Jarvis Butts, the 43-year-old convicted of murdering 13-year-old Na'Ziyah Harris, has been found dead in his cell. The case against him was heavily reliant on explicit text messages exchanged between Butts and Harris, which revealed a pattern of grooming and abuse.
The messages, which dated back to 2022, showed Butts using his familiarity with Harris through family connections to gain access to her. He allegedly groomed and sexually abused her, and even impregnated her, according to prosecutors.
One of the most critical pieces of evidence presented in court was the final text exchange between Butts and Harris on January 9, 2024 - the day she vanished. Harris had expressed concern about a possible pregnancy, which prosecutors say Butts was aware of.
With Butts dead and Harris's body still not found, the murder investigation has taken a major blow. The preliminary examination, which began in January 2025, included testimony from dozens of witnesses and relied heavily on digital evidence.
