAST. This is a screening designed to provide a probability that an individual is malingering or not. And Austin was found to be, as they described it, an authentic patient. Now, if you agree that Austin wasn't malingering, then I don't have to make the case that Austin clearly had delusions. delusions are split into multiple categories, but these delusions will have a label of bizarre or non-bizure. Non-bizard delusions are things that are quite reasonable to believe could happen, such as thinking that you're being followed or that somebody has poisoned you.

Starting point is 00:31:55 Bizarre delusions would include things such as demons are living inside me or my body is turning into a dog. These would clearly be labeled as bizarre. Let's explore more of how Austin described his delusions based on the, the report from Dr. Gregory Landrum, who evaluated him. Austin stated that when he was walking his dog, he himself felt like he was half dog, half person. Let me quote the report here. He further described feeling as if dog spirits were part of him and he had strength and agility.

Starting point is 00:32:31 He also described a special connectivity with animals. He went with his father to a gun show where he reports talking with a knife vendor, and described feeling paranoid of spirits and needed protection. He reported that he believed that if he ate a snake, it would give him power over the devil like Adam and Eve. And on the day of the murders, Austin talks about how dog spirits told him to put a Michael Vick jersey on to make him feel invincible,

Starting point is 00:32:58 and that wearing a Fitbit made him feel like a Terminator. Now, there's no clear evidence that Austin's attack was premeditated. You might ask, how can you know that to a reasonable degree of certainty? Well, for starters, let's think about things a person might do if they were preparing to do something like this. Would they bring a weapon with them? Lawson didn't have one. He didn't even have the knife he purchased at the gun show he went to with his father. He ended up using something that he found in their garage.

Starting point is 00:33:26 Furthermore, he didn't know his victims. And more importantly, he didn't know where he was. He hitched a ride on the back of a truck and ended up in a place where he had no clue where he was. Even if someone wanted to kill a random stranger or even go on a kill, spree, wouldn't they want to be aware of their surroundings? When you read how this whole attack was carried out, it's hard to say that these were the actions of a sane person. He also didn't comply with police in a way that people typically do. He showed no regard or even any acknowledgement of the police. Even when the police were kicking him in the head, he didn't stop. Typically,

Starting point is 00:34:00 you only see this type of behavior in situations where the attacker is insane or on drugs. For those that think that this was the result of a drug overdose, the evidence just doesn't show that. Austin's toxicology reports were negative except for trace amounts of THC. Flushed all the drugs he had prior to the attack, three or four days prior to the attack, excuse me. I'm going to read exactly what the psychologist wrote to me in regards to the drug usage. And I quote, regardless of his prior use of drugs or any combination of those substances, it's highly unlikely that it would be the cause of this level of aggression and violence. Austin's psychotic episode appears organic in nature, meaning it was going to rear its ugly head regardless of any substance use or alcohol intake.

Starting point is 00:34:46 While some people can go on bad LSD trips, substances with hallucinogenic qualities are the most negatively correlated with violence. He also reported to the psychologist that mushrooms and LSD did nothing for him. Therefore, he did not use them again. Stimulence may cause some users to become aggressive due to the body's response, such as high blood pressure, racing thoughts, paranoia, but they metabolize so quickly out of the system. Therefore, their impact is minimal and would not account for such an egregious, violent act. By all accounts from his family, his school, and work records, Austin did not appear to be a drug addict. He was clearly overdoing it, but he was also using drugs to help with sleep and to improve his studying, and he was in fact functioning. He was

Starting point is 00:35:30 able to socialize, he was able to go to classes in his job, he was able to maintain a relationship. This is all to say he was not overly consumed by drugs and it had not impacted his life in a way to which others noticed or thought he needed help. His psychotic symptoms, however, were impacting his relationships, his sense of well-being, his sleep, his behavior, and his social life. So it's my firm belief with this information that Austin Hariff is clearly mentally ill and was psychotic during the time of the murders. I know for many people that this doesn't feel like justice is served. I feel terrible for John and Michelle and their families for having to suffer a loss like this. We want to be able to definitively say a person is evil and to give them the maximum

Starting point is 00:36:16 punishment possible. However, with a case like Austin, it's evidence that when a murder happens, it's not always so cut and dry.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Austin Harrouff

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