Detective Cedillo entered the mall looking for Cervantez but was unable to find her. Investigators determined the fire started in Harris bedroom and that rubbing alcohol had been used as an accelerant, despite its low flammability. Police also found a damaged deadbolt lock,two other locks that had been used for practice. She denied being at the Hulen Mall that morning. Firefighters put out the blaze and found 31-year-old Harris dead on her bedroom floor. She was sentenced / adjudicated in Runnels County, Winters. Police believed that Ashlea was killed between 4.15am and 7.30am. 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? The locks at American Eagle were for precautionary reasons, Cedillo told Snapped.. Via the Star-Telegram: Cervantez testified that she and Mallory went to Cleburne and rented a motel room on Nov. 28, but later that day Mallory had her drive to Hulen Mall while he toyed with a 9 mm Glock handgun he held in his lap. It was the Prosecution's case that Carter and Clarencehad a couple of different reasons to want to harm Ashlea. Alexis Torres Bunch. Dr. Richard Fries, deputy M.E. The Court heard testimony from Steven Lee. Following Harris murder, the locks had been changed and the Black Friday proceeds were still inside. Ashlea suspended Carter and one week later, Chris called Carter and told herthat she had beenterminated for leaving the store unsecured. Detective Jerry Cedillo with the Ft. Worth Police Department Homicide Unit arrived at 10:22 am. At 7:45 am he witnessed Cervantez and Mallory exit their apartment and get into the black Infinity. 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. Hetestified that it looked like a human grave. Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, enters court Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with defense attorneys Steve Gordon, right, and Bill Ray, not pictured. Rousseau added: 'Imagine the horror, someone is probably sitting on you while someone else is taping up your hands and then your ankles. Ashlea Harris arrived home to her apartment around 3:25 am. 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. Her feet and hands were bound with duct tape and she was covered in blood, according to Texas Amarillo Globe-News newspaper. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. Aloaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. Carter Carol Cervantez. He heard the door of Ashlea's apartment close and when he looked out his window, he saw ablack Infiniti G35 driving away. Precedential, Citations: ", by Chilling Crimes Detective Cedillo spoke to Chris Cravey, who was Ashleas boss at American Eagle, and asked if he knew anyone who drove a black Infinity. The most likely thing that caused that was being pistol whipped.. Text messages obtained from Cervantes and Mallorys phones showed them plotting Harris murder as part of a planned Black Friday heist. Theyare in our work places, our friendship groups and sometimes even our homes. Prosecutors also showed evidence that Cervantez and Mallory were planning to rob the American Eagle in Abilene (where they had previously worked). February 04, 2022, "The criminal justice system will take a hard look at what happened to Matthew Eappen. She was tentatively identified by her tattoos. Carter Carol Cervantez, 26, and Clarence David Mallory, 19, are both being held on $600,000 bond. At Carter's Trial, her Defense was that she was not involved in Ashlea's death.
CourtListener is sponsored by the non-profit Free Law Project. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. 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. Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com. Prosecutors charged Cervantez with murder one and did not seek the death penalty. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. Cervantez alleges that she did not commit the murder and was asleep in her apartment when Harris was robbed and killed. After Ashlea Harris pointed to David Mallory and Carter Cervantes as the most likely culprits to have robbed an American Eagle store, the couple was furious. Another video from Texas Appliances on the north side of the mall captures Cervantez walking away from the mall towards her apartment. As word of the fire spread throughout the community, Harris friends rushed to the scene, desperate for information. Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, testified that she was asleep at the time of the murder of Ashlea Harris and was forced into the robbery by her boyfriend, 21-year-old Clarence David Mallory, the Fort. When he realized it was Ashlea's apartment and when he observed her car was still parked outside, he ran upstairs and kicked her door down. Carter's case was heard first. | Articles Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth, Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. 2018) Court of Appeals of Texas Add Note Filed: November 8th, 2018 Precedential Status: Precedential Citations: None known Docket Number: 02-16-00224-CR ", Sign up to get the latest true crime stories, new product releases and more, Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more . She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you, former co-worker Leticia Groen told Snapped.. 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. Surveillance footage from the Hulen Mall captured Cervantes trying to break into the American Eagle store on the morning of November 29 with Harris stolen keys, unaware that the locks had been changed. 