Na’Ziyah Harris murder suspect is in court for trial, no hearing decision yet

DETROIT (FOX 2)Jarvis Butts, accused of sexually assaulting 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris and killing her when she became pregnant, returned to court Friday for the start of his preliminary hearing.

Butts, 41, appeared in court Friday for his preliminary hearing, but despite hours of testimony — much of it unsensational and involving sexual offenses against children — a verdict on the hearing has yet to be determined.

Harris was last seen getting off the bus at Three Mile in Cornwall and Detroit on January 9, but was unable to return home. His body was never found and Butts he was eventually charged with her murder.



<div>The day NaZiyah Harris disappeared</div>
<p>” data-src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/whGLq9Vx97vUwZfECPz1sg–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/wjbk_fox_local_articles_927/7d651bb 86e9a752e3925bcf8a87252e6″/></p>
<div><düğme sınıfı=

The day NaZiyah Harris disappeared

Cordell Wright, a former co-worker of Butts, testified that the two were together, and Butts introduced Harris as his nephew.

Wright also testified that he left Butts and Harris at the auto shop where they worked that night. He said Butts didn’t show up for work the next day.

Prosecutors allege Butts impregnated the 13-year-old and then killed her; There was additional testimony that minors were molesting other children.

During his trial, He was also accused of sexually assaulting two children, including his own daughter and his ex-girlfriend’s daughter.

Prosecutors also played a recording Butts made from behind bars in which he called Wright and asked him to contact the aunt of Na’ziyah, the mother of his children, to get his phone back.

“I want you to call him, bring my truck over there and get my phone out of the backseat, bro,” Butts said in the recorded conversation.

Wright stated that he looked for the phone but could not find it. Prosecutors said Butts groomed Harris, had sex with her and sought to abort the unborn baby, saying the information from that phone call would help prove their case.

Butts will return to court for a continuation of his trial in January.

Na’Ziyah Harris’ disappearance timeline

The prosecution gave a rough timeline of the day Harris disappeared.

  • Na’Ziyah got on the school bus to go to school.

  • Her hair was in a double braided bun, clear-rimmed glasses, a white sweater with a black jacket over it, a colorful puffy Rugrats jacket with a fur-lined hood, light blue jeans, and Nike shoes.

  • There is video of Na’Ziyah getting on the school bus.

  • Na’Ziyah used a DPS-issued tablet, which she used to communicate and communicate with an app.

  • He took one last photo on the tablet.

  • Using her tablet, she sent a message to a device associated with Butts, stating that they would meet after school that day.

  • There’s a video of him leaving school at the end of the day wearing the same clothes.

  • He meets up with Butts and a co-worker and returns to Connor’s auto body shop in Detroit.

  • Na’Ziyah is seen in the shop by Butts’ sister.

  • Butts, his co-worker, and Na’Ziyah were in the co-worker’s car together when they drove to Ypsilanti and returned to the store in Connor. Butts’ phone places him in these locations.

  • Between 21.30 and 12.20 Butts checked into a motel. He has a receipt confirming this, as well as his phone, which placed him at that location.

  • Na’Ziyah will never be seen again after January 9, 2024.

A previous version of this story showed Butts being bonded over for trial. His trial has not yet been set.