Fate of accused murderer Jason “Blu” Griffith in jurors’ hands

Jason “Blu”Griffith testified earlier in his murder trial that he didn’t know if anyone would believe that he killed Debbie Flores Narvaez in self-defense when he choked her to death on Dec. 12, 2010.

The 12 people he needed to convince about what happened that night in his North Las Vegas home could decide his fate as early as Wednesday morning when they begin deliberating.

The jury was sent home late Tuesday after nine days of testimony and listening to nearly four hours of closing arguments by prosecutors Michelle Fleck and Marc DiGiacomo and defense lawyer Abel Yanez.

The jury must decide whether Griffith is guilty of either first-degree murder, second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter — or that he’s not guilty.

Yanez asked the jury to consider Griffith’s state of mind when he killed Flores Narvaez. He pointed to the overwhelming evidence that Flores Narvaez had acted violently toward Griffith during their year-long on-again, off-again sexual relationship.

Flores Narvaez would push, poke and slap Griffith during volatile arguments that on a dozen occasions resulted in him calling 911 for help.

Each time he called, police would either not show up or show up and not arrest Flores Narvaez, Yanez said. Twice they listed Griffith as a suspect even though he’d called 911. Once Griffith was arrested on a coercion charge that was later dropped.

Yanez asked the jury to consider if the gender roles in the case were reversed: What if Griffith was a woman and Flores Narvaez was a man? Would police have treated the ongoing tumultuous relationship with the same apathy if a man had pushed, poked and slapped a woman, the way Flores Narvaez had done to Griffith?

The defense lawyer told the jury that, yes, Griffith had lied to all of the women in his relationship, but multiple witnesseses testified to Flores Narvaez’s violent behavior.

DiGiacomo and Fleck said there was no corroborating evidence to suggest that Griffith acted in self-defense other than his own testimony, which both said was full of lies. They called Griffith calculating and cold.

In a dramatic moment, DiGiacomo yelled at Griffith. “Tell the 12 people in the box the truth. That’s all you had to do,” DiGiacomo said.

“Is there a single fact that he didn’t lie to you about?” DiGiacomo asked the jury.

During two days of cross examination, DiGiacomo was able to show Griffith lied to the jury about several key elements in the case, including that he knew in 2010 that Flores Narvaez did not write a life-threatening note that Griffith found on his car. His roommate, Louis Colombo, admitted to Griffith he wrote the note, text messages in 2010 between the two men showed.

DiGiacomo said because Griffith worked so diligently to hide the body afterwards — he and Colombo dismembered it and hid it in two cement filled tubs in an empty downtown home — was a sign of his guilt.

DiGiacomo said Griffith had no empathy for anyone else and didn’t care who he hurt. “Everything Mr. Griffith does is for Mr. Griffith,” the prosecutor said.

Flores Narvaez was “nothing but a vehicle for his sexual appetite,” DiGiacomo said.

DiGiacomo then questioned Griffith’s testimony that he believed Flores Narvaez had a gun the night of the killing. “Nobody on Earth but Jason Griffith says she had a gun,” DiGiacomo said.

Griffith last week tearfully testified that he acted in self-defense when he wrapped his forearms around Flores Narvaez’ neck and restrained her from reaching her purse, where he believed she had a gun. He said Flores Narvaez had threatened to kill him and herself during an ongoing fight over him trying to end their relationship.

While restraining her, Flores Narvaez went limp and wouldn’t wake up. There was no gun in the purse he later found, Griffith said.

In the dozens of witnesses the jury has heard from, including Griffith’s own testimony, no one has said Flores Narvaez owned a gun or was ever seen with a gun.

Griffith’s roommate, Colombo, testified that believing Flores Narvaez was about to call authorities after he grabbed her by the base of her throat, Griffith approached her from behind and choked her to death.

DiGiacomo said on the night of the killing Griffith had a problem.

Griffith was trying to rekindle his relationship with Agnes Roux, who had broken up with him after learning he was sleeping with Flores Narvaez and at least two other women.

Griffith knew that Roux would not be with him if Flores Narvaez was still in his life, DiGiacomo said. And Griffith knew that when he tried to end his relationship with Flores Narvaez, she would, as in the past, go to Roux and say the two were still together.

“That problem only had one solution,” DiGiacomo said.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter: @fjmccabe