Detroit, MI → A man charged in connection with the death of a 13-year-old girl and a series of disturbing child sexual assault cases has pleaded guilty in Wayne County, bringing a years-long case closer to its conclusion.
Jarvis Butts entered the plea during a pre-trial hearing Thursday morning, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. He is scheduled to be sentenced in March and is expected to spend decades behind bars.
The case centers around the disappearance and death of 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris. Investigators say Butts had developed a relationship with the teen over several months before she went missing. He was bound over for trial in early 2025 in connection with her death.
Following that preliminary hearing, prosecutors filed additional charges tied to several other alleged incidents involving children. Authorities said the cases included second- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct accusations spanning multiple victims and years.
In September, Butts appeared in Detroit court for an arraignment in a separate case involving an 8-year-old female relative. That case was part of a broader pattern of alleged assaults that, according to court proceedings, dated back more than a decade.
As part of Thursday’s plea, Butts admitted guilt across six different cases. He also admitted to dumping Na’Ziyah Harris’ body in the Rouge River at 7 Mile and Berg. Police searched the area when she first disappeared but her body was never found.
The convictions include:
- Second-degree murder: 35 to 60 years in prison
- Four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct: 10 to 15 years each
- One count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct: 10 to 15 years
All sentences will be served at the same time, according to prosecutors.
Sentencing is set for March.
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