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. A few minutes later, Patrick'scarbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. It didn't last long. Detective Cedillo radioed dispatch and asked them to send a marked patrol call to the mall. Prosecutors for the case showed surveillance video of Cervantez buying shovels and other gear on November 21st, with the intention of digging a grave for Harris. Cravey and Ashlea watched the store surveillance video. When he went to see why the smoke detector had not gone off he noticed it had been removed and placed under the mattress. A neighbor told police that he had heard a thump and screaming from the apartment, the police affidavit said. The only thing missing from Ashlea's apartment were her keys. 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. | Privacy Statement. Ashlea immediately contacted loss prevention, Chris Cravey, and the district manager. Mallory threatened to hurt her parents and relatives if she did not do what she was told, Cervantez said. 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.. But prosecutors said Cervantez planned the crime, which involved stealing Harris' keys to the American Eagle Outfitters store at Hulen Mall in Fort Worth so the couple could take the cash from the store. She was raised in a large and loving family and made friends wherever she went. Cervantez pleads not guilty. David, 27, is incarcerated at the Jim Ferguson Unit in Midway, Texas. In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that 27-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was convicted of capital murder Thursday and sentenced to life in prison . Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. Detective Cedillo wanted to search Ashleas pick-up truck. Assuming that there may be a fire in Ashleas apartment he dialed 911. When Ashlea arrived for work she discovered that a theft had occurred sometime overnight. They both pleaded not guilty. These included a receipt for a cutaway practice lock that had been mailed to Cervantez & Mallorys apartment and a lock picking instruction manual. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. A friend of hers, Alexis Torres came over. There was a cut on the right side of Ashlea's neck which was caused by a knife and bruises and abrasions on her neck, chest and right arm. Patrick testified that he thought about what he should do. Police had to establish if they were involved in Ashlea's death what the motive was. Both suspects were booked . The keyring also had the front gate key and store key on them. After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. Ashlea had been murdered and her body and apartment had been set on fire. The Ashlea Harris murder. He opened a window in the bedroom to air it out. Combined Opinion from These included the bed, the closet, and Ashleas body. They went to the store as planned on the Saturday morning with the keys but the lockshad already been changed. I need to take care ofthat. During a break in questioning, Cervantes was given a bottle of water and left alone in the interrogation room. 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. Cervantez is being held in the Fort Worth Jail. Harris friends told investigators that she had been working around the clock in anticipation of the Black Friday sales event which started that morning. While the homicide took place nearly 6 hours. Many retailers have special markdowns and people lose their minds trying to snatch up the bargains. Police searched their apartment. Helived downstairs and diagonally across from Ashlea. After he missed three scheduled shifts after the burglary, he and her lover were terminated, and Carters managers keys were confiscated. She was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole on May 26, 2016. The surveillance video from the front of the American Eagle store showed that at around 2amonthe 29th of November, someone with a covered face knelt down next to the lock on the gate and attempted to unlock and raise the gate.They were unsuccessful as the locks had been changed. Her bond was set at $500,000. Both Cervantez and Mallory worked with Harris at the American Eagle store before being fired. terminated for leaving the store unsecured. 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. It showed Cervantez buying two shovels, a rope, bungee cords, gloves, and a tarp. Her body was partially burned and she had been beaten. 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> They were caught within days after several witnesses identified their vehicle to be present at the crime scene and supplied the police with a strong motive for them to commit the homicide. At the apartment, detectives found a box containing a taser in the trash, strands of duct tape, and a damaged deadbolt lock. Carter and David were convicted of beating, strangling, and bounding Ashlea and setting fire to her4701 King Ranch Road apartment onNovember 28, 2014, morning. Keith Morrison. The Court heard the two of them returned to the mall at 8am and at that point, were being followed by the police, unbeknownst to them. He observedthat the smoke detector had been removed and was underneath the mattress. 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.". The district manager decided to give Cervantez a fresh start. Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. The two disappeared after the theft and were not arrested until police tracked them down on Dec. 6. App. We He called 911 when his carbon monoxide detector wentoff and he realized there was a fire. Protect yourself and those you love. It was a black Infiniti G35 with a faded toll sticker on its roof. 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. This case has not yet been cited in our system. I didnt touch it. A. loaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. He heard the door of Ashlea's apartment close and when he looked out his window, he saw a, black Infiniti G35 driving away. The Prosecution called Jeff Kayser to testify. There was no smoke in her lungs indicating she was not alive when the fire was set.