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Mental health evaluation ordered for mother of murdered child

Tasha Haefs charged with killing 6-year-old son
Child homicide Indiana Ave KCMO.jpeg
Posted at 5:04 PM, Feb 18, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-18 18:04:56-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, mother who was arrested and charged with murdering her 6-year-old son is being held without bond and will undergo a mental health evaluation.

The prosecution of Tasha Haefs, 35, was suspended Thursday after a mental health evaluation was ordered in the case.

A public defender also has been ordered to represent Haefs in the case.

KCPD officers responded to a house in the 7300 block of Indiana Avenue around 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday after a female caller told dispatchers the devil was trying to attack her.

Arriving officers were unable to make contact with anyone inside the residence, but could hear a woman singing and also saw blood and other evidence of a crime.

Inside, officers discovered the body of the 6-year-old boy, identified Thursday as Karvel Stevens, and a dog that also had been killed.

Haefs was taken into custody and two bloody knives were recovered at the scene.

According to court records, she was arraigned Thursday in Jackson County Circuit Court at which time the orders for a mental health evaluation and public defender also were entered.

Haefs, who has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, is due back in court Feb. 24 for a bond review hearing, according to court records.

The court ruled that "no combination of non-monetary conditions and monetary conditions will secure the safety of the community" in refusing to allow bond in the case.

Karvel’s murder has shocked the community and led to intensified calls for action to prevent violence and address mental health.

For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.