Family, Friends Mourn Loss of California Public Defender Who Died in Mexico

Kimberly Blair attends the funeral of her husband Elliot Blair in Garden Grove, Calif., on Feb. 11, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—As people walked into the Feb. 11 memorial service of Orange County Public Defender Elliot Blair, 33, they viewed joyful images of a life well lived.

Scuba diving, water sports, beach visits, and a graduation photo were all representative of a man confident of the life he had ahead of him.

“We are honored to have you all at the Christ Cathedral today to celebrate the life of this young man,” Deacon Frank Chavez of the church told the memorial attendees. “We stand with you in solidarity in honor of him, today.”

The funeral of Elliot Blair in Garden Grove, Calif., on Feb. 11, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

To Chavez’s lower right, a picture of Blair sat amongst flowers and tearful family members sitting in the front row of a sunlit auditorium with several hundred people in attendance.

“Kindness, meekness, gratitude—these are the beatitudes of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Chavez said. “And you know who lived these beatitudes? Elliot did.”

Blair, noted as being a “rising star” in the OC Public Defender community, died in the early hours of Jan. 14th under what is being called “mysterious circumstances” while on his one-year anniversary trip with wife Kim Williams in Rosarito, Mexico.

Elliot Blair and his wife. Courtesy of GoFundMe

Despite the Mexican authorities’ claims he had died an accidental death falling from a 3rd story balcony, a recent autopsy in the U.S. characterized his death as an aggravated homicide, an attorney for his family said Feb. 9.

The autopsy done on Blair showed he sustained 40 fractures to the back of the skull as well as “road rash” on his knees and a toe injury, which indicated he was dragged, according to attorney Case Barnett.

Just 90 minutes before his death, Blair and his wife were extorted by Rosarito Police officers after rolling through a stop sign, who in turn took all the cash the couple had on them at $160, the attorney said. Blair told the officer he was a public defender from Orange County and let him know where they were staying, he added.

Kimberly Williams attends the funeral of her husband Elliot Blair in Garden Grove, Calif., on Feb. 11, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Soon after Chavez spoke, a video depicting Blair’s life played, starting with pictures as a young boy with family and friends, leading to a video of a young man dancing on a beach with friends in swimsuits that caused the gatherers to laugh, then photos of him and wife.

“Though I did not know Elliot personally, I knew of his work,” Rep. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) said during the service. “I work with his office time and time again, and [he] was a warrior that will not be forgotten.”

Tearful speeches from friends, colleagues, and family soon followed the congressman.

He was always the middleman to get everyone together no matter what was going on, a younger cousin said.

“He was always there for me,” another younger cousin tearfully said.

Stella Blair, the mother of Elliot Blair, speaks at her son's funeral in Garden Grove, Calif., on Feb. 11, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

When Blair’s mother Stella Blair took to the podium, she did so with the recent losses of her husband and brother over the past two years and now her son.

“He touched the lives of so many people,” she said. “Continue his legacy by acts of kindness and paying it forward.”

Regional coroner results for Blair’s autopsy are estimated to be available within the next five weeks.