Jarvis Butts, who murdered a 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris, was found dead in his cell at the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson on Thursday. This comes two weeks after the 43-year-old was sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison for the murder of the Detroit teen. He pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder charge and also faced years for sexually assaulting other minors.
Polic said that the prison staff’provided life-saving measures which were unsuccessful’ early in the morning. Butts’ death is being reported as a suicide. Butts pleaded guilty to murdering Harris in 2024, after impregnating her, prosecutors said. That is when his text messages with the victim came into light.
Na’Ziyah’s body has not been found yet.
Final messages before disappearance
One of the most critical pieces of evidence presented in court was the final text exchange between Butts and 13-year-old Harris on January 9, 2024 – the day she vanished.
January 9 , 2024
Harris: Don’t forget be there before 3 I will let you know when I’m leaving the school if you not there I will wait
Harris: Send OK if you see the message so I can delete your number
Butts: OK
Authorities believe this was the last communication between the two before Harris disappeared.
Timeline leading up to disappearance
Prosecutors told the court that Harris met Butts on the same day she went missing. The pair allegedly traveled to Ypsilanti before returning to Detroit, where Butts checked into a motel.
At the time, Butts had been expected to turn himself in on a separate gun charge, though that date had been delayed.
Investigators later tracked him to the Rouge River area, where clothing believed to belong to Harris was recovered.
Allegations of grooming and abuse
According to prosecutors, the relationship between Butts and Harris began years earlier. Authorities allege he had been grooming and sexually abusing her since 2022.
The court heard that Butts knew Harris through family connections and used that familiarity to gain access to her.
He was described by prosecutors as a repeat offender with a pattern of targeting young girls, including other alleged victims between the ages of 4 and 13.
Explicit messages read in court
During the preliminary hearing, Sergeant Shannon Jones read out a series of text messages exchanged between Butts and Harris dating back to 2022.
September 27, 2022
Harris: Come on
Harris: You ok?
Harris: Where are we doing it at your choice
Butts: You tell me
Harris: Basement
Harris: You sure?
Harris: Or job
Butts: Can you suck my d— please
Butts: And make sure you erase the messages
Harris: K that is what I planned to do
June 5, 2022
Butts: I’m at your house
Harris: Damn we were just there
Harris: You bet not be in my room
Harris: I need another phone
Harris: I miss you
Butts: I stole your panties
June 24, 2023
Butts: Send me some pictures please
Harris: Don’t you still got the other pics
Butts: No
Harris: I will send some
June 27, 2023
Butts: Are you naked yet
Harris: No I don’t wanna get naked
Harris: Are you mad I didn’t get naked
Butts: I used to you telling me no
Harris: Come on bae I’m sorry just not in the mood right now I’m sorry
Messages referencing pregnancy
Texts from late 2023 revealed Harris expressing concern about a possible pregnancy, which prosecutors say Butts was aware of.
September 26, 2023
Harris: Bae you up???
Harris: ???
Harris: Yeah
Harris: My period haven’t came at all
Harris: Hello you there???
Butts: What you mean
Harris: It have not came
Butts: Since when
Harris: Since I was in the hospital
Butts: That was last month
Harris: I’m scared idk what to do I have to go to the doctors tm
Butts: You said you took a pregnancy test and it was negative
Harris: It did
Butts: So go get another one
Harris: I can’t I have no money
Harris: You go get one
Harris: You ain’t scared to get a plan b, get a pregnancy test and bring it later today just act like have you have to use the bathroom
Harris: Pls
Harris: Will you do it???
Harris: Hello ?????
Butts: Ok
November 27, 2023
Harris: I just wanna talk I really don’t wanna lose you
Harris: Can we talk later yes or no
Harris: I don’t what your problem but I need you to bring me what I need tonight it’s hard doing all this gym s— with this baby and if I don’t do em I’m gonna get a F
Case takes a massive blow
With Butts dead and Harris’s body still not found, the murder investigation has taken a major blow. The preliminary examination, which began in January 2025, included testimony from dozens of witnesses. Prosecutors relied heavily on digital evidence, including text messages, phone records, and search history.
