DETROIT (FOX 2) - Jarvis Butts, the man convicted of murdering Detroit teen Na'Ziyah Harris, learned his sentence Thursday.
Butts, 43, was sentenced to 35 to 60 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder for the death of Harris, who was 13. He was also sentenced to five 10-15-year sentences for sexually assaulting children that will all run concurrent to the longer murder sentence.
According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, he will not be eligible for parole until he has served 35 years in prison.
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Harris was last seen getting off a bus in Detroit in January 2024. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said text messages show that she met up with Butts the day she disappeared.
The prosecutor said evidence also showed that Butts, who knew Harris's family members, allegedly groomed the girl starting in 2022. Harris was pregnant when she was killed, and Butts was allegedly the unborn child's father.
Missing Na'Ziyah Harris: Suspect's search history, how police found his phone
The preliminary exam for Jarvis Butts, the man accused of kidnapping and killing 13-year-old Na'Ziyah Harris, continues Wednesday.
According to the prosecutor's office, Butts searched for abortions, abortion pills, and drinking red anti-freeze before Harris's death.
Harris' body was never found, but as part of his plea, Butts was required to provide a statement about the location of her body.
"One of the most important aspects of the plea agreement was giving Na’Ziyah’s family some semblance of closure. The disclosure of the location of her body was crucial," Worthy said.
More sex assaults:
After Butts was charged with the murder of Harris, he was charged with varying degrees of sex crimes against five girls between the ages of 4 and 13. Those crimes happened before Harris' disappearance.
Butts also has a previous sex crime conviction for an assault against a child.
The Source: Previous reporting and a press release from the prosecutor were used.
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