On Tax Free Weekend and Black Friday, those were our highest deposit days, said Groen. But Tarrant County prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told the jury that Cervantez was the one who tried to control Mallory, whose trial is pending. 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. Cervantezs 21 year-old boyfriend Clarence David Mallory has also been charged. Alexis usually watched Ashleas dog Nala when she worked. Ashlea worked on November 27th from 5:30 pm until 3:12 am to prep the store for Black Friday. Police searched their apartment. They founda plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. Around 8 am Ft. Worth Fire Department Lt. Jarrod Pavlechko arrived on the scene. This Record may not reflect actual, complete, or up-to-date data. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County Medical. From Free Law Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. A Friday. 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. He testified that at around 7.30am on the 28th of November, he woke when heheard a loud scream. judgment. The following opinions cover similar topics: CourtListener is a project of Free 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. Prosecutors showed video surveillance from Home Depot a week before Ashlea Harris was murdered. She claimed she spent Thanksgiving cooking dinner for her and Mallory and they watched movies afterward. 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. However, they were never charged or arrested for allegedly committing the robbery. However, things went awry after she hired a teen employee named Clarence David Mallory Jr., then 19, and started dating him, as per local reports. They were there to get the keys, said Cedillo. The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. Communication between Mallory and Cervantez led police to a shallow hole in a town more than a hundred miles away. Dr Friesexplained that cricoid fractures are seen mostly in motor vehicle accidents or something involving a significant amount of force. Cervantez is being held in the Fort Worth Jail. For that reason, the fire seemed like an afterthought to me, Fort Worth Police Detective Ernie Pate told Snapped.. 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. The jury did not believe her. Cervantez received life in prison without the possibility of parole. Police arrested him as he could not produce his driver's license when asked. 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." 'They slash her throat and then, when she is finally dead, they set her place on fire. It was approximately 6 ft. long, 2 ft wide and 3 feet deep. The apartment was filled with smoke. 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. 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. Ashlea was the mom of the store. However, things went awry after she hired a teen employee named Clarence David Mallory Jr., then 19, and started dating him, as per local reports. 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. Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. Saturday Tarrant County Sheriffs arrested 25-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez. Jeff Kayser to testify. Police spoke to all of Ashlea'sneighbors. Harris autopsy pointed to a rage killing. There were extensive text messages between the two as they watched the store. Her truck was still in the apartment complexs parking lot. None known, Docket Number: She admitted to not locking the back door the night of the theft. And in Fort Worth, Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. Cervantes was later located at her apartment and agreed to meet with detectives. Detective Cedillo decided to stake out Cervantez and Mallorys apartment arriving around 3:45 am on Saturday, November 29, 2014. It was then he saw a body. Ashlea went through the surveillance footage and alleged Carter and David to be the burglars, as Carter was seen leaving the back door of the store unlocked when she took the garbage out the night before. 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 was arrested for not having his driver's license on him. 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. According to news reports, Carter was an assistant store manager at the time, along with 31-year-oldAshlea Ann Harris. Water was spraying from the overhead sprinkling system, but Ashlea did not answer when he called out to her. . January 25, 2022, "The effects of abuse are devastating and far reaching. She admitted that she tried to access the American Eagle store but claimed she only did so because Clarence threatened to kill her if she didn't . Assuming that there may be a fire in Ashleas apartment he dialed 911. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. He told the Court that he lived in an apartment justbelow Ashleas apartment. Cervantez was recently found guilty of her involvement and sentenced to life in prison without parole in May 2016, reported the Star-Telegram. He observed. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Law Project, a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. They were arrested and charged with capital murder, according to the Reuters news service. While they were let go initially, the investigators had search warrants for their apartment and car. 