Jarvis Butts, the Detroit man convicted of killing 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris and multiple sexual offences, has died in custody just two weeks after being sentenced, according to officials.
A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) confirmed that Butts was pronounced dead on the morning of March 26, 2026, at the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson, Michigan. Corrections staff attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful. Authorities have said the death is being investigated as a possible suicide, with a final cause yet to be confirmed.
Butts had been sentenced on March 12, 2026, in the Wayne County Third Circuit Court after pleading guilty in a case that brought together multiple criminal charges.
He received a sentence of 35 to 60 years in prison for second-degree murder in connection with Harris’ death, along with additional concurrent sentences of 10 to 15 years for five counts of criminal sexual conduct.
The case against Butts drew widespread attention due to the circumstances surrounding Na’Ziyah Harris’ disappearance. The 13-year-old was last seen on January 9, 2024, after getting off her school bus near Cornwall Street and Three Mile Drive in Detroit.
She never returned home, and despite extensive search efforts, her body has not been recovered.
Prosecutors alleged that Butts had been in contact with Harris well before her disappearance. Investigators said the communication began as early as 2022 and included sexually explicit and abusive exchanges. Authorities believe this contact played a role in how he was able to approach and ultimately harm the teenager, although specific details of the crime have not been publicly disclosed.
Alongside the murder charge, the case also exposed a broader pattern of alleged predatory behaviour. Butts faced five separate counts of criminal sexual conduct involving multiple victims. According to prosecutors, these cases reflected repeated incidents of sexual assault and exploitation involving young women. The charges were consolidated into a single plea agreement, which resolved six cases in total.
As part of that agreement, Butts was required to provide a truthful statement regarding the location of Na’Ziyah Harris’ body. While those details were not shared in open court, Kym Worthy stated that prosecutors were satisfied with the information he provided. It remains unclear whether that information will lead to the recovery of Harris’ remains.
The sentencing hearing included emotional statements from Harris’ family, who described the ongoing trauma of her disappearance and the pain of not having her body returned. The lack of physical closure has remained one of the most distressing aspects of the case.
With Butts now dead and Harris’ body still missing, the case leaves behind unresolved questions. Investigators may now have to rely solely on the information he provided before his death, as the possibility of further clarification from him is no longer available. The investigation into his death remains ongoing.
