Wayne County Prosecutor expected to share update in case of missing Detroit teen Na'Ziyah Harris on Thursday

DETROIT (WWJ) -- The Wayne County Prosecutor Office has announced that Prosecutor Kym Worthy will hold a news conference on Thursday focused on the Na'Ziyah Harris case.

Harris, 13, has been missing since she was last seen getting off a school bus on Jan. 9, 2024, 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 has not publicly commented on the investigation since Aug. 15, when he told the Board of Police Commissioners that the case was moving forward and it has “not gone cold.”

While White at that time that an announcement could come soon, there has been no news in more than a month.

The news conference is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16. Stat with WWJ Newsradio 950 for updates. >>LISTEN LIVE

Back in August, the prosecutor’s office confirmed to WWJ that a warrant request was submitted for this case, but said “it would be misleading to say that a charging decision is imminent.”

Pressed for an update, Chief White noted that police have "purposely not jumped in front of cameras” to talk about the case because they could not be certain whether any witnesses would become suspects.

“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 the August BOPC meeting.

“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. Separately, the man had been charged in connection with sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl.

Reports said it was cell phone records from that inmate that 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.”

If Na'Ziyah is still alive she would now be 14 years old.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Detroit Police Department's Major Crimes Division at 313-596-2260. To remain 100% anonymous, tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up (800-773-2587), or submit information at this link .