Naman Shrestha
When a young, ambitious showgirl named Debbie Flores-Narvaez suddenly went missing in December 2010, her family and friends became worried about her well-being. Their worst nightmare became a reality after her remains were recovered a few weeks later. In the following weeks, the detectives investigated the homicide, leaving no stone unturned. They soon connected the dots and received a valuable statement that changed the course of the case. All the intricate details related to the murder and the investigation that ensued are covered extensively in ABC’s ’20/20: Death of a Showgirl.’
Debbie Flores-Narvaez’s Remains Were Found in a Vacant Las Vegas Residence
Born on July 5, 1979, in Puerto Rico, Debora “Debbie” Flores-Narvaez was the beloved daughter of Carlos Flores Roman and Elsie Narvaez Melendez. Brought up in Baltimore, Maryland, alongside her sister Celeste Flores Narvaez, Debbie was a popular cheerleader at Old Mill High School, after which she went to the University of Baltimore and Towson University. While living and studying in Maryland, the ambitious woman also served as an ambassador for the Washington Redskins in 2007. After earning degrees in Business and Law, she decided to switch lanes and relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, to pursue a dancing career.
Not long after, she soon landed a job on the Las Vegas Strip. In 2009, Debbie got into a relationship with another dancer named Jason “Blu” Griffith, who worked at the Cirque du Soleil show. By the following year, she reportedly got pregnant with Jason’s child. Her professional career also began to take shape as she appeared in the chorus of a few productions. She soon developed a special segment for Fantasy at the Luxor with pop singer Sisqó. However, when she failed to attend the midnight rehearsal on December 13, 2010, the show’s producer notified the authorities of her disappearance.
On December 14, her roommate, Sonya Sonnenberg, filed a missing persons report, after which the police visited the missing woman’s home. They didn’t notice any sign of foul play at the residence. On December 15, they located her abandoned car. About a month after her disappearance, on January 5, 2011, her dismembered remains were found buried in green plastic tubs of concrete at a local downtown residence. The medical examiner conducted an autopsy and revealed that the cause of her death was strangulation.
The Police Delved Deep Into Debbie Flores-Narvaez’s Relationships to Look For the Killer
During the investigation, the police spoke to Debbie Flores-Narvaez’s roommate, Sonya Sonnenberg, who reported her missing. She claimed that she last saw her leave home around 6 pm on December 12, 2010, to meet her ex-boyfriend, Jason “Blu” Griffith, at his home. Next, the detectives interviewed Jason, who claimed that Debbie had visited him on the fateful evening around 6:30 pm but left after a short while. He also told the authorities that she “might be suicidal,” a claim that was not supported by her family, friends, and roommate. As the police dug deeper into the relationship between Jason and Debbie, they learned that the former had been arrested for a domestic violence incident against her.
However, when her sister told the detectives about Debbie’s volatile relationship with another man in 2009, they shifted their focus to him. The relationship ended on bad terms as Debbie reportedly endured violent outbursts from him, after which she sued him and received $250,000 as compensation. Upon learning that this former boyfriend was in Baltimore at the time of her disappearance, he was cleared as a potential suspect. Soon, the investigators questioned Jason again, but this time he was with his lawyer. He stuck to his original story but also told them he had been dating another girl while Debbie wanted more than friendship. When Debbie learned about his new girlfriend, it reportedly led to a domestic altercation, for which Jason was arrested.
The Killer’s Ex-Girlfriend’s Testimony Led to His Arrest
On January 5, 2011, the detectives got a break in the case when one of Jason’s former girlfriends notified them that he had visited her home on December 15, asking if he could store a large plastic bin there. He and his roommate, Louis Colombo, came back with the plastic bin. When she inquired about its contents, they revealed that Jason had killed Debbie during an argument. After strangling her to death, Jason enlisted the help of his roommate to dispose of her remains. In his interview, Louis admitted to helping Jason put her remains in the plastic tub and hide it in a vacant home. Consequently, Jason “Blu” Griffith was arrested and charged with the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Debbie Flores-Narvaez. Louis Colombo agreed to testify against Jason and avoided being charged.
On May 5, 2014, Jason “Blu” Griffith’s murder trial got underway. The prosecution focused on the tumultuous relationship between the defendant and Debbie. They told the jury that he was seeing another girl and wanted to get rid of her. On the other hand, the defense argued that Debbie was allegedly stalking Jason and had threatened to kill him multiple times. He also took the stand and claimed self-defense. He said that on the fateful evening, he wrapped his arms around her neck because he thought she was reaching for a weapon inside her purse. Ultimately, on May 22, 2014, the jury returned with a final verdict after deliberating for about 14 hours. They found Jason guilty of second-degree murder. A couple of months later, on July 23, he was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison for killing the Las Vegas showgirl.
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