Missing Na’Ziyah Harris: Sister of the defendant, teen’s family testify at preliminary hearing

During Jarvis Butts’ preliminary hearing, a number of witnesses, including the defendant’s family, provided testimony. Na’Ziyah Harris, 13, was allegedly raped and killed by the Detroit man. She vanished on January 9, 2024.

• • 
    Na’Ziyah Harris went missing in January 2024 after she did not return home from school
    
  • 
    Jarvis Butts, 41, of Detroit, is accused of murdering her. He had a relationship with Na’Ziyah Harris’s aunt, fathering five children
    
  • 
    Butts is suspected of impregnating Na’Ziyah Harris, then killing her to cover up the sexual assault
    

• 
  Na’Ziyah Harris went missing in January 2024 after she did not return home from school
  
• 
  Jarvis Butts, 41, of Detroit, is accused of murdering her. He had a relationship with Na’Ziyah Harris’s aunt, fathering five children
  
• 
  Butts is suspected of impregnating Na’Ziyah Harris, then killing her to cover up the sexual assault
  

(FOX 2):A preliminary hearing for the man accused in the disappearance of Detroit 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris, who vanished in January 2024, is scheduled on Monday.

Prosecutors charged Harris with rape and murder even though his body was never located.

Family members, school employees, evidence technicians, and others who thought they saw Na’Ziyah Harris on the final day before she vanished were among the witnesses who gave statements.

At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, more testimony is anticipated.

After lunch break: Prosecutor calls more witnesses

When the court reconvened, Derek Wolfe was the first witness to testify. At the time of Na’Ziyah Harris’ disappearance, he was a Detroit Public Schools police officer.

After talking to the grandmother of Na’Ziyah Harris, he filed a missing persons report on January 10. He canvassed the vicinity of the school and the places where the kid would have disembarked from the bus, and he followed up with a few pupils.

After that, Margaret Lovallo was called to the stand. She was once employed by the Detroit Police Department as an evidence technician. The Macomb County Medical Examiners Office is where she is employed at the moment.

She was assigned to assist the department at a situation that was discovered by officers slightly east of Telegraph Road, close to 7 Mile and Berg.

She gathered evidence and took pictures while looking for Na’Ziyah Harris. Among them were a pair of earphones concealed under a sweater, a pink jumpsuit, and red tennis shoes.

Evidence gathered while looking for Na’Ziyah Harris

TaLasha Moore was the third witness following the lunch break.

She was questioned about many occasions. Jarvis Butts was with one of her relatives. The two men were employed at a car dealership. Moore’s family member was working on Moore’s mother’s automobile at the time and was with Butts.

On January 9, she recognized Na’Ziyah as being with Butts. When the defendant delivered the car they were working on, the two were together.

The next person phoned was Tijuana Butts, Jarvis Butt’s sister. She thought she saw Na’Ziyah the day she passed away, so she talked to the police. On January 9, Tijuana was visiting her brother’s car dealership.

She told investigators she saw “a little girl” go in and out of a white Cadillac Escalade, which was thought to be Jarvis Butt’s car, when she exited the car business at 6:30 p.m.

Na’Ziyah Harris was raped and killed, and suspect Jarvis Butts was charged with both crimes. On Monday, Tijuana Butts took the stsnd and recognized some of the clothing that the evidence technician had discovered as being comparable to what Na’Ziyah had been wearing on January 9.

Additionally, Tijuana noted that some of the clothing the evidence technician had discovered matched Na’Ziyah’s attire on January 9.

When she questioned her brother about why the youngster was in the car shop with him, she also told the court that she thought he was lying to her.

The defense team for Jarvis Butts questioned his sister about how she identified Na’Ziyah Harris as the child with him and why she thought he was involved. She informed them that she had discovered some information and was advised to listen to a podcast concerning the teen who went missing.

The next person called to the stand was another woman who had a kid with Jarvis Butts. In 2019, she met the defendant at the mechanic shop where he worked.

She stated that on January 9, Jarvis Butts borrowed her vehicle. After that day, her son discovered glasses in her car, which prosecutors also questioned her about.

Later, pictures of Na’Ziyah Harris with like glasses were shown to her.

Family and school witnesses testify Monday morning

Around midday, the court took a lunch break.

Prior to that, at Monday’s hearing, the Wayne County Prosecutor called a number of witnesses to testify. Butts initially appeared in court in November, and this is the second hearing in the matter.

Anette Harris, the grandmother of Na’Ziyah Harris, was one of the witnesses called to testify Monday morning. She discussed Jarvis Butts visiting her home and the day the youngster vanished.

The victim’s aunt, Shannon Harris, also provided testimony. She talked about how the suspect would pick up Na’Ziyah Harris and transport her to his job at an auto shop. She has five kids with Butts.

Marilyn Lee, a substitute teacher at JE Clark Preparatory Academy, where Na’Ziyah Harris attended, was the third witness. Despite frequent visits during the week at school, she testified that she did not see the youngster the day after Harris was last seen.

Her uncle has been ordered to stand trial for the murder and sexual abuse of 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris, who vanished ten months ago.

Missing Na’Ziyah Harris: Case background

Butts’s inappropriate contact with Na’Ziyah Harris, the niece of a lady the defendant had dated, was discovered during an investigation into Butts. Years before Na’Ziyah vanished, Detroit Police discovered that Butts had sent her sexually obscene pictures.

Evidence that Butts was aware of Na’Ziyah’s pregnancy was later discovered. According to the prosecutor, an examination of his online search history showed that he looked up abortions and red antifreeze.

According to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Butts was in the Rouge River region the day after she vanished, which is also where the clothes that Na’Ziyah was wearing on that day were discovered.

“It will be evident from the evidence in this instance that the defendant’s claimed activities went beyond predatory behavior. They were gullible—he expertly cultivated and preyed on Na’Ziyah,” Worthy stated in a news release at the time. “We will prove that he killed young Na’Ziyah after he found out she was pregnant at 13 with his child.”

Jarvis Butts at his arraignment in court

Timeline of when Na’Ziyah Harris went missing

The last time we saw Na’Ziyah Harris was on January 9.

She wore clear-framed glasses, a white sweater with a black jacket over it, a colorful Rugrats puffy jacket with a fur-lined hood, light blue pants, and Nike sneakers, according to the prosecution, when she took the bus to school.

She was in school that day, according to data on a district-issued tablet, which also included a photo of her.

After school, the prosecutor claims:

• 
  She meets up with Butts and a co-worker and goes back to their auto repair shop on Connor in Detroit.
  
• 
  Na’Ziyah is seen by Butts’s sister at the shop.
  
• 
  Butts, the co-worker, and Na’Ziyah were together in the co-worker’s car when they went to Ypsilanti and then returned to the shop on Connor. Butts’s phone places him at these locations.
  
• 
  At 9:30 p.m. to 12:20 p.m. Butts checked in to a motel. There is a receipt confirming this as well as his phone placing him at that location
  

  Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!