Patrick was thinking about trying to find out what was going on when he heard Ashleas front door open and then close. Clarence Mallory Jr. and Carter Cervantez are accused of murdering Ashlea Harris after she left her job late at night at a mall in Fort Worth. Then he heard a loud thump right above him as Ashleas bedroom was directly above his. Carter Carol Cervantes worked as a store manager of an American Eagle Outfitters outlet in Amarillo, Texas. She recalls being raped multiple times by friends of Mallorys and being coerced into the robbery. Due to that, they wanted to speak to the owner of the Infiniti G35. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County Medical. (Joyce Marshall)</p> Author: WFAA Staff Published:. | Advertising Ashlea identified Clarence as the person who took the money from the safe from the surveillance footage. The Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. Harris autopsy pointed to a rage killing. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. She also accused the black-hooded male, caught on camera breaking into the store safe and stealing the money, as David. While they were let go initially, the investigators had search warrants for their apartment and car. In May 2016, 27-year-old Carter Carol Cervantes was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to The Dallas Morning News. The Court heard that the car was still there when Steven left for work after 7.30am. with the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office testified to Ashlea Harriss cause of death. When he looked out the window he witnessed a dark-colored vehicle driving away. She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you, former co-worker Leticia Groen told Snapped.. The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. Another store employee watched the video and agreed with Ashlea based on the suspects physical appearance. by Chilling Crimes They went to the store as planned on the Saturday morning with the keys but the lockshad already been changed. From Free Law Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Fort Worth Police Detective Jerry Cedillo was staking out the apartment on the morning of November 29 when he saw Cervantes and Mallory get in her car and drive to the Hulen Mall. Another apartment in the complex was on fire. But Tarrant County prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told the jury that Cervantez was the one who tried to control Mallory, whose trial is pending. He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. Her throat had been cut and she had been set on fire. The Court heard testimony fromAlexis Torres Bunch. 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 . He told police that Carter had gone into the mall to collect some papers but when police searched the mall, she wasn't there. According to news reports, Carter was an assistant store manager at the time, along with 31-year-oldAshlea Ann Harris. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. Cervantes had worked at American Eagle Outfitters for several years and managed a store in Amarillo, Texas. Prosecutors say Cervantez and her. They believed that Carter and Clarencekilled Ashlea as they knew she had the keys for the safe and the plan was to take the keysand go to the American Eagle store to steal the tens of thousands of dollars they knew would be in the safe after Black Friday. 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. Police tracked Cervantes and Mallory to an apartment near the Hulen Mall. Read More: Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? She told police that she didnot leave the apartment complex at all that day. They founda plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. So what was the motive for such a savage attack? This Record may not reflect actual, complete, or up-to-date data. Carter Carol Cervantez was arrested Dec. 6, 2014. Who Killed Her. He was able to determine that the fire had multiple points of origin. Police observed that she hadsuperficial scratches on her arms. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. It looked new as there was notany noticeable wear and the plastic price tag fastener was still attached. 2018) Court of Appeals of Texas Add Note Filed: November 8th, 2018 Precedential Status: Precedential Citations: None known Docket Number: 02-16-00224-CR Chris looked at Clarence'spersonnel fileanddiscovered thatwhen Carterhired him, she changed his Social Security number and his name in the system so that it would not be detected or show up any red flags. Home The jury did not believe her. This key was not in the trash during the first search. Police have charged Carter Cervantez, 25, and her boyfriend Clarence "David" Mallory, 19, with capital murder in the death of Ashlea Harris, 31. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The M.E. I said, Can you tell me anything? He said, Ill ask you a question, does Jeremiah 29:11 mean anything to you? And I just fell down. The Jury heard that Clarence was arrested in the car park at the mall . There were extensive text messages between the two as they watched the store. 