The manner of Ashlea's death was ruled as a homicide. On December 4, arrest warrants were executed, and David was arrested at a private residence in Amarillo on December 5. Cervantez claimed that the grave was not for Ashlea Harris, but for her. 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. Her feet and hands were bound with duct tape and she was covered in blood, according to Texas Amarillo Globe-News newspaper. Their cases were heard separately but the Prosecution case was almost the same for both with the exception that they believed Carter was the mastermind behind the crime. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. Next, he heard what sounded like heavy labored breathing. Aloaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. A few minutes later, Patrick'scarbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. a plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. Prosecutors showed video surveillance from Home Depot a week before Ashlea Harris was murdered. Another apartment in the complex was on fire. Patrick Sweet lived in the apartmentbelow Ashlea's apartment and hetold police that he heard a thump, screaming and heavy breathing. So he laid back down to try to fall back asleep, but thats when the carbon monoxide detector went off. 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 . Carter did hold this against Ashlea, because Ashlea was the one that turned them in, said Groen. None known, Docket Number: Once there, she re-hired Mallory. Home The police also analyzed their mobile phones to find they had exchanged texts planning the murder and methods of disposing of the corpse. Prosecutors say Cervantez and her. In her testimony, Cervantez describes abusive behavior from Mallory, who she says threatened to kill her family if she didnt comply with his orders. Upon searching Mallorys cell phone there were text messages that contained latitude and longitude coordinates. Steven Lee was an ex-cop who lived downstairs and diagonally across from Ashlea Harris. After more evidence is gathered they are arrested on December 4, 2014. The jury did not believe her. She denied being at the Hulen Mall that morning. He told the Court that he lived in an apartment justbelow Ashleas apartment. 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. 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. For that reason, the fire seemed like an afterthought to me, Fort Worth Police Detective Ernie Pate told Snapped.. Ashlea worked on November 27th from 5:30 pm until 3:12 am to prep the store for Black Friday. They had been dating which was a violation of store policy. Police have charged Carter Cervantez, 25, and her boyfriend Clarence "David" Mallory, 19, with capital murder in the death of Ashlea Harris, 31. At that point, no one other than law enforcement knew that there was any keys missing. According to local news reports,the opening manager discovered $17,850.32 had been stolen from the safe. This manager did not close the store that night and did not appear to have the same build as the person in the video. Police spoke to him. He called 911 when his carbon monoxide detector wentoff and he realized there was a fire. I said, Thats Ashleas tattoo,' said Naylor. Clarence David Mallory took the 5th when he was brought in to testify. Cedillo went to the American Eagle store where Harris' boss was waiting for the owners to open up. Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com. Cervantez was the assistant store manager who was to lock up the night of the theft. He testified that at around 7.30am on the 28th of November, he woke when heheard a loud scream. Harris hands and feet were bound with duct tape, police said. At 7:45 am he witnessed Cervantez and Mallory exit their apartment and get into the black Infinity. Police believed they were used for practice as theywerelabeled lock picking practice lock.. (Fort Worth PD) Harris, who was a manager at the store, had. 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. Alexis left after4am. He testified that the presence of. He is 22 years old. It matched Ashlea Harris' DNA. The Court heard testimony from Steven Lee. On November 29th search warrants were obtained for Cervantez and Mallorys apartment, the black Infinity, and Mallorys Cadillac. 2023 Chilling Crimes. 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. 23:46 GMT 24 Aug 2017 His name was Clarence David Mallory. Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. 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. Authorities discovered Harris' body face down on her scorched bed with her ankles and wrists bound on Nov. 28, 2014, the. 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. David received the same sentence on August 24, 2017. The fire had been extinguished by then. Read More: Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you.. Mallory and Cervantez reportedly also stole $18,000 from the same store in August of 2014. When he left for work around 7:30 am the car was still there. Her lover, David, continued working at the Amarillo store but began to miss shifts regularly. Carter Carol Cervantes worked as a store manager of an American Eagle Outfitters outlet in Amarillo, Texas. The apartment belonged to 31-year-old Ashlea Harris who resided there with her dog, Nala. | Recent Lawyer Listings 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. Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape, reports CBS affiliate KHOU, which cites court documents filed by Fort Worth police. The two. It took them just two hours to find her guilty and she was sentenced tolife in prison without parole. Sign up to receive the Free Law Project newsletter with tips and announcements. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. Messages indicate they planned on burying the corpse in an unmarked grace north of Abilene, Texas. 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. It was the Prosecution's case that Carter and Clarencehad a couple of different reasons to want to harm Ashlea. He was also found found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to the, For more on this case and others like it, watch. Carter Carol Cervantez faces capital murder charges in connection with the death of Ashlea Harris. And in Fort Worth, career-driven Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. David, 27, is incarcerated at the Jim Ferguson Unit in Midway, Texas. A 911 call was made by a resident at an apartment complex in Fort Worth, Texas, United States to ask for help. He observedthat the smoke detector had been removed and was underneath the mattress. When she tried to call her back Ashlea didnt pick up. Mallory threatened to hurt her parents and relatives if she did not do what she was told, Cervantez said. When Ashlea arrived for work she discovered that a theft had occurred sometime overnight. Ashlea Harris was outgoing and personable while the other assistant store manager, Carter was more straight-laced and reserved. The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. Detective Cedillo spoke to Chris Cravey, who was Ashleas boss at American Eagle, and asked if he knew anyone who drove a black Infinity. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. He followed them as Mallory drove to the Hulen Mall. No charges were filed against the two. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. She told the Court she did not kill Ashlea and played no part in her death.
