Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Detective Cedillo spoke to Chris Cravey, who was Ashleas boss at American Eagle, and asked if he knew anyone who drove a black Infinity. He asked if she would be willing to go downtown to be interviewed and she agreed. 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. 23:46 GMT 24 Aug 2017 All were missing. A neighbor told police that he had heard a thump and screaming from the apartment, the police affidavit said. One week later Cravey called Cervantez. One neighbor, Steven Lee, told police that he had a cigarette on his balcony at around 6.30am that morning and saw a car parked outside. Another neighbor, Patrick Sweet, also testified. Video surveillance of the mall showed that at 2 am on Saturday morning someone tried to open the security gate at American Eagle. She was tentatively identified by her tattoos. They stalked Ashlea Harris like people stalk a deer.'. Patrick testified that he thought about what he should do. In the meantime, Detective Pate, Cedillos partner, made contact with Mallory. Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com It took them just two hours to find her guilty and she was sentenced tolife in prison without parole. Cervantez also testified that Mallory raped her when she didn't do what he wanted. He followed them as Mallory drove to the Hulen Mall. They also found another lock labeled lock picking practice lock. Carter would always joke, If I were ever going to steal a deposit it would be after Black Friday or Tax Free Weekend.'. Video from American Eagle picks her up approaching the gate. previously worked at an American Eagle store in Amarillo and was listed in the American Eagle system as, Ashlea suspended Carter and one week later, Chris called Carter and told her. Around 8 am Ft. Worth Fire Department Lt. Jarrod Pavlechko arrived on the scene. Detective Cedillo entered the mall looking for Cervantez but was unable to find her. So he laid back down to try to fall back asleep, but thats when the carbon monoxide detector went off. For My Man - TV One Her truck was still in the apartment complexs parking lot. She was strangled, her throat cut, and ultimately asphyxiated. She said that she did not. The man drove to Hulen Mall and when they got there, he dropped off Carter at the door and parked. Filed: The Autopsy revealed that Ashleahad numerous injuries on her body including but not limited to, Dr Fries testified that the injuries on Ashlea's face were caused by multiple blows. The video showed what looked to be a male wearing a hoodie entering the back door. She claims that Mallory drove her to the Hulen Mall not once, but twice. I didnt touch it. She transferred to the Hulen Mall location and held an assistant store manager position. | Privacy Statement. According to local news reports,the opening manager discovered $17,850.32 had been stolen from the safe. Ashlea immediately contacted loss prevention, Chris Cravey, and the district manager. One of the investigators alleged, It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. This case has not yet been cited in our system. The prosecution alleged Carter to be the mastermind behind the homicide. 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. 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. After he missed three scheduled shifts after the burglary, he and her lover were terminated, and Carters managers keys were confiscated. 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. Carter Carol Cervantez faces capital murder charges in connection with the death of Ashlea Harris. ", by Chilling Crimes After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. The Ashlea Harris murder. Police found burn marks on her body and she had been strangled and her throat wasslit. Defendant in American Eagle Murder Says She Was Coerced By - Jezebel Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape, reports CBS affiliate KHOU, which cites court documents filed by Fort Worth police. The Court also heardpolicefoundlatitude and longitude coordinates on the cell phones. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. Jeff Kayser to testify. App. Firefighters found her strangled and burned body early in the morning on Nov. 28. The Court heard about Ashlea's injuries. They founda plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. Police searched their apartment. In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. Police began talking to neighbors including Patrick Sweet, who told them about the unusual sounds he heard coming from Ashleas apartment that morning. Does Alan Cumming Really Live in a Scottish Castle? Ashlea Harris killer Clarence Mallory gets life in prison Before fire and rescue workers arrived a neighbor, Jeff Kayser, kicked in her door calling out for her and Nala. He was also fired per store policy. At that point, no one other than law enforcement knew that there was any keys missing. Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth, Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray The keyring also had the front gate key and store key on them. August 20, 2021, "Evil people always support each other; that is their chief strength.". Each is charged with one count of capital murder. Police were contacted when the theft was discovered, but I dont know if they questioned Mallory or Cervantez. Messages indicate they planned on burying the corpse in an unmarked grace north of Abilene, Texas. Woman Convicted in Death of Former Co-Worker in Fort Worth What did they all have in common on Black Friday 2014? Another video from Texas Appliances on the north side of the mall captures Cervantez walking away from the mall towards her apartment. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Benbrook man gets life for killing Hulen Mall manager | Fort Worth Star Communication between Mallory and Cervantez led police to a shallow hole in a town more than a hundred miles away. He was eventually labeled as non-rehirable in the American Eagle system. 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. A friend of hers, Alexis Torres came over. 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. Unsure of her career path, Harris began working in retail in her early 20s. / CBS News/AP. Ashlea Harris - Chilling Crimes On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. This was most likely a lighter and the accelerant was rubbing alcohol. Mallory claimed that he was waiting for his girlfriend, who worked at Aeropostale. There was a scrape and lacerations of her lip, a scrape on her chin and a star-shaped laceration with a surrounding bruise behind her left earwhich the medical examiner was caused by being struck by the pistol. