DETROIT (WWJ) — Charges are being considered in the case of Na’Ziyah Harris, the 13-year-old Detroit girl who has been missing for more than seven months.
Harris was last seen getting off a school bus on Jan. 9 in the area of Cornwall and Three Mile Drive on Detroit’s east side.
In the months since her disappearance, there have been unsuccessful searches for Harris in Clinton Township, Ann Arbor and the Rouge River on Detroit’s west side.
Detroit Police Chief James White on Thursday told the Board of Police Commissioners that the case is moving forward and it has “not gone cold.”
White said an announcement could come soon. While the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to WWJ a warrant request has been submitted and they are continuing to work on the case, “it would be misleading to say that a charging decision is imminent.”
“We have looked at every piece of evidence that has come our way, every tip. We’ve done a number of searches, and sadly, what I can tell you is that it’s not going to be the desired outcome that any of us want,” White said during Thursday’s BOPC meeting.
White noted that police have “purposely not jumped in front of cameras” to talk about the case because they weren’t sure if any witnesses would become suspects.
“We do know that some people may have intentionally misled us and sent us on wild goose chases, to be honest with you. But we are very confident, the investigators have done an amazing job,” White said.
In early May police reportedly identified a 41-year-old Wayne County Jail inmate as a possible suspect in the case, who had been charged in connection with sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl.
Reports at the time said cell phone records from that inmate led police to search sites in Clinton Twp. and Ann Arbor, as well as in the Rouge River. After the search of the river came up empty, White told reporters at the time, “unfortunately, as time goes on, it does start to look more like a recovery effort.”