Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘Death of a Showgirl’ of ABC’s ’20/20′ delves deep into the untimely and horrific killing of Debbie Flores-Narvaez in Las Vegas, Nevada, in December 2010. Initially, it was a missing persons case, with the detectives trying their best to locate the missing showgirl. During the investigation, they were led to her remains and her perpetrator, Jason “Blu” Griffith, her ex-boyfriend. The authorities then dug deeper into Jason’s relationship with Debbie and found a past full of violence.
Jason “Blu” Griffith Strangled Debbie Flores-Narvaez During a Heated Argument
Born around 1979 to Charlene Davis, Jason “Blu” Omar Griffith had been performing as a dancer in various shows on the Las Vegas Strip when he crossed paths with Debra “Debbie” Flores-Narvaez in 2009. By then, his professional achievements included dancing for Toni Braxton on tour and serving as a New York Knicks dancer. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York City, Jason was taken into custody twice on the same day for trying to take his own life in December 2007. He was reportedly a married man and a father of two children, whom he frequently visited in Reno. Soon after meeting Debbie, the dancer in Cirque du Soleil’s “Beatles Love” show at the Mirage got into a relationship with her. The relationship turned volatile, with at least three domestic violence incidents.
While Debbie was identified as the aggressor in at least one incident, Jason was identified as the aggressor in the other two altercations. The October 22, 2010, incident also led to his arrest on a count of battery, domestic violence, and coercion. They reportedly broke up soon, but continued to stay in touch. At the time, he had also begun dating another dancer in another Cirque show. On the evening of December 12, 2010, Debbie paid Jason a visit at his home, where they reportedly got into a heated altercation. He strangled her to death and took help from his roommate, Louis Colombo. They allegedly placed her remains inside a large plastic tub with fresh concrete. But when the tub began leaking, Jason allegedly dismembered the remains and transferred them to two smaller tubs. They then hid the storage tubs containing the remains at a friend’s vacant house on Bonanza Way.
The Roommate of Jason “Blu” Griffith Cooperated With the Police
While searching for Debbie, the authorities interviewed Jason, who admitted that she stopped by his place on the fateful evening but claimed she left after a brief conversation. Through one of his former girlfriends, Kalae Casorso, the detectives began suspecting Jason’s involvement in Debbie’s disappearance. Soon, his roommate, Louis, also told the authorities that he allegedly saw Jason choking Debbie during an argument and helping him dispose of her remains. He then also led the investigators to the house where they had kept Debbie’s remains. In exchange, Louis was given immunity from prosecution.
On January 8, the authorities brought Jason in for questioning again and confronted him with his roommate’s claims. During the interrogation, he told them, “Like I said again, there’s, there’s, there’s things that you guys know; there’s things that you guys are assuming. You guys are trying to put, you know, paint a picture, and that’s cool. I totally understand it. You guys are gonna do your jobs. You’re gonna do what you’re supposed to do. I don’t have anything else for you.” He was then arrested for killing his ex-girlfriend, Debbie Flores-Narvaez.
Jason “Blu” Griffith is Currently Incarcerated at a Nevada Prison Facility
Jason “Blu” Griffith pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained his innocence, claiming he had acted in self-defense. In May 2014, his murder trial got underway. The prosecution told the jury that he was having trouble juggling multiple relationships at the same time, so he decided to get rid of Debbie. The defense painted Debbie in a negative light, alleging that she had been stalking and threatening the defendant. The attorney stated, “He was scared, and he was afraid that she was violent.” Jason also took the stand and defended himself, claiming that he choked her with his arms because he believed she was reaching for her purse, which might contain a weapon.
On May 21, the jury began deliberating after a nine-day trial. After about 14 hours of deliberations, the jury convicted Jason of second-degree murder on May 22, 2014. A couple of months later, on July 23, 2014, Jason was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison for the murder of Las Vegas showgirl Debbie Flores-Narvaez. In August 2016, his appeal to get his conviction overturned was denied by the Court of Appeals. In 2020, he was also denied parole. As of today, the 47-year-old killer is serving his sentence at High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs, Nevada, with his parole eligibility date scheduled for January 2030.
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