Judge finds probable cause in death of Neziah Harris, amends sexual-conduct allegation and schedules next court date

Detroit — The presiding judge in 36th District Court on Thursday found probable cause to proceed on a first-degree, premeditated murder charge against Jarvis Butts and granted the prosecutor's request to amend a related sexual-conduct allegation, the court record shows.

Prosecutors told the court that evidence presented during a multi-day hearing — including hundreds of text-message entries between the victim and Butts, Google searches for at-home abortion methods, a black hoodie recovered near 7 Mile and Bird that tested positive for human blood and contained both the victim—s and Butts— DNA, and other physical items recovered at the scene — together met the probable-cause standard. The judge set a next court date and ordered further proceedings on the case.

Why it matters: The hearing resolved whether the case should proceed to trial on the most serious charges. Prosecutors argued the timeline, the physical evidence and search activity showed motive and opportunity; defense counsel urged the judge to deny bind-over on the murder count as conjectural and insufficient for probable cause.

Prosecutors summarized phone and messaging evidence as showing repeated contact between the young victim and the defendant through late 2023 and up to…