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. Police set up surveillance outside Carter's home and the next morning, the Saturday morning, at 8 am they saw her leave her apartment and get into her Infiniti G35 with a man. Police asked Alexis if she knew who drove a black Infiniti G35. They went directly to the safe where the night deposits were kept, unlocked it, and took the cash inside. Ashlea was the mom of the store. Her truck was still in the apartment complexs parking lot. As a result of his incompetency, he was fired, and American Eagle put him on the Do Not Hire Again list. Patrick testified that he thought about what he should do. Another neighbor also told police something disturbing. Cervantes was allowed to go home. Prosecutors charged Cervantez with murder one and did not seek the death penalty. The couple were arrested this weekend Cervantez in Fort Worth and Mallory in Amarillo on warrants accusing them of capital murder for Harris's slaying and theft $1,500 to $20,000 for the. No charges were filed against the two. He called 911 as he realized there must be a fire. Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. I need to take care ofthat. a plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. She bends down to unlock it but is unable to. | Sign In, Verdict Corrections David, 27, is incarcerated at the Jim Ferguson Unit in Midway, Texas. 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. Patrick thought that perhaps someone had come to pick Ashlea Harris up for work as her pick-up truck remained in its parking space. Clarence's phone-We left it. Harris and other workers helped identify them as suspects, KHOU reports. Saturday Tarrant County Sheriffs arrested 25-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez. Detective Cedillo entered the mall looking for Cervantez but was unable to find her. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. One of the investigators alleged, It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. 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. An older man offers Chicwanda Forbes the attention she craves in exchange for her loyalty. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. Harris was born in 1983 and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. Carter's testimony also included an account of a time that she claimed she was raped by two men. <p>Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, enters court on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with defense attorneys Steve Gordon, right, and Bill Ray, not pictured. Harris friends told investigators that she had been working around the clock in anticipation of the Black Friday sales event which started that morning. It turns out that Clarence was also a former employee of American Eagle. This was torture, prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told Snapped.. Firefighters managed to control the fire and it was only then they discovered that Ashlea was inside. A few minutes later, Patrick's. Unsure of her career path, Harris began working in retail in her early 20s. They were scheduled to make a deposit that morning of the proceeds from the Black Friday sales. He told the Court that he lived in an apartment just, below Ashleas apartment. Fire investigator, Wallace Hood, with the Ft. Worth Fire Department arrived on the scene around 8:45 am. 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. He testified that when he entered the apartment, it, was full of smoke and water was spraying from the sprinkler system. Jason Kidd hopes Mavs star stays patient in preseason play, Spring training cuts are incoming, but these Rangers prospects have impressed in camp. August 20, 2021, "Evil people always support each other; that is their chief strength.". She switched his first name with his middle name and changed two digits of his social security number. Who Killed Her? Does Alan Cumming Really Live in a Scottish Castle? Chris Cravey later found out that the key that was used to unlock the safe had been left unattended on a table in an area that Cervantez was folding clothes the day before. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 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. The Prosecution called Jeff Kayser to testify. Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? When she tried to call her back Ashlea didnt pick up. Ashlea worked on November 27th from 5:30 pm until 3:12 am to prep the store for Black Friday. There was no smoke in her lungs indicating she was not alive when the fire was set. Cravey indicated that he did. However, her loyalty to the store where she was employed would tragically lead to her death. And when she did not do what she was told, they returned to their apartment, where Mallorys friends raped her repeatedly, Cervantez testified. Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. She told Chris police were asking about an Infiniti G35. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County MedicalExaminers Officer, performed the Autopsy on Ashleas body. Carter and David were convicted of beating, strangling, and bounding Ashlea and setting fire to her4701 King Ranch Road apartment onNovember 28, 2014, morning. Cervantez was the assistant store manager who was to lock up the night of the theft. The detectives talked to two American Eagle employees who had been locked out due to the locks being changed. These included a receipt for a cutaway practice lock that had been mailed to Cervantez & Mallorys apartment and a lock picking instruction manual. Kevin Rousseau, Tarrant County prosecutor, said of their crime: 'At a minimum this took at least a month of planning. terminated for leaving the store unsecured. Police also found a damaged deadbolt lock,two other locks that had been used for practice. Protect yourself and those you love. Somehow they avoided looking up at the camera. Dr. Richard Fries, deputy M.E. Video from American Eagle picks her up approaching the gate. A 911 call was made by a resident at an apartment complex in Fort Worth, Texas, United States to ask for help. Cervantez was recently found guilty of her involvement and sentenced to life in prison without parole in May 2016, reported the Star-Telegram. