Friday, February 14, 2025

Las Vegas Man Charged with Sex Worker’s Murder Cleared for Trial

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A court decided on January 15 that Jason Kendall, 35, can stand trial. He is accused of killing Larissa Garcia, 30

Kendall Faces Murder and Assault Charges Following Deadly Palms Casino Incident

Kendall faces charges that include murder, sexual assault, and battery by strangling. These stem from violent events at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas in June 2024.

Court papers showed that Kendall confessed to choking Garcia for ten minutes during an argument about payment for her work. After the attack, he called the police about her condition lying that she had overdosed on drugs. Investigations and hospital tests confirmed Garcia had no drugs or alcohol in her body, but signs of choking and severe head trauma indicated a violent assault.

Garcia, who worked in the sex industry and had two children, was found unconscious in the hotel room. Despite emergency transport to Spring Valley Hospital, she died on June 21, 2024, after doctors declared her brain-dead.

The court’s first review in August found Kendall unfit to stand trial so they sent him to Stein Hospital to get treatment. This choice upset sex workers activists and Garcia’s supporters. They felt it put off justice. They pointed out that Kendall’s early actions, like calling the police and making up an overdose story showed he knew what was going on.

Supporters came to the courthouse wearing shirts that said “Justice for Larissa Garcia”. They wanted someone held responsible and felt relieved the trial could start now, reported The Las Vegas Review-Journal. But they worried about how long it took to get here. Activists like Ivy Love from the Red Umbrella Collective said cases like Garcia’s show how the system often ignores sex workers.

Kendall’s lawyer, Michael Castillo, plans to contest the recent competency ruling. The case will move forward with Kendall’s next court date on January 22.

Garcia’s death has sparked action from sex work advocacy groups. Organizations like The Cupcake Girls have pointed out the lack of safety and legal safeguards for sex workers. They call for making the profession legal to cut down on violence and make it easier to report crimes.

Amy Merrell, who helps run The Cupcake Girls, slams laws like the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA). She claims these laws actually put sex workers at greater risk by forcing them into more dangerous situations.

A GoFundMe campaign collected over $20,000 to help pay for Garcia’s funeral and support her kids. This shows how the community grieves and stands by her family. People fighting for change promised to keep pushing for justice, not just for Garcia but also to bring about bigger changes to keep sex workers safe.

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