Convicted Murderer Jarvis Butts Dies in Prison Two Weeks After Sentencing

Jarvis Butts, the Detroit man recently sentenced for the second-degree murder of 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris and multiple counts of sexual assault, has died while in state custody. Officials from the Michigan Department of Corrections confirmed that Butts was pronounced dead on March 26, exactly 14 days after a judge handed down a prison term of 35 to 60 years. Although medical personnel attempted life-saving measures upon discovering him, those efforts proved unsuccessful. The Michigan State Police are currently conducting an investigation into the death, which authorities are treating as a suicide.

The death follows a highly emotional sentencing hearing held on March 12, during which family members of the victim expressed deep anguish and frustration. Butts had previously entered a guilty plea, admitting to killing the teenager after discovering she was pregnant with his child. The sentencing proceedings were marked by significant outbursts, including the removal of spectators from the courtroom as the victim's relatives confronted the gravity of the crimes. While the Michigan Department of Corrections records initially reflected his status as an inmate at the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center, the facility is now coordinating with law enforcement to finalize the circumstances surrounding his passing.