A Tucson judge has ordered a mental health evaluation for the man accused of killing a 32-year-old Alabama man with a hatchet at a downtown bus stop last year. Daniel Michael Jr. appeared in court on Tuesday, where the judge approved the exam and granted a defense motion seeking an examination of his mental state at the time of the alleged attack.
According to KVOA, the defense filed its motion requesting the examination on September 30, and the case is set to return to court for a status conference on December 21. Michael is accused of striking Jacob Couch in the neck with a hatchet while Couch sat on a bus bench near Sixth Avenue and Broadway Boulevard, according to the Tucson Police Department. The attack happened on April 5, 2025, and Couch died from his injuries on April 17, 2025.
The wound was catastrophic. The hatchet blow severed an artery down to Couch's skull, causing massive blood loss and anoxic brain damage, according to Arizona Daily Independent. Couch survived on life support at Banner University Medical Center for nearly two weeks before he died.
How Investigators Tracked Down the Suspect
Couch and his wife were passing through Tucson on a bus layover, making their way back to Alabama from California, where the couple had spent several months after the stillbirth of their infant son in May 2024, as reported by True Crime News. Arizona Daily Independent separately reported they had lived in Los Angeles for almost a year. The attack was captured on security footage. Michael was arrested at his apartment three days later, where officers seized a hatchet and matching clothing, per the station's report. The suspect had fled the scene by riding a public streetcar.
During initial questioning, Michael denied attacking Couch, then later claimed he was heavily intoxicated and had no memory of the incident, the outlet notes. He also alleged he believed Couch was using drugs and reaching into his pocket right before the assault. Daniel Michael Jr. reportedly confessed only after authorities showed him video footage of the attack, according to authorities.
Michael was initially booked on aggravated assault charges, which were elevated to first-degree murder once Couch died. He was held at the Pima County Jail on a $1 million bond, per the same account.
What the Mental Evaluation Does and Doesn't Decide
The court-ordered exam is a mental health evaluation, separate from a determination of guilt. Separately, Arizona law recognizes competency to stand trial as a distinct legal question. Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-4503 and Rule 11 of the Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure, competency generally concerns whether a defendant can understand court proceedings and assist his own counsel, according to Castillo Law.
Castillo Law also draws a sharp line between this competency review and a potential insanity defense. Under A.R.S. § 13-502, a finding of guilty except insane requires proof that a severe mental disease or defect kept the defendant from understanding that his actions were wrong at the time of the offense — a separate legal question from whether he can currently assist his attorneys.
If convicted, Michael faces the most severe penalties available under Arizona law. First-degree murder is classified as a Class 1 felony under Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1105, carrying mandatory sentencing options of life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty, according to AZ Defenders.
A Second Bus Stop Attack Fueled Local Fear
Just weeks after Couch was killed, a second unrelated hatchet attack struck fear into the city again. On May 12, 2025, a suspect identified as Frank Rick Lopez allegedly injured two Good Samaritans at a bus stop near Tanque Verde and Sabino Canyon Roads, according to 12News. The two hatchet attacks raised concerns about safety on public transportation.
Michael's case now moves toward the December 21 status conference, with the examination focused on his mental state at the time of Couch's killing.
