“premeditated” does carry the possibility of death or life in prison without parole.
Griffith told Detective Long that it was after the incident occurred that he did “all the amateurish stuff,” later adding that Louis only became involved after Debbie was already dead, and that his roommate hadn’t really known what was going on. When Detective Long offered to take a statement about the events of Debbie’s death, however, Griffith still refused.
On Tuesday, January 11, 2011, Jason Omar Griffithappeared in court for the first time. Due to the severity of the charges, his bail was denied.
Debbie’s sister, Celeste Flores-Narvaez, also arrived at the court, visibly shaken and filled with anger, looking to face the man accused of brutally murdering and dismembering her younger sister. The encounter between Debbie’s alleged killer and her sister almost became a scandal.
Celeste screamed at Griffith, “Look what you’ve done, you fucker!” and continued to shout expletives at him until she had to be removed from the courtroom by the bailiffs.
Afterward, outside the courtroom, she told the media: “I hope they do what they have to in order to send that devil straight to hell!”
Celeste said that at first she’d been infinitely sad, but now she was angry and demanded justice. On camera, she said about Griffith: “I want him to get the deathpenalty!”
SEVEN
A City in Mourning
The first memorial service for Debora Flores-Narvaez was held at St. Viator Church in Las Vegas on January 13, 2011. A second one took place the next day, January 14, at the Luxor Hotel where the dancer had last been seen by some coworkers rehearsing for
FANTASY
. Her sister, Celeste, attended both, and was deeply touched by the offerings of flowers, as well as the various eulogies from Debbie’s friends and colleagues, all praising her little sister’s talent, her dedication, and, especially, her kindness to others. Before the body was transported to her native Puerto Rico, family and friends also held yet a third memorial, a vigil in honor of Debbie, a woman whose talent had lit up the stages of Las Vegas.
“Throughout the whole experience I felt just a senseof the love that my sister had out there,” Celeste later recalled. “And I completely understand what she loved about Vegas, and that it isn’t just a party city. I felt complete support from the dancing and entertainment community. A lot of people think, oh ‘Sin City,’ they’re party people. But they have lives and they work hard for what they do; it’s their careers and what they’re skilled at. I felt pure love. These people literally became a part of my family, even complete strangers.”
Strangers were mostly who Celeste found at the church memorial, people who went to pay their respects to the beautiful, slain young woman; people who’d either seen her onstage or who’d followed the headlines and news reports of her initial disappearance, and then of her gruesome murder.
After the memorials, Debbie’s friends and colleagues organized a benefit, held at the Crown Theatre and Nightclub at the Rio on January 26. The show was open to the public, and part of the proceeds were donated to Shade Tree women’s shelter in Las Vegas, whose mission statement reads: “To provide safe shelter to homeless and abused women and children in crisis and to offer life-changing services promoting stability, dignity, and self-reliance.” Other monies were used to help the Flores-Narvaez family transport Debbie’s remains to her native Puerto Rico, where the family later held a private funeral in San Juan.
Celeste was unable to attend the benefit, since by then she’d had to return to Atlanta to her children. “But they sent me a video of it, and I cried all the way through it,” she recalled, still tearing up. “All the dancers from the community participated. I love Vegas now! I was fortunate enough to see the best side of Vegas.”
However, Celeste made certain
Griffith told Detective Long that it was after the incident occurred that he did “all the amateurish stuff,” later adding that Louis only became involved after Debbie was already dead, and that his roommate hadn’t really known what was going on. When Detective Long offered to take a statement about the events of Debbie’s death, however, Griffith still refused.
On Tuesday, January 11, 2011, Jason Omar Griffithappeared in court for the first time. Due to the severity of the charges, his bail was denied.
Debbie’s sister, Celeste Flores-Narvaez, also arrived at the court, visibly shaken and filled with anger, looking to face the man accused of brutally murdering and dismembering her younger sister. The encounter between Debbie’s alleged killer and her sister almost became a scandal.
Celeste screamed at Griffith, “Look what you’ve done, you fucker!” and continued to shout expletives at him until she had to be removed from the courtroom by the bailiffs.
Afterward, outside the courtroom, she told the media: “I hope they do what they have to in order to send that devil straight to hell!”
Celeste said that at first she’d been infinitely sad, but now she was angry and demanded justice. On camera, she said about Griffith: “I want him to get the deathpenalty!”
SEVEN
A City in Mourning
The first memorial service for Debora Flores-Narvaez was held at St. Viator Church in Las Vegas on January 13, 2011. A second one took place the next day, January 14, at the Luxor Hotel where the dancer had last been seen by some coworkers rehearsing for
FANTASY
. Her sister, Celeste, attended both, and was deeply touched by the offerings of flowers, as well as the various eulogies from Debbie’s friends and colleagues, all praising her little sister’s talent, her dedication, and, especially, her kindness to others. Before the body was transported to her native Puerto Rico, family and friends also held yet a third memorial, a vigil in honor of Debbie, a woman whose talent had lit up the stages of Las Vegas.
“Throughout the whole experience I felt just a senseof the love that my sister had out there,” Celeste later recalled. “And I completely understand what she loved about Vegas, and that it isn’t just a party city. I felt complete support from the dancing and entertainment community. A lot of people think, oh ‘Sin City,’ they’re party people. But they have lives and they work hard for what they do; it’s their careers and what they’re skilled at. I felt pure love. These people literally became a part of my family, even complete strangers.”
Strangers were mostly who Celeste found at the church memorial, people who went to pay their respects to the beautiful, slain young woman; people who’d either seen her onstage or who’d followed the headlines and news reports of her initial disappearance, and then of her gruesome murder.
After the memorials, Debbie’s friends and colleagues organized a benefit, held at the Crown Theatre and Nightclub at the Rio on January 26. The show was open to the public, and part of the proceeds were donated to Shade Tree women’s shelter in Las Vegas, whose mission statement reads: “To provide safe shelter to homeless and abused women and children in crisis and to offer life-changing services promoting stability, dignity, and self-reliance.” Other monies were used to help the Flores-Narvaez family transport Debbie’s remains to her native Puerto Rico, where the family later held a private funeral in San Juan.
Celeste was unable to attend the benefit, since by then she’d had to return to Atlanta to her children. “But they sent me a video of it, and I cried all the way through it,” she recalled, still tearing up. “All the dancers from the community participated. I love Vegas now! I was fortunate enough to see the best side of Vegas.”
However, Celeste made certain
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