A Tucson man’s life was tragically cut short after a hatchet-wielding maniac randomly attacked him as he waited at a bus stop with his wife.
Jacob Couch, 32, was sitting with his wife, Kristen, around 10am on April 5 when Daniel Michael, 25, began yelling at them, according to court records.
Jacob attempted to say something to the attacker before he produced the hatchet and struck the father-of-one on the back of the neck, severing his carotid artery.
His distraught wife Kristen told KGUN 9: ‘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.’
The couple, married 11 years, had been waiting for a bus to take them back to their hometown of hometown of Arab, Alabama. After spending 10 months in Los Angeles and losing their son in May 2024, they were ready to go home.
‘He was stillborn,’ Kristen said. ‘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.’
Instead, Kristen has to now grieve the loss of both her son and her husband, who on Thursday died from his injuries after spending two weeks on life support. Jacob now also leaves behind a 15-year-old daughter.
Police had already arrested suspect Michael at his apartment three days after the deranged attack. Michael now faces first degree murder charges.
Jacob Couch (pictured next to his wife of 11 years, Kristen) was hit in the back of the neck with a hatchet by a maniac on the street while they he and Kristen were waiting for a bus in Tuscon to take them home to Alabama
Daniel Michael, 25, was arrested three days after the April 5 attack after police found a hatchet and clothes matching the description of the ones worn by Jacob’s attacker
If convicted, Michael could receive the death penalty, as Arizona does allow capital punishment. He is currently being held on a $1 million bond, which could also go up now that his charges have been upgraded.
Jacob’s sister-in-law Erica Sims confirmed he died at 8.58pm because his heart gave out, KGUN 9 reported. He had also developed pneumonia.
Residents of Tucson prayed together outside Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, where Jacob was fighting for his life, at around 7pm the day he died.
Luke Couch, Jacob’s brother, was overwhelmed with all the community support.
‘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.’
Kristen said she’s received clothing, food, money and gift cards from various Tucsonans.
Luke also expressed guilt that he wasn’t able to protect his brother.
‘It hurts knowing that I couldn’t be there to protect him because he protected me for my whole life,’ he said.
Kristen and Luke Couch are trying to spread stories about Jacob’s kind and giving nature in the wake of his tragic passing
Kristen said that one Christmas, Jacob took it upon himself to go out and hand $100 bills to homeless people
Sims also set up a GoFundMe to raise money in the wake of the tragedy. In just under two weeks, people have donated more than $70,000 to the family.
Investigators executed a search warrant on Michael’s home three days after he allegedly attacked Jacob.
They reportedly found a hatchet and articles of clothing that matched what was worn during the attack.
Michael initially denied involvement but crumbled when he was shown surveillance video of the incident, according to police records.
He later told detectives that he had been drinking heavily and didn’t remember much from that day. Then, he changed his story, saying he did recall confronting Jacob because he thought he was using drugs, according to police.
Michael said Jacob reached into his back pocket, which caused him to pull out the hatchet and swing it at his neck, police records show. He then admitted to walking away, police said.
Kristen and Luke Couch are trying to spread stories about Jacob’s kind and giving nature.
Kristen said that one Christmas, Jacob took it upon himself to go out and hand $100 bills to homeless people.
‘Just stuff like that made him happy,’ she said. ‘We’re just both kind, very down-to-earth, nonconfrontational people.’
‘He was such a sweet soul, such a good brother, such a good father and such a good husband,’ Luke said. ‘He didn’t deserve this.’
Michael is due to appear in court later this month.