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County Medical. They discovered that on Thanksgiving Day, she went to dinner withher friendAlexis Torres and other friends at an apartment inside her complex. When he went to touch her, he saw that her wrists and ankles were duct-taped. The Prosecution called Jeff Kayser to testify. Police: Suspects arrested in Fort Worth fire, murder 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. She is described by the store manager, Chris Cravey, as being a phenomenal employee who was loved by everyone.. Dr Friesexplained that cricoid fractures are seen mostly in motor vehicle accidents or something involving a significant amount of force. 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 Snapped," airing Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen. She was wearing a grey sweatshirt and a black hat. By Jeffcrawled midway to the kitchen before he was forced to get out for some air. Update: A correction was. 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. Ashlea was appointed to run the store while Cravey was out on medical leave. 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. Assuming that there may be a fire in Ashleas apartment he dialed 911. After more evidence is gathered they are arrested on December 4, 2014. So what was the motive for such a savage attack? carbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. 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 . Cervantez claims that Mallory dug the grave for her. "For My Man" Chicwanda Forbes; Carter Cervantez (TV Episode 2018 - IMDb This was somebody who killed her out of anger. He went searching for the reason it was going off and then noticed water dripping from the bathroom ceiling. Domestic violence speaks many languages, has many colors and lives in many different communities. 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 arrested and charged with capital murder, according to the Reuters news service. Clarence Mallory Jr. and Carter Cervantez are accused of murdering Ashlea Harris after she left her job late at night at a mall in Fort Worth. She workedas an assistant managerin an American Eagle store in the Hulen Mall. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. 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. In her testimony, Cervantez describes abusive behavior from Mallory, who she says threatened to kill her family if she didnt comply with his orders. However, they were never charged or arrested for allegedly committing the robbery. Who Killed Her? Murder trial begins in slaying of Hulen Mall store employee However, the police arrested David in the mall parking area after finding he carried no license, and officers went to their apartment and brought Carter in for questioning. 27-year-old old Carter Carol Cervantez is on trial for capital murder in the killing of Ashlea Ann Harris, whose body was found on November 28, 2014. Woman Convicted in Death of Former Co-Worker in Fort Worth Another neighbor also told police something disturbing. Prosecutors say Cervantez and her. These included a receipt for a cutaway practice lock that had been mailed to Cervantez & Mallorys apartment and a lock picking instruction manual. 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. Documents: Hulen Mall employee strangled by former co-workers 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 next day, Mallory drove her back to try again. When Ashlea arrived for work she discovered that a theft had occurred sometime overnight. He told the Court thathe sawa black Infiniti G35 with a faded Toll tag sticker on its roof parked outside. At that location, Detective Cedillo found what he describes as a human grave. She was blamed as the mastermind behind the murder plot by prosecutors. Blood was found on the floor mats of Cervantes car. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Fire investigator, Wallace Hood, with the Ft. Worth Fire Department arrived on the scene around 8:45 am. Prosecutors charged Cervantez with murder one and did not seek the death penalty. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 27-year-old old Carter Carol Cervantez is on trial for capital murder in the. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. The following opinions cover similar topics: CourtListener is a project of Free According to news reports, Carter was an assistant store manager at the time, along with 31-year-oldAshlea Ann Harris. . | Store 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. 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. Alexis Torres Bunch. Ashleas friend Alexis, who was the last to see her at close to 5 am, told police that Ashlea usually left her keys and wallet on her kitchen counter. Water was spraying from the overhead sprinkling system, but Ashlea did not answer when he called out to her. Details emerge in killing of Hulen Mall store employee - Dallas News They believed that Carter and Clarencekilled Ashlea as they knew she had the keys for the safe and the plan was to take the keysand go to the American Eagle store to steal the tens of thousands of dollars they knew would be in the safe after Black Friday. BestsellerThe Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. Dateline: Ashlea Harris' Parents Wanted Mallory, Cervantez Executed Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Cervantes had worked at American Eagle Outfitters for several years and managed a store in Amarillo, Texas. This was different. She was raised in a large and loving family and made friends wherever she went. As word of the fire spread throughout the community, Harris friends rushed to the scene, desperate for information. 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. They stalked Ashlea Harris like people stalk a deer.". Chris Cravey had gotten all the locks changed upon hearing about Ashleas murder. Ashlea was found lying face down on the floor of her bedroom. 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. Officers found Mallory waiting in Cervantes car in the Hulen Mall parking lot and took him into custody. 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. 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. It was then he saw a body. While the homicide took place nearly 6 hours. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County MedicalExaminers Officer, performed the Autopsy on Ashleas body. One of Harris friends had stopped by after Ashlea got off work on Thanksgiving night and stayed until around 5 a.m. Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. The Court heard that the car was still there when Steven left for work after 7.30am. February 04, 2022, "The criminal justice system will take a hard look at what happened to Matthew Eappen. Fired One week later Cravey called Cervantez. 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. It looked new as there was notany noticeable wear and the plastic price tag fastener was still attached.