ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The trial of a Delta County man accused of murdering his pregnant former girlfriend continues in Escanaba.
Tavaris Lee Jackson faces charges of open murder, felony possession of a firearm, and assault intentionally causing the death of a fetus. The charges stem from the 2023 death of 22-year-old Harley Corwin, whose body was found with two bullet wounds to the head in the Woods of Ford River Township.
During the first two days of the trial, much of the prosecution’s questioning focused on witnesses’ last interactions with Corwin, including the defendant’s. On Wednesday, the jury heard testimony from Escanaba Public Safety Detective Todd Chouinard, who interviewed Jackson the week of Corwin’s disappearance.
According to Chouinard’s testimony, Jackson initially told him that he last saw Corwin at the apartment of another woman—Chloe Benavides—on the morning of July 3. However, when Jackson was informed that there was video footage of him with Corwin at a gas station later that day, Chouinard says his story changed.
Chouinard stated on the witness stand, “[Jackson] paused for a little bit, and then he said, ‘That’s right. She came to my house.’ After he left Chloe’s, she came to his house. He jumped in his truck to leave. She jumped in the truck with him, and they went to The Store gas station.”
Throughout the opening day of the trial, several witnesses described receiving messages from Corwin after their final face-to-face interactions that seemed unusual. On Wednesday, Benavides took the witness stand and recounted a similar situation.
Benavides testified that Corwin and Jackson had visited her apartment on the morning of July 3. She stated that the conversation she had with Corwin had gone well. Later that day, Benavides said Corwin sent her multiple text messages containing profanities. Benavides told the prosecution that she was surprised by the tone of the messages, as the two had “left off on good terms.”
“I thought it was crazy that that just happened,” said Benavides. “Like, why would I be getting those messages like that? I’ve never gotten messages that weird and crazy.”
More witnesses will take the stand on Thursday. WZMQ 19 will continue to follow the trial as it develops.
