Her bond was set at $500,000. It had its lights off as it left the parking space in front of Ashleas apartment. 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. She also accused the black-hooded male, caught on camera breaking into the store safe and stealing the money, as David. 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. 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. The detectives talked to two American Eagle employees who had been locked out due to the locks being changed. 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. Cervantez alleges that she did not commit the murder and was asleep in her apartment when Harris was robbed and killed. The key opened the dressing room and storage closet at Hulen Mall American Eagle. Ashlea identified Clarence as the person who took the money from the safe from the surveillance footage. 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. A mysterious fire, missing keys, and a black sports car. Keith Morrison. It looked new as there was notany noticeable wear and the plastic price tag fastener was still attached. A neighbor told police that he had heard a thump and screaming from the apartment, the police affidavit said. 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. a plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. by Chilling Crimes She claimed she spent Thanksgiving cooking dinner for her and Mallory and they watched movies afterward. Various documents were found. The apartment was filled with smoke. Carter's phone:Well, damn. 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. | Sign In, Verdict Corrections 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. After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. The Court heard the two of them returned to the mall at 8am and at that point, were being followed by the police, unbeknownst to them. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. Mallory threatened to hurt her parents and relatives if she did not do what she was told, Cervantez said. (Fort Worth PD) Harris, who was a manager at the store, had. For My Man - TV One He told the Court that he lived in an apartment justbelow Ashleas apartment. Helived downstairs and diagonally across from Ashlea. He testified that at around 7.30am on the 28th of November, he woke when heheard a loud scream. The apartment belonged to 31-year-old Ashlea Harris who resided there with her dog, Nala. She transferred to the Hulen Mall location and held an assistant store manager position. They stalked Ashlea Harris like people stalk a deer.'. The two reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. She is described by the store manager, Chris Cravey, as being a phenomenal employee who was loved by everyone.. Police believed that Ashlea was killed between 4.15am and 7.30am. Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com Im so sorry I forgot. He then radioed for police and a crime scene unit to come to the scene. Ashlea Harris worked as an assistant store manager for American Eagle Outfitters located in the Hulen Mall. rely on donations for our financial security. Ashlea Ann Harris loved working in retail where she could meet new people every day. One suspect in 2014 Black Friday slaying gets life in prison | Fort Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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 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. A bottle of it found near the body. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. They both pleaded not guilty. Carter Carol Cervantez v. State - CourtListener.com Carter Carol Cervantez v. State, 02-16-00224-CR (Tex. 02-16-00224-CR. When he looked out the window he witnessed a dark-colored vehicle driving away. Fort Worth Police arrested two suspects in the November 28 murder of Ashlea Harris. Cervantez received life in prison without the possibility of parole. Text messages obtained from Cervantes and Mallorys phones showed them plotting Harris murder as part of a planned Black Friday heist. She raises three points on appeal: (1) the trial court erred by denying her counsel's motion to withdraw based on the State's failure to comply with the Michael Morton Act; (2) the trial court erred by admitting recorded statements of her . He ruled out accidental causes for the reason for the fire and concluded that the fire was set on purpose. 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. Officers found Mallory waiting in Cervantes car in the Hulen Mall parking lot and took him into custody. 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. Carter Carol Cervantez, 26, and Clarence David Mallory, 19, are both being held on $600,000 bond. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Before fire and rescue workers arrived a neighbor, Jeff Kayser, kicked in her door calling out for her and Nala. On Tax Free Weekend and Black Friday, those were our highest deposit days, said Groen. 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. Carter worked thereas an assistant manager and she hired her boyfriend Clarence to work at the same store. Police spoke to all of Ashlea'sneighbors. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. Somehow they avoided looking up at the camera. Woman gets life for beating, binding, burning co-worker at Fort Worth They discovered that on Thanksgiving Day, she went to dinner withher friendAlexis Torres and other friends at an apartment inside her complex. 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. 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. Carter Carol Cervantez | Christina Melton Crain Unit Prison | Texas She was savagely beaten. Outcome: Having overruled all three of Cervantezs points, we affirm the trial courts 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. Law Project, a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit. We Benbrook man gets life for killing Hulen Mall manager | Miami Herald 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. It included her mother, Monica Cassity, stepfather Daddy Chuck, her father Tommy Harris Sr. and her stepmom Mary Reddy. 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. The man drove to Hulen Mall and when they got there, he dropped off Carter at the door and parked. | Privacy Statement. Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, enters court Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with defense attorneys Steve Gordon, right, and Bill Ray, not pictured. I mean, my knees gave out. CourtListener is sponsored by the non-profit Free Law Project. His name was Clarence David Mallory. Detective Cedillo entered the mall looking for Cervantez but was unable to find her. There were also no signs that a taser had been used on her. Carter's testimony also included an account of a time that she claimed she was raped by two men. 