Samantha Sayles , Digital Content Producer. Butts faces multiple felonies in the death of Harris, a J. Clark Preparatory Academy student who went missing in January. A preliminary examination hearing to decide if Butts will stand trial for the murder of Harris began on Monday, Jan. The days-long hearing continued into Thursday, with dozens of witnesses testifying. Prosecutors said Butts was supposed to turn himself in to authorities on a gun charge on Jan.
Harris allegedly met up with Butts that day, and the two reportedly went to Ypsilanti before returning back to Detroit, where Butts checked into a motel. Text records allege that Butts knew Harris was pregnant and that he began searching online about abortions, abortion pills, and drinking red anti-freeze. Authorities believe Butts had been sexually abusing Harris since before killing her in January Prosecutors said he had a history of targeting and befriending women to get close to and sexually abuse their daughters.
He also has been charged for reportedly sexually abusing two other young girls , as well as a conviction for sexual assault in He was charged on Sept. Butts and Harris had reportedly known each other because he was the father of her cousins. The abuse of Harris allegedly began in with sexually explicit texts and photos being sent to the child.
He was tracked to the Rouge River in Detroit the day after her disappearance, where police would later recover the clothes Harris was last seen wearing. Authorities said there was damage to the clothing that could indicate a struggle. Butts has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder , child sexually abusive material , and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under She read the messages prosecutors highlighted for her to read aloud in the preliminary hearing on Jan.
The text messages revealed Butts was allegedly sending sexually explicit messages and asked her for nude photos. The messages suggested there were more conversations like these previously. The following text messages were translated and spelled the way Jones specified or said when testifying in court on Thursday:. Harris: Come on. Harris: You ok?
