‘Devil’ didn’t make KC mother kill her 6-year-old son. What signs were missed?

Six-year-old Karvel Stevens is dead, and Karvel’s mother is accused of decapitating him. Tasha Haefs believed “the devil was trying to attack her.”

But beyond 35-year-old Tasha Haefs’ admission, the larger cause of the tragedy inside the home in the 7300 block of Indiana Avenue in Kansas City still requires a thorough investigation. Were police and/or state child welfare officials aware of the situation?

The latter wouldn’t say on Thursday if Haefs had ever been accused of child abuse or neglect. She was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the boy’s death.

Police also found a decapitated dog in the basement.

The victim had siblings, law enforcement officials said. Their well-being and safety should be priority No. 1. Other children frequented the home. None, thankfully, was present to witness the horrific crime.

Haefs sits in a cell at the Jackson County Detention Center without bond. But did anyone know what was going on in that house, and did they report it?

It’s a fair question, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said, vowing to seek justice for the victim and examining Haefs’ past to see what went wrong and how.

The child’s death, Baker wrote in a statement, was a reminder to law enforcement, prosecutors, public health officials, social service providers and neighborhood leaders that violence is a communitywide issue that affects us all. Addressing violent crime and protecting children takes a collaborative approach. So does mental health, where resources are far too few.

“We will review our systems and responses to examine more deeply if any opportunities for intervention were missed,” Baker wrote.