DETROIT, MI – Authorities in Michigan have arrested a man accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl after learning she was pregnant with his child, officials announced Thursday.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy stated that Jarvis Butts, 41, faces charges including first-degree murder, criminal sexual conduct in the second-degree, and possession of child sexually abusive material. The victim, Na’Ziyah Harris, was last seen on January 9 after she got off the school bus near her home on Detroit’s east side. Her grandmother reported her missing when she didn’t return home from school that day.
Investigators discovered that after school, Na’Ziyah met up with Butts, a man she had been exploited by. Witnesses reported seeing the two together, and later that night, Butts checked into a local hotel. After that night, Na’Ziyah vanished without any trace. Worthy emphasized that Na’Ziyah’s once-active social media presence went silent, and she was never seen or heard from again by family, friends, or schoolmates.
A thorough investigation involving video reviews, witness interviews, and phone trace analysis convinced authorities of Na’Ziyah’s death, although her body has not been recovered. Prosecutors believe that Na’Ziyah, who would have turned 14 on September 16, was murdered due to her pregnancy. Evidence suggests that Butts knew about the pregnancy and was researching abortion methods.
Prosecutors alleged that Butts began grooming Na’Ziyah in 2022 and sexually assaulted her soon after. There were also explicit photographs of her found on his phone. Additionally, the investigation revealed that Butts had preyed on other young girls. He now faces additional charges for sexually assaulting two other minors in previous cases dating back to 2012 and 2015.
“Mr. Butts targeted and befriended women to exploit their young daughters,” Worthy explained. “His behavior reveals a pattern of preying on vulnerable children, which we intend to prove in court.”
Butts had a previous relationship with Na’Ziyah’s aunt and is a registered sex offender due to past convictions. He has been in jail since August on unrelated charges. His arraignment for the new charges is scheduled for Friday.
In a poignant moment during the press conference, Worthy shared a photo of Na’Ziyah smiling and waving at the camera, capturing a moment of innocence before what she described as an unimaginable betrayal.
