John Stevens and his wife Michelle were brutally murdered by a 19-year-old FSU student this past weekend. Stevens’ son, John Stevens IV, recently opened up about the tragedy to People and how his family has been dealing with the loss, particularly his 3-month-old daughter who will never be able to meet her grandfather.
“I don’t know what you do [in that situation],” he told People when questioned about how he will relay the news to his daughter. “It’s horrible.” He also said that he is grateful for his father’s friends who have come forward and offered to help with the children but “there is no real replacement for a grandfather.”
Stevens spoke of his father lovingly and recalled his cheery demeanor. “He cared about people, he was just a charitable guy. He just wanted people to be happy,” he said. “He always loved to fish and he used to take me out to fish. It’s been the light of his life.” That is, aside from his wife Michelle.
“[Michelle and my dad] really loved each other. They were partners and he just loved her to death.”
When asked about Harrouff, who is currently undergoing surgery and remains “heavily sedated,” Stevens said he doesn’t care if the teenager was on drugs or not — his behavior is irreversible.
“He’s taken a lot away from us, not the [alleged] drugs, Austin,” Stevens says. “He’s taken a lot.”
John Stevens and his wife Michelle were sitting in their open garage when Austin Harrouff stabbed them to death. When police arrived on the scene, they found Harrouff allegedly biting off pieces of his victim’s face. Authorities believe Harrouff may have been under the influence of flakka, a synthetic drug, but it has yet to be confirmed.
[H/T: People]
