Michigan – The death of 22-year-old Harley Corwin left Escanaba with a wound that could not be softened by time, and last week, the man convicted of killing her learned he will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Tavaris Jackson, 35, of Escanaba, was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment without the possibility of parole for Corwin’s 2023 murder, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced. The sentence followed a March verdict by a Delta County jury, which found Jackson guilty of First-Degree Murder, Assault of a Pregnant Individual Intentionally Causing Miscarriage/Stillbirth, and Felony Firearm.
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The case began with violence on July 3, 2023, when Jackson murdered Corwin, who was pregnant at the time of her death. Days later, on July 8, 2023, her remains were found in a field in Ford River Township, turning a missing life into a devastating criminal investigation.
The charges were first brought by the Delta County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. In August 2023, the Michigan Department of Attorney General was appointed to take over prosecution of the case, moving it through the courts until the jury’s guilty verdict earlier this year.
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Attorney General Nessel said the sentence cannot undo the loss suffered by Corwin’s family and loved ones, but she expressed hope that the outcome offers some measure of closure.
“This was a senseless and brutal crime that took the life of Harley and her unborn child,” said Attorney General Nessel.
“While no sentence will be enough to erase the pain that her loved ones carry, I hope knowing that the person responsible will never again walk free will bring them a measure of peace.”
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For Corwin’s loved ones, the legal case has now reached its most final point. Jackson’s lifetime prison sentence ensures he will not be released, while the memory of Corwin and her unborn child remains at the center of a tragedy that deeply affected the Escanaba community.