A man who murdered a 13-year-old girl after getting her pregnant has died in prison. Officials confirmed that Jarvis Butts was found dead in his cell following an apparent suicide on Wednesday (March 25).

The 43-year-old was just two weeks into a 35-to-60-year sentence at the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson, Michigan. He pleaded guilty to the murder of Na'Ziyah Harris in January 2024. Prosecutors said Butts impregnated the teenager after previously having children with her aunt.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Butts was found dead in his prison cell on Wednesday, with his cause of death believed to be suicide. Prison staff "provided life-saving measures which were unsuccessful".

Butts, who was also convicted for sexually assaulting other children, groomed Na'Ziyah Harris for two years, including sending her sexually explicit texts. He then murdered her after searching online for abortion pills.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said: "He was a classic and expert groomer and paedophile." He added: "His phone records show that he searches online about abortions, abortion pills and drinking red anti-freeze."

Harris was last seen getting off a bus in Detroit on January 9, 2024. Police then tracked Butts to the Rouge River where they found the clothes Harris was last seen wearing.

However, Harris' body has never been found despite Butts agreeing to provide details about the location of her remains. Worthy said: "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."

As well as murdering the teenager, Butts was charged with sexually assaulting a number of other young girls aged under 13. Worthy said one of the victims was abused between April 2012 and 2014 while the second was abused between July 2015 and July 2017.