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. 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. 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. ", by Chilling Crimes 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 went directly to the safe where the night deposits were kept, unlocked it, and took the cash inside. Ashlea identified Clarence as the person who took the money from the safe from the surveillance footage. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. Dr Friesexplained that cricoid fractures are seen mostly in motor vehicle accidents or something involving a significant amount of force. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. Detective Cedillo wanted to search Ashleas pick-up truck. 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. Police found burn marks on her body and she had been strangled and her throat wasslit. The two men, who were strangers to her, were invited into the apartment by Clarence and she was raped by both of them. He observed. 27-year-old old Carter Carol Cervantez is on trial for capital murder in the. Ashlea was found lying face down on the floor of her bedroom. At that location, Detective Cedillo found what he describes as a human grave. One of Harris friends had stopped by after Ashlea got off work on Thanksgiving night and stayed until around 5 a.m. Under the drivers seat was a 9mm Glock with a round still in the chamber. 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. Thats not good. She was inside getting some paperwork she needed to complete. But at least there are some you can understand. The Prosecution claimed that person was Carter. 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 unable to find a pulse. Then he gathered up some belongings, moved his car away from the building, and waited for the fire department to arrive. Did we leave it behind? 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> Mallory drove her back to their apartment and friends of Mallory were waiting inside. He also described seeing the dark-colored vehicle driving away shortly after hearing Ashleas front door close.
Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. There were extensive text messages between the two as they watched the store. The inside of the apartment and Ashlea's body led police to believe that the fire was not an accidental fire. Nobody knew for certain whether Ashlea was inside or not. I didnt touch it. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Cravey indicated that he did. What did they all have in common on Black Friday 2014? Carter worked thereas an assistant manager and she hired her boyfriend Clarence to work at the same store. She told Chris police were asking about an Infiniti G35. The detectives talked to two American Eagle employees who had been locked out due to the locks being changed. 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. On the 24th of August 2014, at 1.14am, $18000 was stolen from the safe in the American Eagle store. Read the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about. with the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office testified to Ashlea Harriss cause of death. Police asked Mallory to see his drivers license which he told them he did not have on him. He testified that at around 7.30am on the 28th of November, he woke when heheard a loud scream. 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. Chris was in the parking lot and had been talking to Alexis Torres, who was the last person to talk to Ashlea Harris. At that point, the firefighters had arrived. On the day after Thanksgiving known in the retail world as Black Friday Harris's. Police believed she saw them talking with Clarence in the car park and walked the two miles home. She also accused the black-hooded male, caught on camera breaking into the store safe and stealing the money, as David. The scream was followed by a loud thud and he, could hear labored breathing. He heard a scream at around 7.30am. Chris went over to Detective Cedillo to tell him what he knew. Detective Cedillo entered the mall looking for Cervantez but was unable to find her. (Joyce Marshall)</p> Author: WFAA Staff Published:. 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. Steven W. Conder. Somehow they avoided looking up at the camera. When he went to see why the smoke detector had not gone off he noticed it had been removed and placed under the mattress. 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. We Cervantezs 21 year-old boyfriend Clarence David Mallory has also been charged. Police spoke to all of Ashlea'sneighbors. Her truck was still in the apartment complexs parking lot. Cervantez pleads not guilty. Carter Carol Cervantez v. State - CourtListener.com Carter Carol Cervantez v. State, 02-16-00224-CR (Tex. Carter Carol Cervantez, 26, and Clarence David Mallory, 19, are both being held on $600,000 bond. Ashlea has suffered numerous injuries to her face and head indicating that there were multiple blows. He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. He called 911 when his carbon monoxide detector wentoff and he realized there was a fire. Cerevantez and Mallory had previously worked with Harris at the American Eagle store, but this summer were suspected of stealing $18,000 dollars from it. December 10, 2014 / 11:07 AM 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. It turns out that Clarence was also a former employee of American Eagle. In the meantime, Detective Pate, Cedillos partner, made contact with Mallory. After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. And when she did not do what she was told, they returned to their apartment, where Mallorys friends raped her repeatedly, Cervantez testified. Her feet and hands were bound with duct tape and she was covered in blood, according to Texas. He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. 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. That was a term the brand used toindicate that the person should not be hired at any location. Carter Carol Cervantes worked as a store manager of an American Eagle Outfitters outlet in Amarillo, Texas.