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. Police had to establish if they were involved in Ashlea's death what the motive was. Investigators determined the fire started in Harris bedroom and that rubbing alcohol had been used as an accelerant, despite its low flammability. BestsellerThe Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. 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. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County MedicalExaminers Officer, performed the Autopsy on Ashleas body. rely on donations for our financial security. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. After he missed three scheduled shifts after the burglary, he and her lover were terminated, and Carters managers keys were confiscated. The following correctional supervision record (the "Record") was collected from the official state department of corrections website (see below for source link). She was inside getting some paperwork she needed to complete. Jeff was a neighbor and friend of Ashlea's. Police spoke to him. They originally planned to bury Harris at a grave site detectives found north of Abilene, Texas. 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Carter Carol Cervantez, 26, and Clarence David Mallory, 19, are both being held on $600,000 bond. . 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. Read More: Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? (Fort Worth PD) Harris, who was a manager at the store, had. Mallory and his girlfriend Carter Carol Cervantez, 28, plotted to kill Harris Harris, 31, was the store manager of an American Eagle store in Fort Worth, TX Mallory and Cervantez bound Harris . So what was the motive for such a savage attack? The two. It was the 28th of November 2014. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. In addition, he did not call in to request off. He requested that they stop the black Infinity if they witnessed any type of traffic violation. Then they turned their sights on Harris, who held the store keys, for their plot to make off with tens of thousands of dollars. Cervantes was allowed to go home. He had looked at his alarm clock and saw the time was 7:30 am. s asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head and neck. He called 911 as he realized there must be a fire. Following Harris murder, the locks had been changed and the Black Friday proceeds were still inside. She then walks to American Eagle and goes out of view. On May 26, 2016, twenty-seven-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was found guilty of capital murder. Cedillo went to the American Eagle store where Harris' boss was waiting for the owners to open up. While the homicide took place nearly 6 hours. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Joyce Marshall jlmarshall@star-telegram.com FORT WORTH. Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, enters court Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with defense attorneys Steve Gordon, right, and Bill Ray, not pictured. The Court heard that police believed that over the course of a few weeks, Carter and Clarence planned to kidnap Ashlea and steal the keys. In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. When Ashlea arrived for work she discovered that a theft had occurred sometime overnight. He was also a former employee at the same American Eagle store where Ashlea worked and he was Carter's boyfriend. Wallace E. Hood Jr., an arson investigator, told the Court thathe locatedmultiple origins of the fire, including in the bed, on Ashleas body, and in the closet. He moved to Ft. Worth and reunited with Carter, who allegedly falsified his social security number to cheat the system and get him employment at the Ft. Worth store. The scream was followed by a loud thud and hecould hear labored breathing. Patrick Sweet lived in the apartmentbelow Ashlea's apartment and hetold police that he heard a thump, screaming and heavy breathing. He called 911 when his carbon monoxide detector wentoff and he realized there was a fire. Ashlea has suffered numerous injuries to her face and head indicating that there were multiple blows. Carter Carol Cervantes worked as a store manager of an American Eagle Outfitters outlet in Amarillo, 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. He testified that the presence of. She was tentatively identified by her tattoos. The only thing missing from Ashlea's apartment were her keys. By | Sign In, Verdict Corrections Ashlea immediately contacted loss prevention, Chris Cravey, and the district manager. These included the bed, the closet, and Ashleas body. He told the Court thathe sawa black Infiniti G35 with a faded Toll tag sticker on its roof parked outside. Jeans with FWPD Crime Scene Unit. Carter Carol Cervantez. There was no smoke in her lungs indicating she was not alive when the fire was set. Detective Cedillo radioed dispatch and asked them to send a marked patrol call to the mall. Wallace also determined that the ignition source was an open flame. 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 opened a window in the bedroom to air it out. It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. Harris and other workers helped identify them as suspects, KHOU reports. 