Daughter of Slain Eastpointe McDonald’s Manager Arrested After Bringing Knife to Court Hearing for Suspected Killer

 

A courtroom hearing in Eastpointe, Michigan, erupted into chaos on Friday after the teenage daughter of a McDonald’s manager who was fatally stabbed earlier this year was taken into custody for allegedly attempting to bring a knife into the courthouse.

The incident occurred during the preliminary hearing for Afeni Badu Muhammad, 26, who is charged with murdering Jennifer Harris, 39, a manager at the Eastpointe McDonald’s where she worked for 15 years.

Authorities identified the individual taken into custody as 17-year-old Antonia Griffin, Harris’s eldest daughter. According to WXYZ, Griffin left the courtroom after viewing surveillance video of her mother being stabbed, then attempted to re-enter while in possession of a knife. Court officers detained her, and prosecutors are now determining whether charges will be filed. The Harris family was barred from returning to the courtroom afterward.

Despite the disruption, the hearing resumed later in the afternoon in Macomb County. Muhammad faces charges stemming from the July 10 stabbing, which prosecutors say occurred after an argument between the employee and her manager.

Details of the Fatal Incident

Investigators allege Muhammad stabbed Harris up to 15 times with a kitchen knife that was later recovered from the suspect’s vehicle. Harris collapsed but was reportedly attacked further as she lay bleeding, prosecutors said.

A police interrogation video played in court showed Muhammad stating she felt Harris had “bullied her at work” and showing no remorse.

Michigan State Police responded to the McDonald’s on 9 Mile Road after reports of shots fired and a stabbing. A customer had reportedly held Muhammad at gunpoint until officers arrived.

A forensic evaluation found Muhammad competent to stand trial. She is charged with First Degree Premeditated Murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence without parole, and carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, a five-year felony.

Muhammad’s next court date is December 2.