Man dies after suspect butchered him with hatchet while waiting at Arizona bus stop

A man that was nearly decapitated by a suspect wielding a hatchet while he was waiting at a bus stop with his wife in Tucson, Arizona has died.

32-year-old Jacob Couch was waiting with his wife, Kristen, around 10 am on April 5 when a man identified as 25-year-old Daniel Michael began yelling at him. Couch attempted to respond before Michael pulled out a hatchet and struck him in the back of the neck, police said. 

Couch was placed on life support but died from his injuries after two weeks, leaving behind the couples' two daughters from previous relationships, the New York Post reported. 

"I told the man we were leaving, and I guess my husband bent down to get our stuff and he just came up behind him and just walked away... It was very traumatic, and there was a lot of blood," Kristen told KGUN9.

The couple had been in Los Angeles for 10 months, trying to cope with the loss of their stillborn son. They were returning to their hometown in Alabama when the attack occurred.

“He was stillborn,” Kristen explained. “You know, we felt like maybe, like moving, like, going somewhere different like would help us like grieve, but it didn't. And that's why we were coming home.”

Three days after the attack, Tucson police arrested Michael, who is now charged with first-degree murder and could face the death penalty if convicted. He is being held on a $1 million bond.

A search of Michael’s residence revealed a hatchet and clothing matching what the suspect wore during the attack. Michael first denied involvement in the attack but later admitted to it once shown video surveillance of the incident. He first told police he had been drinking heavily and initially said he didn’t remember the incident. Later, he told detectives he believed Couch was using drugs and struck him with the hatchet after he reached into his pocket. Michael also admitted to fleeing the scene after the assault.

Jacob’s brother, Luke Couch, expressed gratitude for the strong amount of community support following the brutal attack.

“Just for a minute, I looked around and just to see all these people who have different lives, different jobs and they took the time out of their day to come out here and there,” he said. “It's just amazing. Just, I'm at a loss for words.”

"It hurts knowing that I couldn't be there to protect him because he protected me for my whole life,” he added.