ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – A Delta County court will allow new expert testimony to be admitted in an upcoming murder trial.
Tavaris Lee Jackson is set to stand trial for the murder of 22-year-old Harley Corwin, a pregnant woman whose body was found in the woods of Ford River Township in 2023. He faces charges of open murder, felony possession of a firearm at the time of the murder, and assault intentionally causing the death of a fetus.
Last month, Delta County Circuit Court Judge John Economopoulos determined that some of Corwin’s statements about prior acts of domestic violence committed by Jackson could be used as evidence. One prior act includes an incident less than five months before Corwin’s murder, when she identified Jackson as one of two individuals who invaded her home and physically assaulted her.
After Corwin made initial statements about Jackson’s involvement, she made a Facebook post stating that he had an alibi. However, messages between the two show Jackson talking to Corwin about helping him establish an alibi. Documents show that Corwin also told a detective that Jackson tried to get her to make a Facebook post clearing his name.
On Thursday, Jackson’s defense asked that an expert witness, Holly Rosen, be excluded from the trial. The prosecution argued that Rosen’s testimony would be relevant to the case, as she is trained in domestic violence and assault. Rosen has been called to testify on the subject in court more than 140 times.
Judge Economopoulos denied the defense’s motion, allowing Rosen to be called as an expert witness in the trial. He said Rosen’s testimony would educate the jury on why a victim of domestic violence would react in certain ways. He said the expert witness could also provide context regarding actions and statements that Corwin can no longer provide herself.
