Authorities believe a 19-year-old US college student who was found biting the flesh off a victim’s face could have been on the synthetic drug flakka, often called the zombie drug.
Austin Harrouff was arrested on Monday night after allegedly fatally stabbing Michelle and John Stevens inside their Florida home.
The Stevens’ neighbour, Jeff Fisher, phoned police after hearing screams at their house. He ran next door in an attempt to assist them and was also stabbed several times.
Harrouff was found by police “grunting and growling” on top of Mr Stevens, biting flesh off his face.
The former high school football player and wrestler was described by police as “abnormally strong”.
Mr Fisher told CBS12 that it took multiple police officers, dogs and a taser to subdue the Florida State University student.
Michelle and John Stevens were both killed in the horrific incident (Image: Facebook)
Initial drug tests for cocaine, methamphetamines, marijuana and opiates came back negative.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told WPTV that a toxicology report is yet to be released.
“It absolutely could be a flakka case. We don’t know…I would not be surprised though if we end up finding that is the case,” he said.
“I’m not going to speculate, except to say that we know in our business that people on Flakka or bath salts will do this type of behaviour, where they attack the victim and do the biting and actually remove pieces of flesh in the bites.”
Flakka contains alpha-PVP and causes a feeling of euphoria, hallucinations and sometimes psychosis when ingested.
The synthetic drug, which contains similar ingredients to bath salts, resembles crack cocaine and crystal meth.
Harrouff, a high school football player and wrestler, was attending Florida State University (Image: Facebook)
The designer drug can be snorted, smoked, injected or swallowed.
Centre for Applied Research on Substance Use and Health Disparities at Nova Southeastern University epidemiologist Jim Hall told CBS the drug is designed to flood the brain with dopamine and reward the brain’s pleasure centres.
“The individual becomes psychotic, they often rip off their clothes and run out into the street violently and have an adrenaline-like strength and police are called and it takes four or five officers to restrain them,” Professor Hall said.
Harrouff’s parents first raised alarm bells with police after he got agitated and stormed off from a dinner they were having at a sports bar.
He has no known connection to his alleged victims.
Sherriff Snyder said Harrouff’s condition has deteriorated since been admitted to hospital and he is in a “grave condition”.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2016
““The individual becomes psychotic, they often rip off their clothes and run out into the street violently and have an adrenaline-like strength and police are called and it takes four or five officers to restrain them,” Professor Hall said”
SAME THING AS A REDNECK TEQUILA BUZZ– MINUS THE FACE EATING
This is a perfect example of how bad things are getting.
When you can only afford drugs and no food.
Then subsequently have to eat your friends.
lol. There’s nothing like some good face food when your starving.
At first I thought it said FAT boy and that would have made more sense. I know plenty of fat kids that would eat a face if denied Mickey D’s.
“The Stevens’ neighbour, Jeff Fisher, phoned police after hearing screams at their house.”
“Clean-up on aisle four”
“He ran next door in an attempt to assist them and was also stabbed several times.”
AFTER hearing screams?
Guess he doesn’t believe in guns. Hell, even a Louisville Slugger trumps a knife, any day.
Sounds kinda fishy.