DETROIT – A 41-year-old man from Highland Park appeared in court Friday, Sept. 27, after reportedly killing a 13-year-old girl who he impregnated.
Jarvis Butts is facing multiple felonies in the death of Na’Ziyah Harris, a J. E. Clark Preparatory Academy student who went missing in January. While her body has not been recovered, police said there is an “overwhelming” amount of evidence that Butts murdered Harris.
Background: ‘Groomer, pedophile’ charged in death of 13-year-old Detroit girl last seen in January
Prosecutors said Butts was supposed to turn himself into authorities on a gun charge on Jan. 9, the day Na’Ziyah went missing, but that date was pushed back to February. Harris allegedly met up with Butts that day and the two reportedly went to Ypsilanti before returning back to Detroit, where Butts checked into a motel.
Text records allege that Butts knew Harris was pregnant and that he began searching online about abortions, abortion pills, and drinking red anti-freeze.
Authorities believe Butts had been sexually abusing Harris since 2022 before killing her in January. Prosecutors said he had a history of targeting and befriending women to get close to and sexually abuse their daughters.
It’s not the only sexual abuse case Butts is involved with. He also has been charged for reportedly sexually abusing two other young girls, as well as a conviction for sexual assault in 2005. Prosecutors called Butts a “serial child rapist,” who sexually assaulted an 8-year-old family member and a girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter, who reportedly caught chlamydia from the assault.
He was charged Friday as a habitual fourth-time offender.
Butts and Harris had reportedly known each other because he was the father of her cousins. The abuse of Harris allegedly began in 2022 with sexually explicit texts and photos being sent to the child.
He was tracked to the Rouge River in Detroit the day after her disappearance, where police would later recover the clothes Harris was last seen wearing. Authorities said there was damage to the clothing that could indicate a struggle.
Butts has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder, child sexually abusive material and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13. He was remanded back to jail without bond. His probable cause hearing is expected to take place Oct. 4, followed by a preliminary exam on Oct. 10.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Detroit Police Department’s Major Crimes Division at 313-596-2260.
Tips can be made anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-SPEAK-UP or going to their website.
