Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com, 'Multiple' US Army drill sergeants at Fort Benning suspended after sexual assault allegations surface, 'It's tough to watch him struggle': Hugh Hefner's son opens up about his dad's health struggles as reclusive Playboy founder hasn't been seen in public in over a year, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, TN residents say Jack Daniel's distillery spews black mold, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' She was sentenced / adjudicated in Runnels County, Winters. 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. She bends down to unlock it but is unable to. Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth, Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray After he missed three scheduled shifts after the burglary, he and her lover were terminated, and Carters managers keys were confiscated. The investigators hypothesized setting the residence on fire had been an abrupt change of plans. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. Clarence and Carter wereboth charged with capital murder. Detective Cedillo wanted to search Ashleas pick-up truck. They were scheduled to make a deposit that morning of the proceeds from the Black Friday sales. She quickly walks away. 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. At a minimum, this took at least a month of planning. Cervantez pleads not guilty. It included her mother, Monica Cassity, stepfather Daddy Chuck, her father Tommy Harris Sr. and her stepmom Mary Reddy. Ashlea Harris looked to have severe head trauma. Police asked Mallory to see his drivers license which he told them he did not have on him. He heard a scream at around 7.30am. Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, enters court Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with defense attorneys Steve Gordon, right, and Bill Ray, not pictured. Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape, reports CBS affiliate KHOU, which cites court documents filed by Fort Worth police. He called 911 when his carbon monoxide detector wentoff and he realized there was a fire. The day after Harris' murder, Cervantez was caught by surveillance cameras trying to open the doors to the store, but they had already changed the locks. Cervantez is being held in the Fort Worth Jail. ", by Chilling Crimes Jeffcrawled midway to the kitchen before he was forced to get out for some air. He determined the source of all the smoke was coming from the bedroom and specifically the bed. He asked if she would be willing to go downtown to be interviewed and she agreed. 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. 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. It was a black Infiniti G35 with a faded toll sticker on its roof. On their cell phones, they had images of Ashlea's apartment, her apartment door and her vehicle. The manner of Ashlea's death was ruled as a homicide. By 2011, she was an assistant manager at an American Eagle Outfitters store at Fort Worths Hulen Mall. She stole Ashleas keys to commit another theft with an even bigger payoff. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. If you believe this Record is in error (i.e. They were arrested and charged with capital murder, according to the Reuters news service. Blood was found on the floor mats of Cervantes car. The perpetrators had stolen Ashleas store keys and were allegedly planning to break into the store again and steal more money. Cervantes had worked at American Eagle Outfitters for several years and managed a store in Amarillo, Texas. Clarence David Mallory, 22, was sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars in the death of Ashlea Ann Harris, 31, in a Fort Worth, Texas, courtroom on Thursday. Carter and David were convicted of beating, strangling, and bounding Ashlea and setting fire to her4701 King Ranch Road apartment onNovember 28, 2014, morning. Does Alan Cumming Really Live in a Scottish Castle? Dr Friesexplained that cricoid fractures are seen mostly in motor vehicle accidents or something involving a significant amount of force. The two men, who were strangers to her, were invited into the apartment by Clarence and she was raped by both of them. In the meantime, Detective Pate, Cedillos partner, made contact with Mallory. Her bond was set at $500,000. / CBS News/AP. 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. Clarence's phone-We left it. The Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. | Articles When Ashlea arrived for work she discovered that a theft had occurred sometime overnight. The Court also heardpolicefoundlatitude and longitude coordinates on the cell phones. Text messages obtained from Cervantes and Mallorys phones showed them plotting Harris murder as part of a planned Black Friday heist. | Store The term Black Friday originated in Philadelphia to describe heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic on the day after Thanksgiving. She was inside getting some paperwork she needed to complete. 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. Fort Worth Police arrested two suspects in the November 28 murder of Ashlea Harris. When he went to get her keys he was unable to locate them. He was also a former employee at the same American Eagle store where Ashlea worked and he was Carter's boyfriend. 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. It had its lights off as it left the parking space in front of Ashleas apartment. So what was the motive for such a savage attack? Cervantez was the assistant store manager who was to lock up the night of the theft. Carter Carol Cervantez, 25, was taken into custody by Tarrant County Sheriffs on Saturday. They later found her at her apartment complex doing laundry. Harris was found dead in her apartment several hours later when firefighters responded to a fire alarm. He testified that the presence of. 