EASTPOINTE, Mich. – The worker accused of killing her manager at a McDonald’s in Eastpointe appeared in court Wednesday afternoon.
Afeni Badu Muhammad, 27, of Eastpointe, who was charged in connection with the death of 39-year-old Jennifer Harris, was back in court in the afternoon on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, before Judge Kathleen G. Galen, for a review hearing regarding her competency evaluation.
You can watch the full hearing in the video at the top of this article.
A doctor told Joshua Jones, her attorney, that Muhammad was interviewed for the competency evaluation, but a report hasn’t been created yet, the attorney explained in court on Wednesday.
Jones said that when he talked to Muhammad before court, she also confirmed that the evaluation had happened.
The report is expected to be received in the next 2-3 weeks.
The purpose of the evaluation is to determine if Muhammad is competent to stand trial.
“This evaluation is to ensure that the defendant is mentally competent to stand trial and is a standard step in cases where questions of mental health arise,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a release on Wednesday afternoon. “This step is essential to protecting the rights of the accused while maintaining the integrity of the judicial process.”
The judge scheduled a probable cause conference for Oct. 8 and a preliminary examination for Oct. 15, although noted that those dates could change, depending on when they receive the report.
Before this, Muhammad last appeared in court on July 23 for a probable cause conference.
During that hearing, her attorney requested this competency evaluation, despite Muhammad’s objection to the referral. Due to this, her probable cause conference was adjourned, and the review hearing was scheduled.
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Muhammad is accused of stabbing Harris multiple times on July 10 with a kitchen knife that was longer than three inches, resulting in her death.
Harris worked as Muhammad’s manager at the McDonald’s at 17921 9 Mile Road in Eastpointe. The stabbing happened after Muhammad and Harris had gotten into an argument, which led to Harris sending her home from work early.
Muhammad has been charged with first-degree murder, carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent and being a habitual offender, second offense, in connection with Harris’ death. The 27-year-old is also being held on a $25 million bond.
Related: What Eastpointe McDonald’s worker said in Instagram rant 2 days before allegedly killing manager
The habitual offender charge is linked to a previous stabbing that Muhammad was also involved in.
In 2022, Muhammad pleaded guilty to unlawful felony wounding in Virginia after an incident where she stabbed her boyfriend after an argument.
According to a criminal complaint, on Jan. 11, 2022, an officer arrived to an apartment complex in Alexandria, Virginia, for a stabbing in progress and found Muhammad at the scene. The officer stated that Muhammad was crying and said, “I stabbed him. Is he okay?”
After she was placed under arrest, the officer stated that Muhammad explained she had gotten into an altercation with her boyfriend after he learned she had been speaking with a male friend about issues in their relationship.
As part of her guilty plea, Muhammad was given a suspended sentence of four years, meaning she didn’t have to serve any prison time so long as she met several conditions, including one year of state-supervised probation.
The conditions of her suspended sentence included:
- Good behavior for four years after release from confinement
- One year of state-supervised probation, including substance abuse counseling and/or testing as prescribed by a probation officer
- Abiding by a protective order preventing contact with the victim
- Enrolling in and completing a batterer’s intervention program
- Payment of court costs
Click here for all of our previous coverage on the Eastpointe McDonald’s stabbing.
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