Marvina Butler-Hardy was denied bond after a Charlotte judge called the allegations severe and frightening.
CHARLOTTE, NC — A Mecklenburg County judge denied bond Wednesday for a woman accused of stabbing a pregnant mother outside a Harris Teeter in Charlotte’s Cotswold area after a family member helped police identify her.
Marvina Marie Butler-Hardy faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury and battery of an unborn child. Police said the March 18 attack appeared random, and investigators have said Butler-Hardy and the victim did not know each other. The case moved back into Mecklenburg County court after Butler-Hardy was arrested in Florida and extradited to Charlotte.
Police said Butler-Hardy arrived at the Harris Teeter off Sharon Amity Road around 8:30 a.m. on March 18. Surveillance footage showed her walking inside the store before she returned to her vehicle, according to court records. An affidavit said she then sat in her car for about two and a half hours. At 11:16 a.m., a pregnant woman pulled into the parking lot with her young child. Investigators said Butler-Hardy moved her car behind the woman’s vehicle, got out and confronted her. The victim told police Butler-Hardy cursed at her and tried to stab her five times. One strike hit the victim in the chest. The encounter lasted about 15 seconds, according to court documents. In court, Butler-Hardy spoke briefly and said she would never stab anyone.
The victim was about 30 weeks pregnant and was getting her child out of the car when the attack happened, according to investigators and court records. Police said she suffered injuries that were not life threatening and was expected to recover. The child was not reported injured. Investigators said the woman told officers she did not know the suspect and had no prior contact with her. Police released surveillance images showing a suspect and a vehicle after the stabbing. Investigators said images from the city’s real-time crime center were shared with the public and news outlets. A family member later called police on March 27 after seeing the images. Court documents said the relative told officers Butler-Hardy had called her son two days earlier and asked to switch cars because she had gotten into trouble with her car.
The family member told officers he was certain Butler-Hardy was the woman shown in the surveillance images, according to the affidavit. Police said that tip helped move the investigation forward after days of public requests for information. Crime Stoppers tips also helped identify Butler-Hardy as a suspect, according to police accounts released after her arrest. The case drew attention across Charlotte because investigators described the attack as sudden and unprovoked in a busy shopping center. The Harris Teeter is in Cotswold, a southeast Charlotte area with stores, restaurants and homes near Sharon Amity Road. Police said the victim was attacked in the parking lot, not inside the store. The reason for the attack remains unknown, and investigators have not publicly described a motive.
Butler-Hardy was arrested March 30 in Florida after authorities tracked her to Flagler County. Florida troopers stopped a silver Hyundai sedan after a law enforcement alert identified the vehicle as connected to the Charlotte case. Authorities said she was taken into custody without further incident. She was held in Florida before being returned to North Carolina this week. During Wednesday’s hearing, prosecutors pointed to the nature of the allegations and Butler-Hardy’s criminal history. Court records reviewed during the hearing included past charges involving assault, firearm possession by a felon, larceny, firearms offenses and malicious conduct by a prisoner. Records from the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office show she was arrested in January 2023 and released in May 2025. Butler-Hardy was appointed an attorney during the new case.
The judge denied bond after saying the allegations were serious and frightening. The judge also ruled that if Butler-Hardy is granted bond later, she must be placed on electronic monitoring. Prosecutors described the attack as random, and the judge noted the public nature of the parking lot encounter. Butler-Hardy’s attorney advised her not to speak during the hearing, but she made brief comments from court. She said she had recently gotten out of prison and had not seen a pregnant woman in more than three years. The court did not decide guilt or innocence during the bond hearing. The hearing focused on custody, public safety and the next steps in the criminal case. Butler-Hardy has not been convicted in the Harris Teeter case.
The case now moves toward another court appearance scheduled for May 13. Prosecutors are expected to continue presenting the case through Mecklenburg County courts, while defense counsel will have a chance to respond to the allegations and review the evidence. Investigators have relied on surveillance images, witness statements, family information and records from the Florida arrest. Police have not said that any other suspect is being sought. The victim’s name has not been released publicly in the reports reviewed for this story. Officials have also not released detailed medical updates beyond saying her injuries were not life threatening. The unborn child’s condition has not been described in public court accounts beyond the battery charge tied to the pregnancy.
As of Wednesday, Butler-Hardy remained held without bond in Mecklenburg County. Her next scheduled court date is May 13, when the case is expected to return before a judge for further proceedings.
Author note: Last updated April 29, 2026.