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January 14, 2011

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Woman vents fury at sister's alleged murderer

THE sister of a slain Las Vegas dancer stood in a courtroom on Wednesday and cursed the man accused of killing her only sibling and covering her body in concrete.

"I hope you (expletive) rot in jail, you (expletive) for what you did to her," Celeste Flores Narvaez screamed at defendant Jason Griffith after his arraignment on murder, battery domestic violence and destroying evidence charges.

Griffith, 32, did not enter a plea or respond to the outburst.

During the hearing, Griffith spoke only briefly to acknowledge he had reviewed the criminal -complaint against him.

"Do you understand what you are being charged with?" asked Justice of the Peace Chris Lee.

"Yes," responded Griffith, a performer at the Cirque du Soleil "Love" show at The Mirage resort-casino.

He was being held without bail and was ordered to return to court February 15. He could face the death penalty if convicted of killing 31-year-old Debora Flores Narvaez.

Griffith's lawyer, Clark County Deputy Public Defender Abel Yanez, said his client would not speak to the district attorney's office or police without a lawyer present.

The courtroom outburst was an unusual public display of emotion for Celeste Flores Narvaez, who temporarily relocated from Atlanta to Las Vegas to oversee the search for her younger sister after the dancer was reported missing on December 14.

She sat impatiently in the courtroom before Griffith appeared, sharing details about her sister's funeral in a measured voice. She said she will likely return to the family's native Puerto Rico with her sister's body next Monday.

The victim's body was discovered last Saturday covered in concrete in two plastic tubs at a downtown Las Vegas home. Police said Griffith strangled her in the heat of the -moment during an argument, then tried to hide the evidence by sawing off her legs and storing her body in the plastic tubs.

"It is just disgusting," Celeste Flores Narvaez said.

 

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