A 19-year-old Washington state resident, McKenzy Hafer, has been charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder following an alleged violent altercation with her parents. The incident reportedly occurred on Easter Sunday, April 20, after a disagreement over religious beliefs.
The dispute began when McKenzy Hafer’s father, Benjamin Hafer, wished her a “Happy Resurrection Day,” a greeting to which she responded by expressing her disbelief in God. This led to a verbal disagreement between the two, after which they separated into different rooms of the house.
The situation escalated when McKenzy Hafer’s mother, Erin Hetzler, confronted her about the earlier exchange with her father. The mother-daughter conversation reportedly turned into a heated argument. Despite McKenzy Hafer reciprocating her father’s Easter greeting, Hetzler continued to press her daughter about the conversation, which is when the argument reportedly turned violent.
According to court documents, McKenzy Hafer was in the kitchen when her mother approached her about the argument with her father. The specifics of their subsequent argument remain unclear, but it is reported that the verbal disagreement turned physical when McKenzy Hafer became so agitated that she threw her phone on the floor.
Upon entering the room and inquiring about the damaged phone, Benjamin Hafer was allegedly stabbed in the stomach by his daughter, who reportedly grabbed a kitchen knife with the intention to kill him. McKenzy Hafer is also accused of turning the same knife on her mother, allegedly stabbing her in the throat with the same lethal intent.
McKenzy Hafer’s brother, Dakota, was present in the house during the incident but was not involved in the alleged attack. When questioned by the police, McKenzy Hafer’s account of the incident was consistent with the injuries her parents sustained. Both parents are expected to recover from their injuries.
Following the incident, McKenzy Hafer was charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder and is currently being held on $500,000 bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 5.