FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla._John Stevens and Michelle Mishcon Stevens were remembered Friday for their immense love for each other and family.
Hundreds gathered at the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale for a memorial service for the Jupiter couple, who authorities say were slain by a college student also found biting John Stevens' face.
The playhouse was filled to near capacity as relatives and friends shared memories about the pair as loving partners and as inspiring individuals who left behind heartbroken family members. The first relative to take the stage was Mishcon Stevens' father, former North Miami Beach Mayor Jeff Mishcon.
"The last few days both of our families have been semi-unconscious, but this brings it to reality," he said. "With the love and energy and strength in this room, we're going to make it through."
He called his daughter and son-in-law "two of the most special people that ever walked on the face of this Earth." John Stevens was 59; Mishcon Stevens was 53.
A half-dozen large floral arrangements surrounded family and friends who shared memories on stage. Also visible were poster-sized images of the smiling couple embracing one another while enjoying a boating adventure.
Loved ones reiterated the devotion the couple had for each other. The pair met while working at a brokerage office and were married 19 years. This week, while at their Jupiter home, relatives found love notes and cards between the two that were mementos of their enduring romance.
From Mishcon Stevens to her husband on his 52nd birthday and their 12th anniversary: "You truly are my everything. Words are really so inadequate to express my love for you.
"Each night when I go to sleep, you are the last person I think of and so I fall asleep happy."
From Stevens to his wife, in July 1997: "I'm just giddy thinking about what our new life together will bring. We both have been married before and understand what this new start is for us together.
"I'm so in love with you. I feel like a new person and I hope that this new life of ours will bring joy to us both. You bring me happiness just by being and make my life whole."
According to authorities, the Stevenses were slain at their home Monday evening by 19-year-old Austin Harrouff. The pair were beaten and stabbed, and Harrouff was found biting John Stevens' face, authorities said.
The Martin County Sheriff's Office on Friday announced Harrouff will face two counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, burglary of a dwelling while armed and resisting an officer.
Harrouff remained conscious but heavily sedated Friday at the hospital, the Sheriff's Office said.
Harrouff, a Florida State University student who was visiting family and friends on summer break, abruptly left a family dinner at Duffy's Sports Grill in Jupiter on Monday evening, walked about three miles and then killed the couple, the Sheriff's Office said.
Relatives said he had recently been acting strangely, saying he felt immortal and like a superhero.
When deputies arrived at the scene, three deputies, a police dog and a stun gun were used to subdue him. Authorities said he was "abnormally strong" and made animal-like noises.
No common drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine were found in his system, but officials are awaiting toxicology results for potential drugs he could have taken.
A neighbor, Jeff Fisher, who tried to help before deputies arrived, was also stabbed. He survived.
Harrouff's family on Friday issued a statement expressing sympathy to the Stevens and Mishcon families, and to Fisher.
"There are no words we can offer to give any real comfort for this tragic loss," they said. "We love our son and know that he is not the person some are making him to be for their own purposes. We will allow the full legal process to find the facts and the truth here."
Stevens had a landscaping business and Mischon Stevens remained in the financial services industry, most recently as a compliance officer at Northwestern Mutual. She was tough but loved and respected among peers, friends said. Supervisors called her the "boss."
The two adult children of Stevens, Ivy and John Stevens IV, grew emotional as they grasped for words to describe their father. He loved fishing and taught them to appreciate South Florida's outdoors, Stevens' son recalled. When Ivy, as a little girl, got stuck too high up on a tree, Stevens would rush home from work to help her down.
Stevens IV didn't hold back tears as he spoke about how excited his father was about being a grandfather. And how he never had a chance to meet his infant granddaughter, whose cries briefly pierced the playhouse's silence.
"He was a kind man, he was a loving husband, a dedicated son, he was an inspiring father, he was an excited grandpa," Stevens IV said. "We've lost him, but we'll never forget him."
"There's too much to say," Ivy Stevens said. "I could be up here for days."
Mishcon Stevens' sisters spoke of their indestructible bond and love for one another, so much so that Mishcon Stevens dreamed of someday having a family compound where the sisters could always be together.
They said Mishcon Stevens was the first to call to wish a happy birthday, loved being in photos and was the life of the party. Although she never had children of her own, she was motherly and loved her stepchildren.
The sisters said there were no words to describe the pain and anger spurred by the killer's "inexplicable act."
The couple were known to welcome neighbors into their garage hangout, where they had a sofa, TV and minibar.
