Jarvis Butts, the Detroit man at the center of one of Michigan’s most disturbing recent criminal cases, was found dead in his prison cell Thursday morning, just two weeks after receiving a lengthy prison sentence for the murder of 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris and the sexual assault of multiple children. Michigan Department of Corrections officials confirmed that Butts, 43, was discovered at the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson, Michigan, and that his death is currently being investigated as a suicide by Michigan State Police.
According to statements provided to WWJ Newsradio 950, corrections staff attempted life-saving measures upon finding Butts but were ultimately unsuccessful. "MDOC staff provided life-saving measures which were unsuccessful. The Michigan State Police have been called to the facility to investigate; the death is currently being reported as a suicide," a department spokesperson said, as reported by FOX 2 Detroit and other local outlets.
Butts had been sentenced on March 12, 2026, in Wayne County Third Circuit Court to 35 to 60 years for second-degree murder in the killing of Harris, as well as concurrent 10- to 15-year sentences on five counts of criminal sexual conduct involving girls as young as four and as old as thirteen. The sentencing followed Butts’ guilty pleas in February to six separate cases, including the murder and multiple sexual assault charges, as detailed by Local 4 and Detroit Free Press.
Harris, a seventh grader at J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy, disappeared on January 9, 2024, after being seen getting off a school bus near Cornwall Street and Three Mile Drive on Detroit’s east side. She never made it home. Despite extensive searches, her body has never been recovered. According to FOX 2 Detroit, text messages and witness statements indicated that Harris met up with Butts—the boyfriend of her aunt and a man with family ties—at his auto repair shop on the day of her disappearance.
Prosecutors alleged that Butts had groomed Harris since 2022, sexually assaulting her over a period of years and eventually impregnating her. At the time of her disappearance, Harris was reportedly pregnant, with Butts believed to be the father of the unborn child. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy stated, "One of the most important aspects of the plea agreement was giving Na’Ziyah’s family some semblance of closure. The disclosure of the location of her body was crucial." As part of the plea deal, Butts was required to provide truthful information about what happened to Harris’ body.
While Worthy said the prosecutor’s office was satisfied with the information Butts provided, Detroit Police Department spokeswoman Jasmin Barmore clarified to Detroit Free Press that Harris’ body has not yet been found. "We will continue our efforts in locating the body of 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris," Barmore said in a statement. Police previously searched the Rouge River area near 7 Mile and Berg, where Butts admitted to dumping Harris’ body, and where officers found clothing believed to belong to Harris—including an inside-out pink jumpsuit, a black jacket, and a red and black shoe. A U.S. Border Patrol officer testified that the clothing appeared fresh, with no signs of weathering or animal interference.
Butts’ crimes extended beyond Harris. In addition to the murder charge, he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting five other girls, ranging in age from four to thirteen. The assaults occurred before Harris’ disappearance. According to FOX 2 Detroit, Butts also had a prior conviction for sexual assault against a child. Wayne County prosecutors said Butts searched online for abortion methods—including abortion pills and drinking red antifreeze—before Harris’ death.
The case has left a deep scar on the Detroit community and Harris’ family. Her father, Murvin Jennings, died after tirelessly searching for his missing daughter in abandoned houses and overgrown fields. Family friend and former Detroit Board of Police Commissioners vice president Tamara Liberty Smith expressed frustration and grief following Butts’ death, telling Detroit News, "I feel like justice hasn't been served." Smith’s sentiment echoed a broader sense of loss and unresolved questions, as Butts’ suicide means he will never face further questioning about the details of Harris’ disappearance or the location of her body.
Butts’ death also highlights broader concerns about prison safety and mental health. According to a U.S. Department of Justice database cited by Local 4, Michigan prisons recorded 132 deaths in 2024, with six attributed to suicide. The Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center, where Butts died, serves as an intake facility for state prisoners before they are transferred to other institutions. The Michigan Department of Corrections has not released further details about the circumstances of Butts’ death, citing the ongoing investigation.
The community’s search for closure continues, with law enforcement vowing to persist in efforts to locate Harris’ remains. The plea agreement’s intent, as Prosecutor Worthy emphasized, was to bring some measure of peace to Harris’ family through the disclosure of her body’s location. Yet, with Butts’ death, the possibility of new information emerging has all but vanished.
For many in Detroit, the tragedy of Na’Ziyah Harris’ disappearance and the subsequent suicide of her killer serve as a painful reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by children and the ongoing challenges in seeking justice and healing after such devastating crimes. As the investigation into Butts’ death proceeds, the community is left to grapple with unanswered questions and the enduring impact of loss.
Resources for those affected by suicide and crisis are available through the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. by calling or texting 988, or through online chat at 988lifeline.org.
Though the legal chapter of this case may have closed with Butts’ death, the search for answers—and for Na’Ziyah—remains unfinished.