Jeff Kayser to testify. Greed and Hatred Uncovered in Ashlea Harris Murder, A First Look at the Murder of Ashlea Harris, Co-worker Describes Clarence David Mallory: He Seemed Genuine, She was the really cute, fun, outgoing person and so a lot of people were attracted to her, regardless of whether they were a boy or a girl, Ashleas best friend Stephanie Naylor told, Firefighters put out the blaze and found 31-year-old Harris dead on her bedroom floor. The Prosecutor,Kevin Rousseau,told the Jury: "There are no good murders. Ashleas friend Alexis, who was the last to see her at close to 5 am, told police that Ashlea usually left her keys and wallet on her kitchen counter. A bottle of it found near the body. He testified that when he entered the apartment, it, was full of smoke and water was spraying from the sprinkler system. However, their jobs did not last long when they were allegedly found suspects of a robbery that took place in the store on August 24, 2014. Chris testified that Carter and Clarence would have known that Ashleaidentified Clarence and informed him of the theft. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Cervantes and Mallorys apartment and found a shopping receipt from November 21 for shovels, gloves, duct tape, rope, and a tarp. None known, Docket Number: The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. The Court heard testimony from Steven Lee. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. Mallory drove the car to another mall exit. ", by Chilling Crimes She was the youngest of three girls. It was the 28th of November 2014. The M.E. Detective Cedillo entered the mall looking for Cervantez but was unable to find her. Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape,. In reviewing the malls video surveillance Detective Cedillo saw Cervantez enter the mall wearing the same clothing he had seen her leave her apartment in. Jason Kidd hopes Mavs star stays patient in preseason play, Spring training cuts are incoming, but these Rangers prospects have impressed in camp. Police also found a damaged deadbolt lock, phone, a walkie talkie and a Buck knife with a, a toboggan with a hole cut in it, a tarp still, inside the package and a kitchen knife. She was sentenced / adjudicated in Runnels County, Winters. He determined that Ashlea'scause of death was asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head and neck. She is described by the store manager, Chris Cravey, as being a phenomenal employee who was loved by everyone.. He asked him why he was in the parking lot so early in the morning. our Backup, Combined Opinion from Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. She was inside getting some paperwork she needed to complete. We When police looked at mall surveillance the video showed a person wearing a grey sweatshirt and black hat arrive at the security gate at American Eagle. When she was unable to get in the store the first time she walked back to the car. August 20, 2021, "Evil people always support each other; that is their chief strength.". The most likely thing that caused that was being pistol whipped.. She claimed she spent Thanksgiving cooking dinner for her and Mallory and they watched movies afterward. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. Harris boss told investigators the car was similar to a vehicle owned by former American Eagle Outfitters employee Carter Cervantes. Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. I said, Thats Ashleas tattoo,' said Naylor. FWPD Fort Worth Police Department FORT WORTH Pictures of tools that could be used to pick locks, the front cover of the book Practical Lock. arrived on the scene. At that point, no one other than law enforcement knew that there was any keys missing. Cervantez is arrested in Lubbock and Mallory is taken into custody in Amarillo. . It showed Cervantez buying two shovels, a rope, bungee cords, gloves, and a tarp. It was the Prosecution's case that Carter and Clarencehad a couple of different reasons to want to harm Ashlea. They were not able to open the gate and promptly left. February 04, 2022, "The criminal justice system will take a hard look at what happened to Matthew Eappen. And when she did not do what she was told, they returned to their apartment, where Mallorys friends raped her repeatedly, Cervantez testified. The Court heard that the car was still there when Steven left for work after 7.30am. I mean, my knees gave out. Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com. She claims that Mallory drove her to the Hulen Mall not once, but twice. January 17, 2022 By this time, Mallory had failed to show up for work on three consecutive days when he was scheduled. After he missed three scheduled shifts after the burglary, he and her lover were terminated, and Carters managers keys were confiscated. One suspect in 2014 Black Friday slaying gets life in prison, Clarence David Mallory, Jr. v. The State of Texas Appeal from 297th District Court of Tarrant County (memorandum opinion), Woman gets life for beating, binding, burning co-worker at Fort Worth mall in robbery plot, Police: Couple beat, strangled, burned woman News, Ashlea Harris Obituary Fort Worth, TX | Star-Telegram, Benbrook man gets life for killing Hulen Mall manager, Carter Carol Cervantez v. State CourtListener.com, Defendant in American Eagle murder trial testifies, Belle Gunness The Mistress of the Murder Farm, Kendall Francois The Poughkeepsie Killer, Dateline Podcast Black Friday November 29, 2019. She raises three points on appeal: (1) the trial court erred by denying her counsel's motion to withdraw based on the State's failure to comply with the Michael Morton Act; (2) the trial court erred by admitting recorded statements of her . Her throat had been cut and she had been set on fire. He forced her to enter and rob American Eagle at gunpoint and threatened to kill her family if she didnt do what he asked. However, they were never charged or arrested for allegedly committing the robbery. Her friend left around 4:40 am with Ashlea locking the door behind her. Harris reported Cervantes and Mallory as the likely suspects after Carter was seen leaving a door in the back of the store unlocked, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. He was arrested for not having his driver's license on him. Carter Carol Cervantez, 25, was taken into custody by Tarrant County Sheriffs on Saturday. Police had to establish if they were involved in Ashlea's death what the motive was. Steven Lee was an ex-cop who lived downstairs and diagonally across from Ashlea Harris. Thats not good. She told the Jury that he controlled her and even told her when she could eat or drink. The term Black Friday originated in Philadelphia to describe heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic on the day after Thanksgiving. Police searched their apartment. Clarence David Mallory (age 19) had previously worked for American Eagle at their Amarillo location. A. loaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. Chris told police that a former employee at American Eagle, Carter Carol Cervantez, drove a similar car. The Ashlea Harris murder. Messages indicate they planned on burying the corpse in an unmarked grace north of Abilene, Texas. Zach Shallcross Struggles to Watch Himself Dancing Terribly on The Bachelor, Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine, Alison Brie on Sex Scenes: 'We Are Actors, This Is Our Job'. She told the Court that she left Ashlea's apartment after 4am the morning of the 28th of November and that when she left, Ashlea locked the door. It was only at that point that Chris discovered that it was Carter who had hired Clarence and he found out that Clarence hadpreviously worked at an American Eagle store in Amarillo and was listed in the American Eagle system as non-rehireable." Investigators determined the fire started in Harris bedroom and that rubbing alcohol had been used as an accelerant, despite its low flammability. Her truck was still in the apartment complexs parking lot. | Store She told the Court she did not kill Ashlea and played no part in her death. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. Outcome: Having overruled all three of Cervantezs points, we affirm the trial courts Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. It is the13th largest city in the US. Text messages obtained from Cervantes and Mallorys phones showed them plotting Harris murder as part of a planned Black Friday heist. In August 2016, Clarence David Mallory was found guilty of murder one after one hour of jury deliberation. He also described seeing the dark-colored vehicle driving away shortly after hearing Ashleas front door close. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. A woman suspected of helping kill a former co-worker on the shopping day known as Black Friday in 2014 was found guilty of capital murder Thursday and will spend the rest of her life in prison.. Blood was found on the floor mats of Cervantes car. In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. Investigators believed Cervantes and Mallory were planning to rob the American Eagle store. The next day, Mallory drove her back to try again. Ashlea Ann Harris loved working in retail where she could meet new people every day. Police searched the black Infiniti G35 and found a plastic bag inside a black trash bag, a sharpening stone for a knife, a nine-millimeter cartridge, a cellphone, a walkie talkie and a Buck knife with a sheath. A few minutes later, Patrick'scarbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. He requested that they stop the black Infinity if they witnessed any type of traffic violation. He was also found found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to the, For more on this case and others like it, watch. They told authorities Harris usually left her keys on the kitchen counter, and