Palms Casino Alleged Murderer Competent to Stand Trial

Jason Kendall, the man who allegedly murdered a woman at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada in June, has been ruled competent to stand trial. 

He’ll now face murder, sexual assault, and battery by strangulation to commit sexual assault charged for killing the woman who was an alleged sex worker. 

He’ll appear in Clark County District Court on Wednesday. He hasn’t entered a plea. If convicted, he could face many years in prison. 

This news comes more than a month after a man was shot in a standoff with police at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. 

Fight Over Payment

The situation developed on June 12 when Kendall had Larissa Garcia, the alleged sex worker, in his hotel room. They argued over what Kendall had to pay. 

This came after they met earlier in the day in the Palms lobby and went upstairs. 

While in the room, Garcia, 30, was struck in the face, choked, and sexually assaulted, according to prosecutors. 

After leaving the hotel after about an hour, Kendall called the police, posing as an anonymous caller, and claimed someone had overdosed, but that was false. 

EMTs arrived, found Garcia, and brought her to Spring Valley Hospital. No signs of overdose were present. 

“Upon further inspection … it looks like she was assaulted,” a hospital nurse told a police dispatcher shortly after Garcia was taken to the hospital, KLAS reported. “We thought it was an overdose, but she is not responding to Narcan or any of those drugs.”

From there, it was discovered she was strangled and potentially suffocated. She was in critical condition when she was declared brain-dead on June 21. 

Kendall was labeled a suspect after looking at hotel reservations. They found texts from Garcia’s phone that showed her meeting someone named “J.” 

He was questioned on June 28 and admitted to choking and assaulting her. 

Garcia Was a Mother of Two

Garcia is survived by her mother, her two children, and other relatives. 

A GoFundMe has been set up to assist with funeral expenses. 

“At just 30 years old, she was taken from us unexpectedly, leaving a void that can never be filled. She was a bright light in all of our lives, full of love and laughter,” the site added.

“Larissa’s mother, Kristie, is faced with the unexpected expenses of funeral costs and the planning of a celebration of life that honors Larissa’s memory. We want to make sure that Larissa has the beautiful and dignified farewell she deserves. One that reflects the love and joy she brought to the world.”