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. Bill Ray, one of the attorneys who represented Cervantez, said none of the more than 400 exhibits prosecutors filed placed her in Harris' apartment at the time she was killed, the paper reports. One of Harris friends had stopped by after Ashlea got off work on Thanksgiving night and stayed until around 5 a.m. / CBS News/AP. , updated Cervantez claims that Mallory dug the grave for her. Cervantez received life in prison without the possibility of parole. By This was two weeks before Ashleas murder. In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. He ruled out accidental causes for the reason for the fire and concluded that the fire was set on purpose. It took them just two hours to find her guilty and she was sentenced tolife in prison without parole. There was a significant amount of blood around her body which indicated she had been beaten and her hands were bound with duct tape behind her back. It was a black Infiniti G35. He followed them as Mallory drove to the Hulen Mall. Police found burn marks on her body and she had been strangled and her throat wasslit. This manager did not close the store that night and did not appear to have the same build as the person in the video. And in Fort Worth, career-driven Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. She was savagely beaten. He was eventually labeled as non-rehirable in the American Eagle system. She then walks to American Eagle and goes out of view. Dr Fries testified that the injuries on Ashlea's face were caused by multiple blows. 23:46 GMT 24 Aug 2017 out-of-date, incorrect offense/sentence details, record expunged, etc), please send an email to: Violent Offenders: Evidence and Treatment, Prison Suicide: Methods, Risk, and Prevention, Executions and Execution Rates (by State), Childhood Psychopathy Scale (CPS) (41-Item Version), Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), Jung Self-Rating Scale for Depression (SDS), Borderline Personality Disorder Self-Report, California Psychological Inventory (Socialization), Correctional Mental Health Screening for Men, Black Guerilla Family: Prison Gang Profile, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-COG), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Geriatric Depression Scale (Short Form) (GDS-SF), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD or HAM-D), Ohio Risk Assessment System - Pretrial (ORAS-PAT), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), University of Rhode Island Change Assessment(URICA), Christina Melton Crain Unit Prison, Texas Inmates & Offenders, https://offender.tdcj.texas.gov/OffenderSearch/offenderDetail.action?sid=50612977, Search is on for inmate accidentally released from Colorado jail, Search for Escaped Inmate in Ellis County, Search underway after inmate escapes in Sabine Parish, Three inmates escape Athens County correctional facility, one apprehended, Man Accused of Helping Callahan County Inmate Escape Self-Surrenders, Oklahoma DOC unveils new inmate search feature, Search continues for Inmate who escaped from Lawrence County work release, Correctional Facility or Supervision Authority, Department of Corrections Inmate / Offender Record. Alexis usually watched Ashleas dog Nala when she worked. Fort Worth police, who had been staking out Cervantez s residence, followed the pair to the mall and arrested Mallory in his car outside after 3 Cervantez went inside. They discovered that on Thanksgiving Day, she went to dinner withher friendAlexis Torres and other friends at an apartment inside her complex. One of her former co-workers, Leticia Groen, explained, 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. They originally planned to bury Harris at a grave site detectives found north of Abilene, Texas. Both are held on a $100,000 bond. During a break in questioning, Cervantes was given a bottle of water and left alone in the interrogation room. Mallory was found guilty along with his girlfriendCarter Carol Cervantez, 28, of killing the American Eagle store manager, who they both worked with, on Black Friday in 2014. reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. Carter Cervantez, 27, who was an assistant manager at the Hulen Mall store, is on trial this week, accused of killing Ashlea Ann Harris, 31, on the day after Thanksgiving 2014. It was the proceeds from the sales during the recently concludedTexas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend in August. She admitted to not locking the back door the night of the theft. Jeans with FWPD Crime Scene Unit. A Friday. It is the13th largest city in the US. The Jury heard that a. t 6.56am,Alexishad a missed call from Ashlea and when she noticed it, Another neighbor, Patrick Sweet, also testified. Chris Cravey had gotten all the locks changed upon hearing about Ashleas murder. 