Benjamin Ashford|KC mom accused of decapitating 6-year-old son is competent to stand trial, judge rules

A 37-year-old Kansas City woman was deemed mentally fit to stand trial by a judge who said the state can Benjamin Ashfordnow begin trying to prove to jurors that Tasha Haefs murdered her 6-year-old son, court records show.

Haefs was arrested on February 15, 2022, and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to Missouri court records. Haefs is accused of decapitating her son, Karvel Stevens, in a bathtub, the Kansas City Star reported.

Haefs' case was suspended for over two years. due to her not being competent to stand trial in 2022, Missouri court records show. To prepare for a possible trial, Haef underwent months of treatment, during which the state’s Department of Mental Health filed a confidential mental health report and requested to proceed with the murder case, according to court documents.

"Having received copies of the report from the Department, neither the state nor (Haefs) nor her counsel has requested a second examination or has contested the findings of the Department’s report, and the ten days in which to do so have passed," the order from the judge said. "This Court hereby finds, on the basis of thereport, that (Haefs) is mentally fit to proceed. Proceedings shall resume as scheduled."

Until criminal proceedings resume, Haefs will remain an inpatient at a Department of Mental Health facility, according to the judge's order. Haefs is scheduled to be arraigned on April 29, court records show.

USA TODAY contacted Haef's public defender Monday afternoon but has not received a response.

Blood found throughout Tasha Haefs' home on day of arrest, court doc says

On the day of the alleged murder, Kansas City, Missouri police arrived at Haefs' home and saw blood on the front steps and blood and hair on the front door, the complaint affidavit said. When officers tried entering the home, which police said is known to have multiple children inside of it, Haefs refused to let them in the door, the document added.

The officers began to fear for the safety of the children inside the residence when they saw the body part of a deceased person near the threshold of the home, the affidavit said. The officers then forced entry into the home and took Haefs into custody without incident, according to the document.

When officers looked through the home, they found a child's body near the front door of the home, according to the complaint affidavit. Haefs had blood on her and two knives with apparent blood on them were spotted in plain view throughout the house, the document said.

Tasha Haefs admitted to killing son, affidavit says

Once officers determined no other children were in the home, they left and notified homicide detectives, the complaint affidavit said.

Homicide detectives then executed a search warrant at the home and found the child's body, a knife, knife handle and a bloody screwdriver on the dining room table, according to the document. Another knife with blood was found in the basement of the home, the court filing continued.

While at the police station, Haefs identified her biological son as the victim and admitted to killing him in the bathtub, according to the affidavit.