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. Harris friends told investigators that she had been working around the clock in anticipation of the Black Friday sales event which started that morning. Chris was in the parking lot and had been talking to Alexis Torres, who was the last person to talk to Ashlea Harris. He saw Cervantez exit the vehicle wearing and enter the mall. Prosecutors charged Cervantez with murder one and did not seek the death penalty. A medical examiner found blunt force trauma to her face and head and trauma related to strangulation on her neck and throat, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. 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. From Free Law Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. He testified that at around 7.30am on the 28th of November, he woke when heheard a loud scream. Upon searching Mallorys cell phone there were text messages that contained latitude and longitude coordinates. They went to the store as planned on the Saturday morning with the keys but the lockshad already been changed. . The detectives talked to two American Eagle employees who had been locked out due to the locks being changed. Ashlea was appointed to run the store while Cravey was out on medical leave. Take out all the trash andleave that. The Ashlea Harris murder. The apartment was filled with smoke. And in Fort Worth, Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. Police observed that she hadsuperficial scratches on her arms. The two reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. Harris hands and feet were bound with duct tape, police said. Hetestified that it looked like a human grave. Carter was arrested the following day by Tarrant County deputies. The Court heard testimony fromAlexis Torres Bunch. He observedthat the smoke detector had been removed and was underneath the mattress. The Jury heard that at 6.56am,Alexishad a missed call from Ashlea and when she noticed it, just a few minutes later, she called her back but there was no answer. 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. Jeff was a neighbor and friend of Ashlea's. reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. the Court. The two disappeared after the theft and were not arrested until police tracked them down on Dec. 6. 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. They went directly to the safe where the night deposits were kept, unlocked it, and took the cash inside. It didn't last long. Im so sorry I forgot. Detective Cedillo went back to Cervantez apartment and found her in the laundry room this time wearing pink scrubs. The manner of Ashlea's death was ruled as a homicide. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 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 then radioed for police and a crime scene unit to come to the scene. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. None known, Docket Number: And when she did not do what she was told, they returned to their apartment, where Mallorys friends raped her repeatedly, Cervantez testified. 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 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. 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. A 911 call was made by a resident at an apartment complex in Fort Worth, Texas, United States to ask for help. She and her. Today it marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. One week later Cravey called Cervantez. Ashlea identified Clarence as the person who took the money from the safe from the surveillance footage. Police could not find Cervantez inside the mall but found her later in the laundry room at her apartment; surveillance video confirmed she had walked the two miles home. Ashlea suspended Carter and one week later, Chris called Carter and told herthat she had beenterminated for leaving the store unsecured. A mysterious fire, missing keys, and a black sports car. 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. Read More: Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? 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. Investigators determined the fire started in Harris bedroom and that rubbing alcohol had been used as an accelerant, despite its low flammability. David received the same sentence on August 24, 2017. 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. The jury did not believe her. Alexis Torres Bunch. 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. He called 911 as he realized there must be a fire. At the apartment, detectives found a box containing a taser in the trash, strands of duct tape, and a damaged deadbolt lock. He heard the door of Ashlea's apartment close and when he looked out his window, he saw a, black Infiniti G35 driving away. 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. From what he could make out it was a female lying face down on the floor in front of the bed. Both denied knowing anything about the homicide and claimed to be together on Thanksgiving, having dinner and watching movies. There was no smoke in her lungs indicating she was not alive when the fire was set. At Carter's Trial, her Defense was that she was not involved in Ashlea's death. