Two weeks after Jacob Couch, 32, was almost decapitated in a violent hatchet attack, the Alabama father has tragically succumbed to his injuries. The attack occurred on April 5, and the man who allegedly carried it out, Daniel Michael, 25, has now been charged with first-degree murder.
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According to KGUN, the incident took place at around 10:00 a.m. while Couch and his wife, Kristen, waited at a Tucson, Arizona, bus stop. Michael allegedly approached and began yelling at them. They both talked back to the man, not knowing what was about to happen.
"I told the man we're leaving, and my husband bent down to, I guess, like, get our stuff," Kristen told the outlet. He just came up behind him [and swung at him with the hatchet] and walked away,"
The injury that Couch suffered was so severe that he was almost decapitated. Erica Sims, Couch's sister-in-law, revealed to KOLD that the hatchet had cut the artery on the back of his neck. It even hit his skull, leaving him clinging to life.
Three days later, police arrested Daniel Michael and charged him with aggravated assault. They allegedly found the hatchet in his home. While he initially denied being involved with the attack, he admitted to heavy drinking. Furthermore, he allegedly said that he didn't remember what happened on April 5, as per legal documents. The charges were amended to first-degree murder after Couch's death.
Couch Passes
Sims confirmed that Jacob Couch tragically died on April 17 at 8:58 p.m. He had developed pneumonia while hospitalized, according to her.
The news was further confirmed by Kristen, who took to Facebook to communicate her husband's death. Moreover, in a series of posts, she shared several pictures of her and Jacob, who were together for 11 years.
"I'll love you forever and always. Please hold our sweet baby so tight until I can be with you again," Kristen wrote. The baby she referenced was the son they lost in a miscarriage back in 2024. Moreover, that miscarriage prompted them to move to Los Angeles, and they were heading back to Alabama at the time of the attack.
"I know Jake tried to fight. We could all see it, but now I think that may have been what little closure he could give us before he left this world," Kristen added. "Thank you to everyone who has prayed and held our family close to your heart. We will forever be grateful for the people who have lifted our family up and helped us in our time of need."
As per PEOPLE, Daniel Michael is currently being held on a $2 million cash bond.