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. Forth Worth was originally settled in 1849 as a US Army outpost to protect pioneers settling out west. He told the Court thathe sawa black Infiniti G35 with a faded Toll tag sticker on its roof parked outside. As word of the fire spread throughout the community, Harris friends rushed to the scene, desperate for information. Jeffcrawled midway to the kitchen before he was forced to get out for some air. They had been dating which was a violation of store policy. Cervantez claimed that the grave was not for Ashlea Harris, but for her. In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. 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. App. Does Alan Cumming Really Live in a Scottish Castle? Police searched their apartment. Zach Shallcross Struggles to Watch Himself Dancing Terribly on The Bachelor, Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine, Alison Brie on Sex Scenes: 'We Are Actors, This Is Our Job'. November 8th, 2018, Precedential Status: A. loaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. He testified that the presence ofpetechiae in Ashleas eyes reflected asphyxia or strangulation and that afractured cricoid is: the least common place wesee fractures in asphyxia or strangulation-type deaths because it consists of cartilagethat is pliable.". It didn't last long. The Court heard testimony fromAlexis Torres Bunch. Cervantez asked to speak to the regional manager about her firing, but in the end, handed over her store keys. 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. Kevin Rousseau, Tarrant County prosecutor, said of their crime: 'At a minimum this took at least a month of planning. , updated Sign up to receive the Free Law Project newsletter with tips and announcements. Another neighbor also told police something disturbing. What did they all have in common on Black Friday 2014? He testified that at around 7.30am on the 28th of November, he woke when heheard a loud scream. Theyare in our work places, our friendship groups and sometimes even our homes. | Articles The Ashlea Harris murder. 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. 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. Ashley Harris - Murdered By American Eagle Co-Workers - CDP There were extensive text messages between the two as they watched the store. She denied being at the Hulen Mall that morning. Patrick Sweet lived in the apartmentbelow Ashlea's apartment and hetold police that he heard a thump, screaming and heavy breathing. She claims that Mallory drove her to the Hulen Mall not once, but twice. 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 getinto her Infiniti G35 with a man. 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 . He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. Authorities discovered Harris' body face down on her scorched bed with her ankles and wrists bound on Nov. 28, 2014, the. ", 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 . Ashlea has suffered numerous injuries to her face and head indicating that there were multiple blows. A friend of hers, Alexis Torres came over. 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. Like Harris, Cervantez was an assistant manager. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - A woman charged in connection to the death of a former co-worker who was beaten, bound, strangled and set afire has been found guilty. Mallory drove her back to their apartment and friends of Mallory were waiting inside. Thats not good. 2023 Chilling Crimes. The investigators hypothesized setting the residence on fire had been an abrupt change of plans. | Store 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. 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. Fire investigator, Wallace Hood, with the Ft. Worth Fire Department arrived on the scene around 8:45 am. . Fort Worth is located in north-central Texas. They are not hiding in shadows. It didn't last long. A coworker was slapped with life in prison for beating and burning to death a store manager on Black Friday so that he could take her store keys and steal $50,000. 'They slash her throat and then, when she is finally dead, they set her place on fire. They discovered that Ashlea's missing keys had the store keys on them too. He went searching for the reason it was going off and then noticed water dripping from the bathroom ceiling. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! According to news reports, Carter was an assistant store manager at the time, along with 31-year-oldAshlea Ann Harris. judgment. 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. When he left for work around 7:30 am the car was still there. When she tried to call her back Ashlea didnt pick up. Alexis usually watched Ashleas dog Nala when she worked. The keys seemed to be the only thing missing from her apartment. The only thing missing from Ashlea's apartment were her keys. The manner of Ashlea's death was ruled as a homicide. 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. 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. They found a lock in a kitchen drawer and a TASER box and some strands of duct tape in the trash. Her name was Carter Carol Cervantez. our Backup, Combined Opinion from Police spoke to him. It was a black Infiniti G35. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The 31-year-old was an assistant manager at the American Eagle Outfitters store in the Abilene mall in Texas. She admitted to not locking the back door the night of the theft. Cervantezs 21 year-old boyfriend Clarence David Mallory has also been charged. Patrick thought that perhaps someone had come to pick Ashlea Harris up for work as her pick-up truck remained in its parking space. Clarence's phone-We left it. He determined the source of all the smoke was coming from the bedroom and specifically the bed. Mallory claimed that he was waiting for his girlfriend, who worked at Aeropostale. The video showed what looked to be a male wearing a hoodie entering the back door. But surveillance video confirmed she was not being truthful and it showed her leaving the mall and walking towards her home. Surveillance cameras caught her wiping down the bottle after drinking from it in order to remove any traces of DNA. Firefighters found her strangled and burned body early in the morning on Nov. 28. The locks at American Eagle were for precautionary reasons, Cedillo told Snapped.. Following Harris murder, the locks had been changed and the Black Friday proceeds were still inside. The prosecution alleged Carter to be the mastermind behind the homicide. When Detective Cedillo entered the coordinates it came up to a specific location near Lueders, Texas. 