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. He determined that Ashlea'scause of death was asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head and neck. Rousseau added: 'Imagine the horror, someone is probably sitting on you while someone else is taping up your hands and then your ankles. They stalked Ashlea Harris like people stalk a deer.'. She told police that she didnot leave the apartment complex at all that day. 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. Cervantes helped Mallory falsify documents so she could hire him at the Hulen Mall location where she worked with Harris. Both suspects were booked . She said that she did not. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. He asked him why he was in the parking lot so early in the morning. She recalls being raped multiple times by friends of Mallorys and being coerced into the robbery. Police have charged Carter Cervantez, 25, and her boyfriend Clarence "David" Mallory, 19, with capital murder in the death of Ashlea Harris, 31. Police were contacted when the theft was discovered, but I dont know if they questioned Mallory or Cervantez. NBCs Black Friday chronicles how Ashlea Harris was murdered by two spiteful former co-workers, Carter Cervantez and David Mallory, in Fort Worth, Texas, in November 2014. Alexis usually watched Ashleas dog Nala when she worked. (Fort Worth PD) Harris, who was a manager at the store, had. Before fire and rescue workers arrived a neighbor, Jeff Kayser, kicked in her door calling out for her and Nala. So why did they kill Ashlea? The man drove to Hulen Mall and when they got there, he dropped off Carter at the door and parked. When she tried to call her back Ashlea didnt pick up. She also accused the black-hooded male, caught on camera breaking into the store safe and stealing the money, as David. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. 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. 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.. Somehow they avoided looking up at the camera. 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. . 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. A key belonging to another assistant store manager was left in the night deposit box. On May 26, 2016, twenty-seven-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was found guilty of capital murder. The keyring also had the front gate key and store key on them. The police also analyzed their mobile phones to find they had exchanged texts planning the murder and methods of disposing of the corpse. January 17, 2022 One of Harris friends had stopped by after Ashlea got off work on Thanksgiving night and stayed until around 5 a.m. A Friday. 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. Police have said they believe that Cervantez, 27, and Clarence David Mallory, 21, beat and bound Harris and then set her body on fire to steal her keys . Home Video surveillance of the mall showed that at 2 am on Saturday morning someone tried to open the security gate at American Eagle. Then he heard a loud thump right above him as Ashleas bedroom was directly above his. Mallory threatened to hurt her parents and relatives if she did not do what she was told, Cervantez said. On Tax Free Weekend and Black Friday, those were our highest deposit days, said Groen. ", 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 . He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. After work, Ashlea returned to herapartment around 3.15am and Alexis called over for a few minutes. FORT WORTH, Texas -- A woman whose burned body was found in her Fort Worth apartment Thanksgiving weekend had been strangled and beaten, allegedly by former co-workers, according to court documents. By He told police that Carter had gone into the mall to collect some papers but when police searched the mall, she wasn't there. Police arrested him as he could not produce his driver's license when asked. A woman was found guilty of capital murder Thursday for helping to beat, bind and set fire to another woman as part of a Black Friday robbery scheme in 2014. Police "developed probable cause" to make the arrests, according to a release. arrived on the scene. On the 24th of August 2014, at 1.14am, $18000 was stolen from the safe in the American Eagle store. 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. He forced her to enter and rob American Eagle at gunpoint and threatened to kill her family if she didnt do what he asked. There were also no signs that a taser had been used on her. August 20, 2021, "Evil people always support each other; that is their chief strength.". The two. Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. Surveillance cameras caught her wiping down the bottle after drinking from it in order to remove any traces of DNA. 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. Cervantez was the assistant store manager who was to lock up the night of the theft. But Tarrant County prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told the jury that Cervantez was the one who tried to control Mallory, whose trial is pending. The day after Thanksgiving Day. He noticed it because he never saw it parked there before. This was somebody who killed her out of anger. 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. Unsure of her career path, Harris began working in retail in her early 20s. BestsellerThe Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. | Link Errors 04:27 GMT 25 Aug 2017. He called 911 as he realized there must be a fire. Nobody knew for certain whether Ashlea was inside or not. He was able to unlock the trunk of Mallorys Cadillac using keys found in the black Infiniti. Then he gathered up some belongings, moved his car away from the building, and waited for the fire department to arrive.