WNEN Channel 68 Detroit

Pictured is Jarvis Butts. This photo was taken by the Michigan Department of Corrections on March 16, 2026.

DETROIT - Jarvis Butts, the man convicted in NaZiyah Harris murder and multiple sexual assault cases, has died in prison.

He was found dead on Thursday, March 26, the Michigan Department of Corrections confirmed.

Butts, 43, pleaded guilty to multiple charges in six different cases in February, including second-degree murder in the killing of Harris.

On March 12, he was sentenced to 35-60 years in prison for killing NaZiyah Harris. He was also sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for five other sexual assault charges, which would have been served concurrently.

According to the MDOC website, he was sent to Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson County. His earliest release date was set for Sept. 26, 2059.

MDOC officials said his death is being reported as a su***de.

Background

Jarvis Butts was charged with numerous felonies in 2025 in connection with Harris disappearance and murder, as well as a separate sexual assault case involving an 8-year-old relative and another young girl.

Harris, a 13-year-old J. E. Clark Preparatory Academy student, went missing in January 2024. Her body has not been found.

-- Read: Disturbing text messages sent to Detroit teen NaZiyah Harris before she went missing

On Feb. 12, 2026, just under two weeks before his trial was scheduled to begin, Butts entered guilty pleas in six different cases during his pretrial hearing.

Here were the charges Butts pleaded guilty to:

Case 1

Butts pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a sentence agreement of 10 to 15 years in prison.

Case 2

Butts pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a sentence agreement of 10 to 15 years in prison.

Case 3

Butts pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a sentence agreement of 35 to 60 years in prison.

Case 4

Butts pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a sentence agreement of 10 to 15 years in prison.

Case 5

Butts pleaded guilty to thi

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rd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a sentence agreement of 10 to 15 years in prison.

Case 6

Butts pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a sentence agreement of 10 to 15 years in prison.

As part of a plea agreement, some additional charges in the six cases were dismissed.

A source told Local 4 that Butts admitted to dumping Harris body in Rouge River near 7 Mile and Berg, where police initially searched for the 13-year-old girl.

Officials previously said that officers found an inside-out pink jumpsuit, a black jacket and a red and black shoe near the intersection of 7 Mile and Berg when they initially were searching for her. A U.S. Border Patrol officer assisting in the case previously testified in court that the clothing he found had not been there for a long period of time, as there was no discoloration in the clothing and no evidence of animals getting into it. He described the clothing looked fresh.

Read more -- Man who killed Michigan teen NaZiyah Harris pleads guilty to murder, other charges

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