Who is Elizabeth Grace Johnson? Louisiana university student stabs date Draven Upchurch 8 times in dorm room
TANGIPAHOA PARISH, LOUISIANA: A female student at Southeastern Louisiana University was arrested after she stabbed her date in her dorm room on Saturday, April 3, night. Elizabeth Grace Johnson, 18, of Folsom, has bonded out of the Tangipahoa Parish Jail and has been put on interim suspension after the campus stabbing incident, in which Draven Upchurch, a Lousiana State University student, was sabbed multiple times.
According to a report provided by chief of university police staff, Michael Beckner, Johnson was arrested after university police responded to a call about an incident on the third floor of Louisiana Hall. When the officers arrived at the scene they found Upchurch in a pool of blood.
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The motive behind the attack is still not known as the case is currently under investigation by SLU PD. The police report calls the student and non-student “dating partners” and describes Johnson’s behavior as “worried”.
Johnson and Upchurch were taken to North Oaks Medical Center for treatment before Johnson was taken into custody and charged with aggravated battery. Upchurch remained at North Oaks for surgery and was in a critical condition on the night of the incident, the police report said.
Upchurch’s mother, Angie D Autin-Fasullo, posted updates about her son on the social media on the page of a business she owns, Honey’s Snoball Shack of Abita, saying that she does not want to be “silent” about what happened to her son.
In the Facebook post, she wrote: "I am ready to bring everyone out of the dark on Draven's incident. I refuse to use the word accident because what happened was not an accident. Sometime in the early morning of Saturday, April 3, 2021, Draven was stabbed multiple times (8) in a residential area in Hammond. Five making contact with vital organs: lungs, stomach and colon. Yes he is well acquainted with the person responsible and yes that individual was arrested. He was found unresponsive and life saving procedures were started on scene. He was transported to the trauma center in Hammond. The intake surgery lasted 4+ hours. During this time all of his blood, and then some, was put back into his body, 3 small portions of one of his lungs was removed, his stomach was repaired, and a small section of his colon removed. Draven coded twice. His heart was held in the most amazing surgeon's hand and massaged back to life along with internal shocking."
She further said, "He was in critical condition when his father and I arrived and remained so even after surgery was complete. His chest and abdomen were left open and wound vacced. On April 4th, when his condition became more stable, a CT scan was performed that showed slight swelling in his brain and fluid build-up in the ventricles. These results postponed the procedure to close his chest. A second CT scan was performed on April 5th. Results were the same, but the doctors felt comfortable enough to close his chest cavity. Surprisingly, he returned from the procedure with most of his abdomen closed as well. His condition is stable and continuing to improve. Another surgery is planned for Wednesday provided conditions continue to improve. Please continue to pray for Draven. His doctors tell us he is not out of the woods yet despite some amazing improvement. These are the reasons we continue to ask for blood donations."
Upchurch's mother made the latest update on Thursday, April 8, saying: "Surgery went amazing!! Abdomen is completely closed!! He is off the ventilator!!! And now he is off the CPap!! Oxygen tube only!!! He is already making people smile and laugh with his comments!!! Draven was complaining cause he said "I have an exam" and then his dad said "is that exam deep breathing?""
In a statement posted to Facebook, Southeastern Louisiana University wrote, “The Southeastern student who has been charged with aggravated battery for stabbing, in an isolated incident, was arrested and the criminal justice process is ongoing. This incident currently remains under investigation, and the student will go through the proper university disciplinary process as well as the criminal justice system process.”
The statement continued, “The university process may result in disciplinary measures up to and including expulsion, but that is not yet complete. While the incident remains under investigation, the student has been placed on interim suspension from the University, which bars access to campus and class pending disciplinary resolution. Southeastern can not release any further information at this time.”