Ashlea worked on November 27th from 5:30 pm until 3:12 am to prep the store for Black Friday. A. loaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. 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. A few minutes later, Patrick'scarbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. 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. Communication between Mallory and Cervantez led police to a shallow hole in a town more than a hundred miles away. The Court heard that the car was still there when Steven left for work after 7.30am. They also found another lock labeled lock picking practice lock. Carter worked thereas an assistant manager and she hired her boyfriend Clarence to work at the same store. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. Forth Worth was originally settled in 1849 as a US Army outpost to protect pioneers settling out west. She was blamed as the mastermind behind the murder plot by prosecutors. They were arrested and charged with capital murder, according to the, 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, Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. Jeff, Wallace E. Hood Jr., an arson investigator, told the Court that, multiple origins of the fire, including in the bed, on Ashleas body, and in the closet. Both are held on a $100,000 bond. For that reason, the fire seemed like an afterthought to me, Fort Worth Police Detective Ernie Pate told Snapped.. 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. During a break in questioning, Cervantes was given a bottle of water and left alone in the interrogation room. Jeff Kayser to testify. Ashlea had been murdered and her body and apartment had been set on fire. He testified that at around 7.30am on the 28th of November, he woke when heheard a loud scream. Listen to the story of how Ashlea Harris fought for her life upsetting the plans of two nefarious killers who wanted a big pay off. Her body was partially burned and she had been beaten. Harris friends told investigators that she had been working around the clock in anticipation of the Black Friday sales event which started that morning. 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. On the day after Thanksgiving known in the retail world as Black Friday Harris's. She said that she did not. He went searching for the reason it was going off and then noticed water dripping from the bathroom ceiling. that the smoke detector had been removed and was underneath the mattress. They found a lock in a kitchen drawer and a TASER box and some strands of duct tape in the trash. She was later found in her apartment complex. Harris was born in 1983 and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 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. Alexis left after4am. Once there, she re-hired Mallory. the Court. . While the homicide took place nearly 6 hours. Another video from Texas Appliances on the north side of the mall captures Cervantez walking away from the mall towards her apartment. At Clarence's Trial, he claimed that he was not involved in Ashlea's murder but the Jury also did not believe him and he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. I mean, my knees gave out. The following opinions cover similar topics: CourtListener is a project of Free Kevin Rousseau, Tarrant County prosecutor, said of their crime: 'At a minimum this took at least a month of planning. Steven W. Conder. As word of the fire spread throughout the community, Harris friends rushed to the scene, desperate for information. He determined the source of all the smoke was coming from the bedroom and specifically the bed. Clarence's phone-We left it. January 25, 2022, "The effects of abuse are devastating and far reaching. Ashlea Harris looked to have severe head trauma. It was a black Infiniti G35. 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. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. There were extensive text messages between the two as they watched the store. She was savagely beaten. below Ashlea's apartment and hetold police that he heard a thump, screaming and heavy breathing. He told the Court thathe sawa black Infiniti G35 with a faded Toll tag sticker on its roof parked outside. Video surveillance of the mall showed that at 2 am on Saturday morning someone tried to open the security gate at American Eagle. The key opened the dressing room and storage closet at Hulen Mall American Eagle. Then he heard a loud thump right above him as Ashleas bedroom was directly above his. She transferred to the Hulen Mall location and held an assistant store manager position. Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape,. Read More: Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? Get Driving Directions to Christina Melton Crain Unit Prison, Texas. The term Black Friday originated in Philadelphia to describe heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic on the day after Thanksgiving. Please enter valid email address to continue. Then he gathered up some belongings, moved his car away from the building, and waited for the fire department to arrive. The scream was followed by a loud thud and he, could hear labored breathing. 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. December 10, 2014 / 11:07 AM She told police that she didnot leave the apartment complex at all that day. He is 22 years old. 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. Documents say the only thing missing from Harris' apartment were her keys, which contained the keys to the American Eagle store as well as the safe. When he went to get her keys he was unable to locate them. Next, he heard what sounded like heavy labored breathing. 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. The most likely thing that caused that was being pistol whipped.. They raped her for not following through with the robbery. Shes the one that coordinated everything and came up with the plan, said Cedillo. From what he could make out it was a female lying face down on the floor in front of the bed. 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. They also found a toboggan with a hole cut in it, a tarp stillinside the package and a kitchen knife. He heard a scream at around 7.30am. She came from a blended family. Harris hands and feet were bound with duct tape, police said. Chicwanda Forbes has worked hard to make a life for herself in New Orleans, until an older man offers her the attention she craves in exchange for her loyalty. She was tentatively identified by her tattoos. Then they turned their sights on Harris, who held the store keys, for their plot to make off with tens of thousands of dollars. No charges were filed against the two. Saturday Tarrant County Sheriffs arrested 25-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez. He tried again a second and a third time but the smoke made it an impossible task. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. The apartment belonged to 31-year-old Ashlea Harris who resided there with her dog, Nala. 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 Carol Cervantez faces capital murder charges in connection with the death of Ashlea Harris. At that point is where it all becomes apparent why they killed Ashlea Harris. Police were contacted when the theft was discovered, but I dont know if they questioned Mallory or Cervantez. Powered by Shopify. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County MedicalExaminers Officer, performed the Autopsy on Ashleas body. Police "developed probable cause" to make the arrests, according to a release. This key was not in the trash during the first search. with the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office testified to Ashlea Harriss cause of death. I didnt touch it. Unsure of her career path, Harris began working in retail in her early 20s. <p>Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, enters court on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with defense attorneys Steve Gordon, right, and Bill Ray, not pictured. Ashlea Ann Harris loved working in retail where she could meet new people every day. Mallory drove her back to their apartment and friends of Mallory were waiting inside. ", 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 . In addition, we got Ashleas DNA on this gun that was in Carter Cervantes car, said Kevin Rousseau. The Ashlea Harris murder. Ashlea Harris was outgoing and personable while the other assistant store manager, Carter was more straight-laced and reserved. Investigators believe the fire was an abrupt change in plan. By this time, Mallory had failed to show up for work on three consecutive days when he was scheduled.
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