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. our Backup, Combined Opinion from Then he heard a loud thump right above him as Ashleas bedroom was directly above his. Harris friends told investigators that she had been working around the clock in anticipation of the Black Friday sales event which started that morning. For more on this case and others like it, watch "Snapped," airing Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen, or stream episodes here. Cervantez also testified that Mallory raped her when she didn't do what he wanted. Since this was a violation they took him into custody. Harris was an assistant manager at the store. 2018) Court of Appeals of Texas Add Note Filed: November 8th, 2018 Precedential Status: Precedential Citations: None known Docket Number: 02-16-00224-CR Cervantez claims that Mallory dug the grave for her. Ashlea Ann Harris loved working in retail where she could meet new people every day. When he looked out the window he witnessed a dark-colored vehicle driving away. He told police he was smoking a cigarette at 6:30 am when he noticed a car in the parking lot he had never seen before. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. But on the morning of November 28, 2014, a call came into the Fort Worth Fire Department from the River Ranch Apartments, where Harris lived. It was a latenight due to Black Friday sales and Alexis looked after Ashlea's dog Nala while Ashlea was working. February 04, 2022, "The criminal justice system will take a hard look at what happened to Matthew Eappen. 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. Investigators believed Cervantes and Mallory were planning to rob the American Eagle store. Today, Ft. Worth is a thriving city of approximately 800,000 residents. A 911 call was made by a resident at an apartment complex in Fort Worth, Texas, United States to ask for help. She was later found in her apartment complex. I became interested in this case after listening to Dateline Podcast from November 29, 2019 episode entitled Black Friday. I had some questions that werent answered on the show and thought Id see what I could find. It looked new as there was notany noticeable wear and the plastic price tag fastener was still attached. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. I need to take care ofthat. Cedillo went to the American Eagle store where Harris' boss was waiting for the owners to open up. The Black Infiniti G35 was searched by Officer J.J. But Carter never forgave Ashlea, with Leticia saying, 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. Jason Kidd hopes Mavs star stays patient in preseason play, Spring training cuts are incoming, but these Rangers prospects have impressed in camp. But surveillance video confirmed she was not being truthful and it showed her leaving the mall and walking towards her home. So why did they kill Ashlea? After more evidence is gathered they are arrested on December 4, 2014. A. loaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. Carter's testimony also included an account of a time that she claimed she was raped by two men. 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. Cervantez said Mallory put the gun in her face and tried to make her steal money from the store. A few minutes later, Patrick'scarbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. Her name was Carter Carol Cervantez. He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. She stole Ashleas keys to commit another theft with an even bigger payoff. The Court heard about Ashlea's injuries. It included her mother, Monica Cassity, stepfather Daddy Chuck, her father Tommy Harris Sr. and her stepmom Mary Reddy. She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you, former co-worker Leticia Groen told Snapped.. He heard a scream at around 7.30am. Patrick was thinking about trying to find out what was going on when he heard Ashleas front door open and then close. 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. Chris Cravey had gotten all the locks changed upon hearing about Ashleas murder. Carter Carol Cervantez faces capital murder charges in connection with the death of Ashlea Harris. He determined that Ashlea'scause of death was asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head and neck. Clarence and Carter wereboth charged with capital murder. 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. A downstairs neighbor, Patrick Sweet, was lying in bed when he heard a loud scream. 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. It didn't last long. They found a lock in a kitchen drawer and a TASER box and some strands of duct tape in the trash. The video showed what looked to be a male wearing a hoodie entering the back door. 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. This was somebody who killed her out of anger. The Court also heardpolicefoundlatitude and longitude coordinates on the cell phones. Police "developed probable cause" to make the arrests, according to a release. Mallory claimed that he was waiting for his girlfriend, who worked at Aeropostale. arrived on the scene. The investigators hypothesized setting the residence on fire had been an abrupt change of plans. Lets find out. The police also analyzed their mobile phones to find they had exchanged texts planning the murder and methods of disposing of the corpse. Take out all the trash andleave that. Ashlea Harris was outgoing and personable while the other assistant store manager, Carter was more straight-laced and reserved.