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In a chilling revelation, a Michigan resident has confessed to the murder of a pregnant teenager who disappeared in 2024 and whose body was never recovered.
On Thursday, Jarvis Butts accepted a plea agreement, admitting to the second-degree murder of 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris, along with five counts of sexual assault. As part of this plea deal, other charges of sexual misconduct were dismissed, according to WDIV.
Harris vanished in January 2024, last seen waiting at a bus stop in Detroit. Authorities allege that Butts began grooming her in June 2022 and killed her upon discovering she was pregnant in September 2023. The motive, investigators suspect, was to prevent Harris from having his child while he was serving time for an unrelated firearms offense.
The prosecution presented text exchanges suggesting Harris was anxious about her pregnancy being exposed.
In one message sent in November 2024, Harris reportedly texted Butts, “I don’t know what your problem is, but I need you to bring me what I need tonight. It’s hard doing all this gym stuff with this baby, and if I don’t do them, I’m going to fail.”
Before Harris’ presumed slaying, Butts allegedly searched online about abortions, abortion pills, and drinking anti-freeze. Text messages suggested Butts told Harris he would pick her up from school on January 9, 2024, the last day she was seen alive.
Butts was traced to the Rouge River in Detroit a day after Harris’ disappearance. A single shoe belonging to Harris was found at the river.
Detroit Police Department Sgt. Melanie O’Rourke said Harris’ school identification card was found in the area where Butts’ phone was traced between January 10 and 11, 2024. Harris’ clothes were also discovered in the vicinity — with U.S. Border Patrol agent Wyatt Barnes alleging that a black hoodie had both Harris and Butts’ blood on it.
Butts — a registered sex offender — was named in at least five reports made to Child Protective Services since 2015. A report from 2022 accused Butts of inappropriately touching Harris. None of the reports made to CPS about molestation and sexual abuse were substantiated.
In addition to the sexual abuse allegations involving Harris, prosecutors said he assaulted an 8-year-old family member and gave chlamydia to his girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter.
WDIV reported that Harris’ body has not been found despite Butts confessing to dumping her body in the Rogue River. Butts’ sentencing is scheduled for March 12.
Anyone with information regarding Harris’ whereabouts is asked to call Detroit police at 313-596-1800.
Harris’ case is being covered as part of CrimeOnline’s “Finding the Lost: Black and Missing” series, which will feature a missing Black person every day in February. The full series can be read here.