Tucson Bus Stop Horror: Husband Jacob Couch Nearly Decapitated in Brutal Hatchet Attack

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16 April, 2025 14:23

Tucson Bus Stop Horror: Husband Jacob Couch Nearly Decapitated in Brutal Hatchet Attack

A 32-year-old father of two, Jacob Couch, was left critically injured and nearly decapitated in a brutal axe attack witnessed by his wife during a cross-country trip — just a year after the couple tragically lost their son.

The horrifying incident unfolded on April 5 in downtown Tucson, Arizona, as Jacob and his wife Kristen were sitting at a bus stop when they were approached by 25-year-old Daniel Michael. According to court documents reported by KOLD, Michael was allegedly carrying a hatchet and began shouting at the couple before launching the violent assault.

Kristen Couch shared with the outlet, “Seeing your husband get almost decapitated and being the only one to help like it’s, hard.”

She remembered informing the stranger that they were just departing as her husband crouched to pick up their bags when Michael initiated his dreadful assault. “I’m still in shock,” Kristen Couch said.

The merciless beast severed an artery in Couch’s neck and hit his head. The violent assault occurred one mile away from the University of Arizona. Couch was quickly transported to Banner University Medical Center, where he had surgery and was put on life support.

Jacob Couch’s family is bracing for the worst after doctors diagnosed him with an anoxic brain injury—a critical condition that occurs when the brain is starved of oxygen for too long. They fear he may not survive.

“He’s not expected to make it right now,” said Luke Couch, Jacob’s younger brother, speaking to reporters outside the hospital. “We’ve just been taking it how we can.”

Jacob and his wife Kristen have been married for 11 years. After the heartbreaking stillbirth of their son in May 2024, the couple moved to Los Angeles in hopes of healing. But after nearly a year, they decided it was time to return home.

“We were coming home because we just couldn’t get it together,” Kristen explained. “We just needed our family.”

The couple had been making their way back to Arab, Alabama, traveling by bus, where their two daughters—ages 13 and 15—were waiting for them.

The couple had been journeying by bus and were waiting at the 6th Avenue and Broadway station for the next leg of their trip when the attack occurred.

“He was a very non-confrontational person,” Kristen Couch said of her husband. “He wasn’t aggressive. He was kind—he was so kind.”

Authorities identified Daniel Michael as the suspect using security camera footage, and he was apprehended three days after the assault.

When first questioned by police, Michael admitted to being in the vicinity but denied any involvement in the attack on Jacob Couch.

Investigators later found a hatchet and clothing matching the attacker’s description inside Daniel Michael’s residence.

Michael allegedly told authorities he had been drinking and claimed he had no memory of encountering Jacob Couch.

Jacob’s brother, Luke Couch, didn’t hold back when speaking about the suspect and the violence that unfolded.

“If you’re going downtown drunk and carrying a large machete like that, you’re not out there for anything but to hurt someone,” Luke told KOLD. “He went looking for trouble, and unfortunately, it was my brother who got caught in it—and now, he’s not going to make it home from this.”

According to court documents cited by the outlet, Daniel Michael has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault.

Authorities stated that if Jacob Couch does not survive his injuries, more serious charges—including a state-level homicide charge—will be pursued.

Michael is currently being held in Pima County Jail, with his bond set at $1 million, according to jail records.