that her home and car keys were on the same keychain as the keys to the American Eagle store where she worked. It was a black Infiniti G35 with a faded toll sticker on its roof. She told police that she didnot leave the apartment complex at all that day. Both Cervantez and Mallory worked with Harris at the American Eagle store before being fired. Combined Opinion from The investigation revealed that the fire was not accidental and that rubbing alcohol had been poured in different areasthroughout the apartment including on Ashlea's bed. Shes the one that coordinated everything and came up with the plan.As per official court records, she, 34, is serving her sentence at the Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, Texas. In looking at a police department database, Cedillo found that Cervantez and her boyfriend, Clarence Mallory had been suspects in an August 24, 2014 theft at America Eagle. It didn't last long. Assuming that there may be a fire in Ashleas apartment he dialed 911. From what he could make out it was a female lying face down on the floor in front of the bed. He was also found found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to the Dallas Voice newspaper. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. | Sign In, Verdict Corrections They originally planned to bury Harris at a grave site detectives found north of Abilene, Texas. Chicwanda Forbes; Carter Cervantez: With Iyana A. Campbell, Jordan Clifford, Herbert Lee Frazier III, Reginald Garner. The inside of the apartment and Ashlea's body led police to believe that the fire was not an accidental fire. Ashlea worked on November 27th from 5:30 pm until 3:12 am to prep the store for Black Friday. Then he heard a loud thump right above him as Ashleas bedroom was directly above his. She came from a blended family. | Advertising Read More: Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? A few minutes later, Patrick's. Mallory threatened to hurt her parents and relatives if she did not do what she was told, Cervantez said. Police found burn marks on her body and she had been strangled and her throat wasslit. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. Police were contacted when the theft was discovered, but I dont know if they questioned Mallory or Cervantez. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com He testified that the presence ofpetechiae in Ashleas eyes reflected asphyxia or strangulation and that afractured cricoid is: the least common place wesee fractures in asphyxia or strangulation-type deaths because it consists of cartilagethat is pliable.". Cervantez was the assistant store manager who was to lock up the night of the theft. It matched Ashlea Harris' DNA. Police have charged Carter Carol Cervantez, 25, and her boyfriend Clarence "David" Mallory, 19, with capital murder in the death of their former co-worker, Ashlea Harris, 31. / CBS News/AP. While they were let go initially, the investigators had search warrants for their apartment and car. Both suspects were booked . December 10, 2014 / 11:07 AM It turns out that Clarence was also a former employee of American Eagle. I think theres a fire upstairs in the apartment above me, the caller said in his 911 call, which was obtained by Snapped.. The Court also heardpolicefoundlatitude and longitude coordinates on the cell phones. Police argue that the couple beat Harris and then set her body on fire, taking the keys to the Hulen Mall American Eagle Outfitters store in order to steal up to $50,000 in profits from a Black Friday sale. A downstairs neighbor, Patrick Sweet, was lying in bed when he heard a loud scream. | Privacy Statement. Water was spraying from the overhead sprinkling system, but Ashlea did not answer when he called out to her. The only thing missing from Ashlea's apartment were her keys. They are not hiding in shadows. Ashlea's ankles were also bound with duct tape. Theyare in our work places, our friendship groups and sometimes even our homes. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - A woman charged in connection to the death of a former co-worker who was beaten, bound, strangled and set afire has been found guilty. Carter Carol Cervantez. Cervantez was the first to go to trial in May 2016. At 7:45 am he witnessed Cervantez and Mallory exit their apartment and get into the black Infinity. Posted on May 27, 2016. Harris reported Cervantes and Mallory as the likely suspects after Carter was seen leaving a door in the back of the store unlocked, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. We may earn a commission from links on this page. 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After Carters two-door black Infiniti G35 was identified to be on the scene by witnesses and officers followed the couple to the mall the next morning. The Prosecution called Jeff Kayser to testify. He was also fired per store policy. The perpetrators had stolen Ashleas store keys and were allegedly planning to break into the store again and steal more money. 