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 . Both Mallory and Cervantez are questioned and released despite both being caught lying and contradicting each other. By 2011, she was an assistant manager at an American Eagle Outfitters store at Fort Worths Hulen Mall. Police believed she saw them talking with Clarence in the car park and walked the two miles home. Saturday Tarrant County Sheriffs arrested 25-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez. This was done while Chris Cravey was out on medical leave. And Ashlea discovered that Carter was the person due to lock up the night it was stolen and had left the back door open. Dr. Richard Fries, deputy M.E. She enters the mall at 7:56 am on November 29th. Ashlea Harris was outgoing and personable while the other assistant store manager, Carter was more straight-laced and reserved. He also described seeing the dark-colored vehicle driving away shortly after hearing Ashleas front door close. He asked him why he was in the parking lot so early in the morning. | Advertising The following correctional supervision record (the "Record") was collected from the official state department of corrections website (see below for source link). He testified that when he entered the apartment, itwas full of smoke and water was spraying from the sprinkler system. Ashlea worked on November 27th from 5:30 pm until 3:12 am to prep the store for Black Friday. Ashlea suspended Carter and one week later, Chris called Carter and told herthat she had beenterminated for leaving the store unsecured. Under the drivers seat was a 9mm Glock with a round still in the chamber. He observedthat the smoke detector had been removed and was underneath the mattress. Dr Friesexplained that cricoid fractures are seen mostly in motor vehicle accidents or something involving a significant amount of force. She recalls being raped multiple times by friends of Mallorys and being coerced into the robbery. Communication between Mallory and Cervantez led police to a shallow hole in a town more than a hundred miles away. 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. Cops say Texas woman killed by former co-workers in sick Black Friday 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. The most likely thing that caused that was being pistol whipped.. Read the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about. Then he gathered up some belongings, moved his car away from the building, and waited for the fire department to arrive. It was the 28th of November 2014. s asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head and neck. She said that he held the gun up to her and told her to do it and that he also claimed there was somebody waiting outside her parent's home and they would be killed also if she didn't steal the money. It showed Cervantez buying two shovels, a rope, bungee cords, gloves, and a tarp. Cravey indicated that he did. Carter was arrested the following day by Tarrant County deputies. 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. "For My Man" Chicwanda Forbes; Carter Cervantez (TV Episode 2018 - IMDb 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. 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. He was also found found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to the Dallas Voice newspaper. She was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole on May 26, 2016. The next day, Mallory drove her back to try again. Harris was an assistant manager at the store. The Prosecution believed that the original plan was to kidnap Ashlea using a pistol to threaten her and kill her at a different location but she put up a fight when they entered her apartment and they killed her there instead. Read More: Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? Jeff was a neighbor and friend of Ashlea's. Cervantez v. State, No. 02-16-00224-CR - Texas - Case Law - VLEX 888293893 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. He told police that Carter had gone into the mall to collect some papers but when police searched the mall, she wasn't there. A downstairs neighbor, Patrick Sweet, was lying in bed when he heard a loud scream. Ashlea Harris looked to have severe head trauma. He observed. It is the13th largest city in the US. terminated for leaving the store unsecured. Police could not find Carter inside the mall even though they saw Clarence drop her off at the door. He called 911 as he realized there must be a fire. Dateline: Ashlea Harris' Parents Wanted Mallory, Cervantez Executed Shes the one that coordinated everything and came up with the plan.As per official court records, she, 34, is serving her sentence at the Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, Texas. He is 22 years old. We may earn a commission from links on this page. He testified that when he entered the apartment, it, was full of smoke and water was spraying from the sprinkler system. She switched his first name with his middle name and changed two digits of his social security number. Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. Where Are Carter Cervantez and David Mallory Today? Update Posted on May 27, 2016. So what was the motive for such a savage attack? . Cedillo went to the American Eagle store where Harris' boss was waiting for the owners to open up. Clarence David Mallory (age 19) had previously worked for American Eagle at their Amarillo location. Patrick was thinking about trying to find out what was going on when he heard Ashleas front door open and then close. From Free Law Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. All were missing. Prosecutors charged Cervantez with murder one and did not seek the death penalty. He determined that Ashlea'scause of death was asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head and neck. She was later found in her apartment complex. Police also saw what appeared to be a fresh injury to his lower lip and his lower lip was swollen. By Detective Cedillo radioed dispatch and asked them to send a marked patrol call to the mall. She and her. Cervantes was allowed to go home. Chicwanda Forbes gets the attention she craves from an older man in exchange for her loyalty; Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. By this time, Mallory had failed to show up for work on three consecutive days when he was scheduled. He heard a scream at around 7.30am. Dr Fries testified that the injuries on Ashlea's face were caused by multiple blows. Both are held on a $100,000 bond. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo.