KANSAS CITY, Mo.—A Kansas City woman accused of decapitating her 6-year-old son has been found mentally unfit to stand trial.
A Jackson County judge last week placed Tasha Haefs, 35, in the custody of the Missouri Department of Mental Health after finding her incompetent to stand trial, the Kansas City Star reported. Haefs had been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of Karvel Stevens.
Officers who were called in February to a home in eastern Kansas City found the boy and a family dog decapitated inside and Haefs covered in blood. They also found bloody knives, and officials said Haefs told police she killed her son in the home’s bathtub.
Police went to the home after a woman believed to be Haefs called and said the devil was trying to attack her. Haefs’ family members later told the Star that she had struggled for years with drug addiction, depression, severe trauma, and hallucinations.
A phone message left Wednesday morning with Haefs’ public defender, Laura O’Sullivan, seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Mike Mansur, a spokesman for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, said Haefs’ mental competence will be re-evaluated after several months of treatment to see if she can stand trial at a later date.
