Court adjourns on third day of preliminary exam for Na'Ziyah Harris murder suspect
(CBS DETROIT) — A preliminary examination for a Detroit man charged in the murder of missing 13-year-old Na'Ziyah Harris adjourned in the middle of a witness's testimony on Wednesday.
Jarvis Butts, 42, of Detroit, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder, second-degree criminal sexual conduct and child sexually abusive activity. Butts is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with Na'Ziyah.
Na'Ziyah was last seen getting off her school bus at the corner of Cornwall and Three Mile Drive in Detroit on Jan. 9, 2024. Her body has not been found.
More than 20 witnesses, including a combination of experts, family members, and law enforcement officials, spoke in court over the past three days. The testimonies were previews of what could presented in court if the case goes before a jury.
A judge is expected to make a decision Thursday on whether the case will go to trial.
During Tuesday's testimony, one of Na'Ziyah's younger cousins testified that she was in a room with another cousin while Butts took advantage and had sex with Na'Ziyah. The cousin said it wasn't the first time she saw Butts coercing sex on her cousins. She testified that he tried to make advances toward her at one point, but she was able to say no after recognizing what he was trying to do.
Na'Ziyah's adult cousin, Roxy, described seeing Butts in court Tuesday and hearing the allegations against him.
"I don't have nice words necessarily for that, but obviously I have to be strong for my family. I have to be strong for Na'Ziyah, and I'm putting my trust in the justice system," Roxy said.
In addition to Na'Ziyah's family members, an expert in phone record forensics and cell tower mapping provided a timeline of how Butts' cellphone was tracked between the time Na'Ziyah went missing and the following 36 hours.
"We were responding to a missing person," border patrol agent Wyatt Barnes told the court on Tuesday. "I was searching the river bank of River Rouge. We were searching south along the bank. I was on the east side of the bank in the Seven Mile and Berg area."
Eight witnesses, including Na'Ziyah's grandmother and aunt, testified Monday. Na'Ziyah's aunt, Shannon Harris, testified that she did not suspect anything beyond a normal uncle-niece bond between Butts and Na'Ziyah.
Butts also has been charged with the sexual abuse of two other girls in separate cases.