The distraught father of a student accused of killing two people, then eating one of his victims, wept as he recalled how police told him his son Austin (pictured) was a cannibal.
Florida dentist Dr Wade Harrouff was inconsolable as he told TV therapist Dr Phil how police relayed the terrible news to him what his son, once a kind, happy-go-lucky fitness freak, had allegedly done.
‘Police said, “We’ve found Austin.” I was relieved,’ he recalled. But then officers told him his once-loving boy had ‘killed two people and eaten them. And the blood that you see is not his own,’ ’ Dr Harouff recalled.
The Florida State University student is accused of stabbing couple John Stevens, 59, and his wife Michelle, 53, to death in their garage on August 15, then eating John’s face and abdomen.
Dr Harrouff said he’d had no idea that his son, a ‘happy boy’ was capable of the crimes he’s alleged to have committed.
‘He’s always been the kindest, caring kid I’ve ever seen,’ the dentist told Dr Phil. ‘He always wanted to help people. I called him the happy boy. The last two weeks, he started not being happy. He started being real serious.’
Dr Harrouff said Austin had been dining with him and his daughter at a Florida restaurant, then got angry and left. He then went to his mother Mina’s house, and began drinking vegetable oil, then left.
Worried about his behaviour, Mina then phoned police, reporting he was behaving oddly and claiming to have super powers.
But by the time Austin was found, he’d allegedly used a knife and broken bottle to kill the couple, then eat parts of victimJohn Stevens and consume toxic chemicals. When police later arrived, they tasered the teenager, who was then taken to hospital. Upon release he’s expected to be charged with first degree murder.
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