Michigan man found guilty of murdering pregnant woman in 2023

A man from Escanaba, Michigan, has been convicted in the 2023 death of 22-year-old Harley Corwin and her preborn baby.

Key Takeaways:

• Tavaris Jackson, 35, fatally shot 22-year-old Harley Corwin in 2023, killing both her and her preborn child.

• Authorities say Corwin died by a gunshot wound to the head; prosecutors used forensic evidence and cellphone data to tie Jackson to the crime.

• Jackson previously turned down a plea deal and now faces life in prison.

• The case proves that the law can and does recognize harm done to a preborn child, particularly in violent crimes; yet in cases of abortion, the preborn child has no rights.

The Details:

Tavaris Jackson, 35, was found guilty of first-degree murder and assault of a pregnant woman, intentionally causing a miscarriage or stillbirth, and using a firearm during the commission of a felony.

According to authorities, Jackson fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, 22-year-old Harley Corwin of Escanaba, on July 3, 2023. On July 8, Corwin’s remains were discovered in a field situated in Ford River Township.

Investigators concluded that Corwin died from gunshot injuries to the head, classifying her death as a homicide. Her preborn child was found to have suffered intrauterine fetal demise.

During the trial, prosecutors introduced forensic evidence connecting Jackson to the offense, along with cellphone data that positioned him close to the area where Corwin’s body was found.

Although Jackson was first charged by the Delta County Prosecutor’s Office, his case was reassigned to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office in August 2023.

In June 2024, Jackson declined a plea offer that would have required him to admit guilt to second-degree murder and to attacking a pregnant person with the intent to cause a miscarriage or stillbirth, both charged under his status as a fourth habitual offender. In return, the agreement proposed a prison term for Jackson of 40 to 80 years, with credit for time he had already served.

Now, with a guilty verdict, he faces life in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2026.

“While no outcome can undo this devastating loss, I am grateful to the prosecutors who helped secure long-awaited justice in this tragic case,” declared Attorney General Nessel in response to Jackson’s conviction. “I hope this verdict provides a sense of closure for Harley’s family.”

Zoom In:

This case showcases a truth the law itself is compelled to admit: that there were two victims.

Michigan prosecutors pursued charges not only for Harley’s murder but also for the intentional killing of her preborn child, acknowledging the distinct value of the baby who died along with the mother.

This case proves that the law can and does recognize harm done to a preborn child, particularly in violent crimes like the one committed by Jackson. Even in a legal and cultural environment where the unborn are too often regarded as disposable commodities, Jackson’s charge reinforces the reality that when someone violently terminates a pregnancy, they also cause a distinct unborn human life to be lost. 

The Bottom Line:

This conviction also points out the double standard embedded in our legal institutions and cultural narratives: that the value of the child’s life is subject to what others believe and choose. If a violent assailant ends a preborn child's life, the child is treated as a person with value. If the child's mother chooses to end his or her life in the womb, the child is not acknowledged as a child at all.