Tavaris Jackson is led out of a Delta County courtroom Thursday after a jury found him guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and other charges in the 2023 shooting death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend. (Sophie Vogelmann/Daily Press)

ESCANABA — A Delta County jury has convicted Tavaris Jackson on all counts, including first-degree premeditated murder, in the 2023 death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.

The guilty verdicts came Thursday in Delta County 47th Circuit Court after roughly a day of jury deliberations and a week-long trial.

Prosecutors Caitlin Kirby and LaDonna Logan from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office argued Jackson fatally shot 22-year-old Harley Corwin and left her body in a wooded area near O.B. Fuller Park in Ford River Township on July 3, 2023.

Corwin’s cause of death was ruled as gunshot wounds to the head, and the manner of death was homicide. The fetus’ cause of death was determined to be intrauterine fetal demise, meaning the fetus no longer had a heartbeat and was not viable inside the uterus.

Jackson, 35, was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, a felony punishable by a mandatory life sentence imposed without the possibility of parole; one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, a two-year felony; and one count of assault resulting in the death of a fetus, which can mean up to life imprisonment.

Circuit Judge John Economopoulos set sentencing for June 2.

During the trial, jurors heard days of testimony from investigators, forensic specialists and witnesses who described the events surrounding Corwin’s disappearance and death.

Prosecutors also presented physical evidence and phone data they said placed Jackson near the location where Corwin’s body was discovered.

Jackson’s defense team – Diane Kay-Hougaboom and James Maki — argued the time frame for Jackson to commit the crime without leaving evidence in certain places in his truck was limited.

Hougaboom further pointed to the poor quality of the investigation into Jackson, arguing police failed to properly handle evidence and secure Jackson’s home between searches.

Jackson had previously rejected a plea deal in June 2024 that would have required him to plead guilty to second-degree murder and the assault (of a) pregnant individual intentionally causing miscarriage (and/or) still birth, each as a fourth habitual offender. The deal was offered in exchange for a sentence of 40 to 80 years in prison with credit for time already served.

———

Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.