KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City police released the name of the 6-year-old boy who was killed inside a Kansas City house Tuesday night.
Officers were dispatched to the home after receiving a call from a woman claiming “the devil was trying to attack her.”
When they arrived, police say they found the body of Karvell Stevens inside the home.
The family started a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses.
They describe Karvell as a boy who loved going to the park and playing in the snow. They wrote that Karvell loved school and watching TV with his two siblings. His favorite food was the original Popeyes Chicken sandwich and fries.
Prosecutors charged Karvel’s mother, 35-year-old Tasha Haefs, with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in his death.
Court documents show officers noticed what appeared to be blood leading to the front door of the house when they arrived. Documents also showed officers heard a woman singing loudly who refused to answer the door. The louder they knocked, the louder she sang.
Officers forced their way inside when the woman refused to answer the door and found Haefs in the kitchen. Documents show she had what appeared to be blood on her legs and feet. Officers determined Haefs had several cuts and scratches on both of her hands. She also had a cut and a puncture wound to her right thigh.
Family members set up a memorial in Karvell’s honor outside of the house near East 73rd Street and Indiana Avenue. They say mental health issues and drugs are to blame in connection with his death.
“Its a lot of things and we all know it, so don’t be ashamed to say it. And let’s all address the situation to where we can get the help from God,” Hubert Hawthorne, Karvell’s Grandfather said.
The family has not said when Karvell will be laid to rest.