2018) Court of Appeals of Texas Add Note Filed: November 8th, 2018 Precedential Status: Precedential Citations: None known Docket Number: 02-16-00224-CR She also accused the black-hooded male, caught on camera breaking into the store safe and stealing the money, as David. One of the investigators alleged, It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. Surveillance cameras caught her wiping down the bottle after drinking from it in order to remove any traces of DNA. Cedillo went to the American Eagle store where Harris' boss was waiting for the owners to open up. 'They slash her throat and then, when she is finally dead, they set her place on fire. They werent supposed to be dating because she controlled his pay, she controlled how much he worked, and she would just give him more preferential treatment. Cervantes had hired 19-year-old David Mallory and soon began dating him, in violation of company policy. The jury did not believe her. Law Project, a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit. Harris friends told investigators that she had been working around the clock in anticipation of the Black Friday sales event which started that morning. One week later Cravey called Cervantez. She purchased what Im going to describe as a murder kit, said Rousseau. So what was the motive for such a savage attack? Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Carter would always joke, If I were ever going to steal a deposit it would be after Black Friday or Tax Free Weekend.'. Carter Carol Cervantez is a 33 year-old who was listed as being under the supervision of the department of corrections in Christina Melton Crain Unit Prison, Texas. According to news reports, Carter was an assistant store manager at the time, along with 31-year-oldAshlea Ann Harris. Fort Worth Police arrested two suspects in the November 28 murder of Ashlea Harris. Since this was a violation they took him into custody. Powered by Shopify. Around 7:30 am several residents of the River Ranch Apartments located at 4701 King Ranch Road called 911 to report smoke coming from apartment #1505. It included her mother, Monica Cassity, stepfather Daddy Chuck, her father Tommy Harris Sr. and her stepmom Mary Reddy. A 911 call was made by a resident at an apartment complex in Fort Worth, Texas, United States to ask for help. She then walks to American Eagle and goes out of view. They went to the store as planned on the Saturday morning with the keys but the lockshad already been changed. These included a black trash bag, a sharpening stone for a knife, a 9mm cartridge, a cell phone, a walkie-talkie, a buck knife sheath, a plastic tub, mens boots that had a cell phone in them, clothing, a toboggan with a hole cut in it, a tarp still inside the package and a kitchen knife. The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. Carter Carol Cervantez is on trial this week on a capital murder charge in the slaying of Ashlea Ann Harris, 31, on Nov. 28, 2014, the day after Thanksgiving, known commercially as Black Friday. He took photos of the various items found in the car. Harris hands and feet were bound with duct tape, police said. While the homicide took place nearly 6 hours. Nobody knew for certain whether Ashlea was inside or not. The couple had been fired from the American Eagle store at the Hulen Mall after being suspected of stealing nearly $18,000 from the store's safe in August 2014. Who Killed Her? Under the drivers seat was a 9mm Glock with a round still in the chamber. A break came when one of Harris neighbors told police that on the morning of the murder, he noticed a black, two-door Infiniti parked in the apartment complexs parking lot which didnt belong to any of the residents. The couple lived only two miles from Ashleas apartment. Mark Sedwick, a special agent with the FBI and a member of the Cellular Analysis Survey Team, testified as to the content of texts that had been sent at 11.52amon the 28th of November between Clarence's phoneandCarter's phone: Carter's phone-Hey, remember that thing you said I didnt clean well?Did you clean it? Update: A correction was. Then they turned their sights on Harris, who held the store keys, for their plot to make off with tens of thousands of dollars. An older man offers Chicwanda Forbes the attention she craves in exchange for her loyalty. She bends down to unlock it but is unable to. Another video from Texas Appliances on the north side of the mall captures Cervantez walking away from the mall towards her apartment. Jeffcrawled midway to the kitchen before he was forced to get out for some air. He was unable to find a pulse. Before fire and rescue workers arrived a neighbor, Jeff Kayser, kicked in her door calling out for her and Nala. They soon determined that Ashlea Harris had suffered blunt force trauma to her face and head, her throat had been cut, and her body partially burned.