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.. This was most likely a lighter and the accelerant was rubbing alcohol. Her bond was set at $500,000. He asked if she would be willing to go downtown to be interviewed and she agreed. Ashlea Harris arrived home to her apartment around 3:25 am. They found a lock in a kitchen drawer and a TASER box and some strands of duct tape in the trash. Cervantez was the first to go to trial in May 2016. Police believed that Ashlea was killed between 4.15am and 7.30am. He also described seeing the dark-colored vehicle driving away shortly after hearing Ashleas front door close. The two. Cervantes helped Mallory falsify documents so she could hire him at the Hulen Mall location where she worked with Harris. Harris hands and feet were bound with duct tape, police said. Christopher Chris Cravey, Ashlea's boss, heard that police were asking about that vehicle and he told them he knew someone who drove one. A downstairs neighbor, Patrick Sweet, was lying in bed when he heard a loud scream. Mallory drove her back to their apartment and friends of Mallory were waiting inside. And Ashlea discovered that Carter was the person due to lock up the night it was stolen and had left the back door open. For more on this case and others like it, watch "Snapped," airing Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen, or stream episodes here. Many retailers have special markdowns and people lose their minds trying to snatch up the bargains. Sign up to receive the Free Law Project newsletter with tips and announcements. Chicwanda Forbes; Carter Cervantez: With Iyana A. Campbell, Jordan Clifford, Herbert Lee Frazier III, Reginald Garner. A friend of hers, Alexis Torres came over. They discovered that Ashlea's missing keys had the store keys on them too. Then they turned their sights on Harris, who held the store keys, for their plot to make off with tens of thousands of dollars. Mallory and Cervantez reportedly also stole $18,000 from the same store in August of 2014. Like Harris, Cervantez was an assistant manager. Her name was Carter Carol Cervantez. She was taken to the station for questioning. On May 26, 2016, twenty-seven-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was found guilty of capital murder. 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 spotted the black Infinity in the apartment parking lot. According to the show, Carter was recorded being very careful about leaving forensic evidence, even wiping a water bottle after drinking to remove her fingerprints. Firefighters put out the blaze and found 31-year-old Harris dead on her bedroom floor. 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. Carter worked thereas an assistant manager and she hired her boyfriend Clarence to work at the same store. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. She enters the mall at 7:56 am on November 29th. A bottle of it found near the body. It was their case that they wanted her keys to steal the money from the store but also that they wanted revenge after they held Ashlea responsible for them losing their jobs. 27-year-old old Carter Carol Cervantez is on trial for capital murder in the. She said that she did not. SHARE NEXT UP Young Woman in the Center of a Murder | For My Man S6/EP27 | Airdate: Nov 29, 2021 <span>Runtime: 00:01:30</span> 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. Carter was arrested the following day by Tarrant County deputies. Today, Ft. Worth is a thriving city of approximately 800,000 residents. At that location, Detective Cedillo found what he describes as a human grave. Whoever was the last person to leave had locked the door behind them. A mysterious fire, missing keys, and a black sports car. We may earn a commission from links on this page. They found ample evidence in both places, including a gun used to pistolwhip Ashlea, receipts for a murder kit, including the duct tape used to bind her, and her blood on the floor mat of their vehicle. On Tax Free Weekend and Black Friday, those were our highest deposit days, said Groen. If you believe this Record is in error (i.e. Investigators believe the fire was an abrupt change in plan. At that point is where it all becomes apparent why they killed Ashlea Harris. She was the one that you wanted to like you because if you got on her bad side there was no coming back from it. Update: A correction was. Harris friends told investigators that she had been working around the clock in anticipation of the Black Friday sales event which started that morning. He went searching for the reason it was going off and then noticed water dripping from the bathroom ceiling. The scream was followed by a loud thud and he, could hear labored breathing. Law Project, a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit. They stalked Ashlea Harris like people stalk a deer.". 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Though the theft remained an open case with the Fort Worth Police Department, American Eagle believed it had enough evidence to fire Cervantes and Mallory. The 31-year-old was an assistant manager at the American Eagle Outfitters store in the Abilene mall in Texas. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. He was arrested for not having his driver's license on him. The Prosecution claimed that person was Carter. There are a lot of people at her apartment complex, which says a lot about the defendants in this case.'. 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. Cervantez is arrested in Lubbock and Mallory is taken into custody in Amarillo. 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.
