A man already in jail on sexual assault charges has been charged with murder in connection to the disappearance of 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris, who went missing after leaving school in January, authorities announced Thursday.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy stated that “overwhelming evidence” indicates Na’Ziyah is deceased, though her body has not yet been found.
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Investigators allege that 41-year-old Jarvis Butts killed Na’Ziyah because she was pregnant with his child, according to Worthy. “His alleged actions were beyond predatory. They were vulturous: He groomed and preyed upon Na’Ziyah with expertise,” she said.
Butts now faces murder and other charges. He has been in jail since April, unable to post a $250,000 bond in a separate case. Efforts to reach his lawyer for comment have been unsuccessful.
Police have been actively following leads on Na’Ziyah’s disappearance, including searches of a Detroit river and a suburban pond. A piece of her clothing, suggesting a possible struggle, was recovered, Worthy added.
Na’Ziyah knew Butts because he had children with her aunt, and he allegedly began sending her explicit messages in 2022.
On the day she disappeared, January 9, Na’Ziyah messaged Butts on her tablet, saying she would meet him after school, according to the prosecutor.
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Worthy addressed reporters while standing in front of a photo of Na’Ziyah, smiling at school on the day of her disappearance. “That will always be haunting,” she said. “Because it was taken just a short time before the evidence shows she was never seen or heard from again. Little did she know she was really saying goodbye.”
