LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — What happened to Las Vegas showgirl Debbie Flores Narvaez?
That’s the question being answered in Friday’s edition of 20/20.
You can watch the trailer below.
Vegas showgirl murder case featured in new episode of 20/20
You may remember this case from 2010. Narvaez was a dancer who moved to Las Vegas after college, with dreams of taking the stage on the Las Vegas Strip. She landed a job as an ensemble dancer in “Fantasy” at the Luxor Hotel & Casino.
When Narvaez failed to show up at a midnight rehearsal the night before her premiere, her roommate became concerned and called 911.
“Her not showing up to her job and her show, which I know means a lot to her, is just unusual,” Deon Ridley, one of Narvaez’s friends, told Channel 13 in 2010. “It’s not like her at all.”
That’s the same thing her family told us at the time.
“I can’t make anything of this right now. It’s not her. It’s not like her to go missing,” her sister, Celeste Florez-Narvaez, said. “It’s not like her to take a small vacation like this.”
CHANNEL 13 ARCHIVE: Family, friends remember Debbie Narvaez
CHANNEL 13 ARCHIVE: Family, friends remember Debbie Narvaez
A close friend of Narvaez’s previously told us she had witnessed tension between Narvaez and her ex-boyfriend, Jason “Blue” Griffith, who is a former Cirque du Soleil performer.
“It was obvious that it was her ex and she kept saying wait for me. Respect me. I want you to just wait for me to get there,” said Merriliz Monson, a friend of Narvaez. “It was obvious he wanted to resolve something via phone.”
Previous arrest reports showed that Griffith had been arrested for attacking Narvaez, elbowing her in the chin, pushing her down, kicking her, and pulling her hair. Griffith was charged with battery and coercion for that attack.
CHANNEL 13 ARCHIVE: Where is Debbie Narvaez?
CHANNEL 13 ARCHIVE: What happened to Debbie Narvaez?
After a month of searching, Narvaez’s body was found at a home on Bonanza Way after police received an anonymous tip.
“Based on the tip that came in, based on the information that we had, based on the follow-up information that was done between the time that the tip was received, it became pretty evident that the human remains we found, were our victim’s and in fact, that our suspect was our suspect,” Las Vegas police said in January 2011.
Police say her body was dismembered, packed into cement-filled tubs, and sealed in a closet. Detectives told Channel 13 that Griffith bought cement and rented a U-Haul not long after Narvaez was last seen at his home in North Las Vegas. Investigators were able to track the U-Haul’s GPS.
A neighbor told Channel 13 what they witnessed.
“The lady told me this was a vacation house and the guy stays in Germany and I’ve never seen no interaction until a couple of weeks ago. We saw a U-Haul truck pull up and a guy moving a bag,” they said. “But that was all I seen, him move in, and that was the first time I’ve ever seen someone come to this house.”
An arrest report states Griffith and his roommate, Louis Colombo, tried to hide Narvaez’s body at Griffith’s ex-girlfriend’s house in Henderson but she refused and tipped off police. Police stated she waited a few weeks because she was afraid of what Griffith could do to her.
During a January 2011 court hearing, Narvaez’s famliy broke down as they faced Griffith.
“I would like to know why. I want to know every detail. Why? What did she do to you? What brought you to this,” Celeste said. “You’re ******* going to jail you ******* for what you did to her! You ******** ********! I hope you rot in hell! I hope you rot in hell!”
CHANNEL 13 ARCHIVE: Narvaez family asks suspect why he killed Debbie
CHANNEL 13 ARCHIVE: Narvaez family asks suspect why he killed Debbie
Griffith testified at his trial that Narvaez was aggressive towards him and that he feared for his life.
“Then she says to me that’s why I brought it with me and I am going to kill you and kill myself,” Griffth said.
“When she said brought it, did you know what she was talking about,” attorneys stated.
“I assumed she was talking about a gun, but she had said it so many different times I didn’t know what she was talking about, but that was my assumption,” Griffith said. “That was my fault and it was my assumption.”
He told jurors that Narvaez then reached for her purse and he assumed she was hiding a gun. That’s when he grabbed her and held her tight, not knowing he was squeezing the life out of her.
“I didn’t know because she wasn’t scratching me or gasping for air or anything like that,” Griffith said. “It was nothing like that. I thought she just passed out.”
CHANNEL 13 ARCHIVE: Jason Griffith testifies
CHANNEL 13 ARCHIVE: Jason Griffith testifies
A jury found Griffith guilty of murder in the second degree and he was ultimately sentenced to spend between 10 years to life in prison. That is the maximum punishment for second degree murder.
When looking at Nevada Department of Corrections records, it shows that Griffith had a parole hearing on October 13, 2025, which was not granted. If the parole board grants it, he is next eligible for parole on Jan. 1, 2030.
You can watch the full 20/20 special on Channel 13 on Friday at 9 p.m. PST. You can also watch the special by streaming it on Hulu, Disney+, and 20/20’s website, starting on Saturday.
Vegas showgirl murder case featured in 20/20
