Brother of man nearly decapitated at Arizona bus stop by hatchet wielding suspect speaks out

A hatchet-wielding fishy astir decapitated 32-year-old Jacob Couch astatine a Tuscon, Arizona, autobus halt earlier this period portion helium was traveling with his woman backmost location to their autochthonal Alabama. 

The alleged assailant – 25-year-old Daniel Michael – was ordered held connected a $1 cardinal currency enslaved successful Pima County connected felony battle charges successful the seemingly random crime. He awaits different tribunal proceeding astatine the extremity of the month. 

Couch, meanwhile, has been hospitalized connected beingness enactment for the past 2 weeks since the April 5 attack, and officials person said helium is not expected to past his injuries. 

He and his wife, Kristen Couch, were successful California mourning the nonaccomplishment of their stillborn lad a twelvemonth ago. The mates decided to question cross-country backmost to their hometown of Arab, Alabama, erstwhile their lives were upended successful Tucson. 

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Jacob Couch is connected beingness enactment aft a hatch-wielding fishy astir decapitated him astatine a Tucson, Arizona, autobus stop.  (Go Fund Me)

The onslaught happened successful wide daylight astatine 10 a.m. astir 2 miles from the University of Arizona field and conscionable blocks distant from Tucson constabulary headquarters. 

"He's got the biggest bosom that I judge I've ever met," Couch's younger brother, Luke Couch, told Fox News Digital. "And I truly bash mean that. He was conscionable a caring person. He loved his family. He was truly large astir his family." 

Authorities person released fewer details astir the imaginable motive for the crime. Michael's lawyer successful the archetypal enslaved proceeding claimed "self-defense" couldn't beryllium ruled retired successful asking the justice for a lesser bond. 

The victim's brother, however, told Fox News Digital that detectives said they determined "there is nary grounds to enactment immoderate claims of self-defense."

"And they said that helium was going to beryllium trying to grasp straws, grasp anything. I mean, my member was attacked from down portion helium was bent over. That is not self-defense," Luke Couch said. 

"I privation to marque definite this antheral ne'er does this again and nary different household has to spell done what my household has went through. To spot my member lying successful a infirmary furniture and incapable to move, incapable to bash anything, it hurts truthful atrocious to cognize that I wasn't capable to beryllium determination to support him due to the fact that helium would person done it for maine successful a heartbeat," the member told Fox News Digital. "We arsenic a household privation swift justice."

"My member is simply a bully idiosyncratic and helium did not merit this. Nobody deserves to beryllium attacked with a hatchet connected the broadside of their neck. It's precise heinous," helium added.

Luke Couch further relayed what helium was told what had happened, according to investigators and eyewitnesses. 

"They were connected the mode location from Los Angeles. Their autobus stopped successful Tucson. They had ever wanted to spot the desert," Luke Couch said of his member and sister-in-law. "Somebody told them to get up, and my member told him to caput his ain business, you know, they weren't doing anything, weren't causing immoderate trouble. And past Kristen could archer that the feline was truly agitated, and truthful she told him they were getting up, and they were going to leave."

Daniel Michael appeared for a enslaved proceeding successful Pima County, Arizona, connected felony battle charges successful the hatchet onslaught connected Jacob Couch.  (Pima County )

"My member bent down to stitchery his things due to the fact that they conscionable got disconnected the autobus truthful they had their suitcases and their belongings with them," helium told Fox News Digital. "He bent down to stitchery his things, and the antheral came up down him and swung a hatchet. And witnesses said that helium lifted the ax up implicit his caput and swang it." 

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Luke Couch said his member has started to unfastened his eyes somewhat successful caller days but hasn't shown overmuch improvement. Jacob is besides the begetter to a 15-year-old daughter. 

His member said doctors assessed helium has constricted encephalon relation aft suffering dense humor loss. 

"Doctors haven't fixed america overmuch hope," Luke Couch told Fox News Digital. "Even though we are conscionable a tiny household from a tiny municipality successful Alabama, you know, we bash judge that God tin determination mountains and the powerfulness of supplication works. So we delight promote radical conscionable to support praying for him due to the fact that helium is not gone yet and miracles person happened before." 

Fox News Digital reached retired to Democratic Pima County Attorney Laura Conover’s bureau for comment, but did not instantly perceive back. 

Luke Couch questioned wherefore Michael wasn’t initially charged with attempted murder. He besides had a connection for prosecutors handling the case. 

"Please bash not fto this gaffe done the cracks. We volition not fto this gaffe done the cracks arsenic a family. Do not fto this antheral get retired and bash this again," helium said. "If anybody is connected the obstruction astir whether it's ethical oregon whatnot for ‘an oculus for an eye’ oregon a harsher punishment, I promote them to spell and look astatine my member lying up successful a infirmary bed." 

"This state is not arsenic harmless arsenic we thought," Luke Couch continued. "Please don't fto these criminals deliberation that they tin conscionable get distant with this because, from my understanding, this has go a signifier successful Tucson. I'm not from this area, I don't cognize for sure, but I tin talk connected what has happened to maine and my household and it's senseless. No genitor should person to hide their child. And my parent whitethorn person to bash that astatine this moment. And it's not right." 

The household has acceptable up a GoFundMe to assistance screen the costs of staying adjacent the infirmary successful Tucson.

In a connection obtained by Fox News Digital, the Tucson Police Department said officers responded astatine astir 10 a.m. April 5 to find "an unresponsive antheral with sharp-force trauma astatine the southeast country of East Broadway Boulevard and South 6th Avenue." 

"Bystanders attempted to render assistance to the victim, and officers took implicit life-saving efforts until the Tucson Fire Department arrived. TFD transported the unfortunate to Banner University Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Additional officers searched the country for the suspect, but helium was not located," according to police.

Detectives from the Robbery Assault Unit aboriginal responded to the country and "learned that the antheral fishy had approached the unfortunate and his woman astatine the autobus stop," constabulary said. "The fishy initiated a confrontation with the mates during which clip helium produced a sharp-edged limb and struck the antheral victim. After the assault, the fishy walked distant from the country and boarded a nationalist streetcar, leaving the area." 

Police said investigators collected grounds and obtained images of the suspect, yet identifying him as Michael. Michael was arrested astatine his location successful Tucson's East Side 3 days later. 

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Police said a hunt warrant was executed astatine the home, "where investigators located further evidence."