Murder trial still set for November for man accused in ‘Fantasy’ dancer’s death

By Dave Toplikar

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 | 1:20 p.m.

The murder trial is still on track to begin in late November for Jason “Blu” Griffith, who is accused in last year’s strangling death and dismemberment of his girlfriend, Luxor dancer Debra Flores Navarez.

Griffith’s court-appointed attorney, Abel Yanez, told Judge Donald Mosley that Griffith was ready to have his jury trial begin on Nov. 28 — although Yanez couldn’t say for sure what issues still might arise when they get the hard drive contents that could delay the trial.

“I can assure the court that we are not dragging our feet in any fashion,” Yanez said. “We’re trying to have the case ready to go. Mr. Griffith is very anxious to go to trial in November.”

Griffith, 32, was in court today for a discovery hearing, in which his attorneys were trying to get access to the information that was on Griffith’s home computer hard drive, which was taken as evidence against him. Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo told the judge they would be able to make a copy of Griffith’s computer hard drive for his defense team, which includes Deputy Public Defender Jeff Banks.

An evidentiary hearing has been set for Nov. 3 to suppress testimony that Griffith gave to two of the detectives in the case. His attorneys say he was not made aware of his Miranda rights before talking to officers.

Griffith, who spoke quietly with his attorneys before the hearing, is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center. He was a performer in "Love" at the Mirage.

Flores Narvaez, who was Griffith’s ex-girlfriend, was reported missing Dec. 12 after she didn’t attend a practice for the “Fantasy” show at the Luxor, where she worked part-time.

After getting national attention, the search for Flores Narvaez ended when her body was found Jan. 7 encased in concrete at a downtown residence.

Police say Griffith's roommate, Louis Colombo, told them Griffith killed Flores Narvaez and that he helped Griffith try to dispose of the body.

The Clark County Coroner's Office ruled that Flores Narvaez's death was the result of asphyxiation due to neck compression.

Colombo, who has not been arrested, told police the two of them first encased the body in concrete in a large plastic tub. Colombo told police they tried to store it at a friend's apartment, but the woman refused when she was told that Florez Narvaez was in the tub.

Colombo told police he and Griffith then decided to break the body out of the large plastic tub and dismember it so it would fit into two smaller plastic tubs. They filled the two tubs with concrete and stored them in an apartment near Bonanza Drive and Las Vegas Boulevard, according to the police report.

Police learned the location of the body after the woman came to them and then they questioned Colombo, who gave them the location, the police report said.