Jarvis Butts' Death Prompts Michigan State Police Suicide Investigation

Jarvis Butts died in state custody on March 26, 2026, just two weeks after his March 12 sentencing for the murder of Na’Ziyah Harris.

“Jarvis Butts, the Detroit man convicted of murdering missing 13-year-old Na'Ziyah Harris and the sexual assault of multiple young women, has died in prison, officials say”

CBS News

MSP opened a suicide investigation at the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson after the MDOC confirmed the death.

CBS News

MDOC staff provided life‑saving measures, which were unsuccessful.

The death is currently being reported as a suicide.

Harris's body has not been recovered.

Butts pleaded guilty in February to second‑degree murder, the sexual assault of Na’Ziyah and the sexual assaults of five young girls.

He was sentenced on March 12 to 35 to 60 years in prison.

ClickOnDetroit

A condition of the plea agreement was that he tell the truth about the location of Na’Ziyah Harris’s body.

Prosecutors said the disclosure of the body’s location was crucial for closure, though Harris’s body had not yet been recovered.

Jarvis Butts died in a Michigan prison two weeks after receiving a 35 to 60 year sentence, triggering a prison suicide investigation and fresh policy questions.

“Jarvis Butts, convicted in Detroit girl’s killing, dies in prison Jarvis Butts was serving a 35‑ to 60‑year sentence in the killing of 13‑year‑old Na’Ziyah Harris”

For The Win

Corrections systems screen people at intake for suicide risk and mental health needs, then adjust housing and observation.

Lawmakers can call hearings, request targeted audits, and set reporting rules for the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Independent auditing can verify compliance and guide any corrective plans.

One of the most important aspects of the plea agreement was giving Na’Ziyah Harris’s family some semblance of closure.

Harris’s grandmother and other relatives testified at sentencing, amplifying the demand for accountability.

FOX 2 Detroit

The plea required truthful information about the body’s location, a factor prosecutors said was crucial for closure.

Autopsy will determine official cause and manner of death.

“Jarvis Butts died in a Michigan prison two weeks after receiving a 35 to 60 year sentence, triggering a prison suicide investigation and fresh policy questions”

Meyka