She quickly walks away. 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 heard the door of Ashlea's apartment close and when he looked out his window, he saw a, black Infiniti G35 driving away. The neighbor attempted several times to get into Ashleas apartment but was forced out each time due to the heavy smoke. Whoever was the last person to leave had locked the door behind them. Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? On May 26, 2016, twenty-seven-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was found guilty of capital murder. 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. Police believed she saw them talking with Clarence in the car park and walked the two miles home. 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. ", 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 . The couple bound Harris, brutally beat her and burned her body and apartment building in order to take the woman's store keys and steal $50,000. On Tax Free Weekend and Black Friday, those were our highest deposit days, said Groen. He took photos of the various items found in the car. The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. The video showed what looked to be a male wearing a hoodie entering the back door. She told the Jury that he controlled her and even told her when she could eat or drink. During a break in questioning, Cervantes was given a bottle of water and left alone in the interrogation room. s asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head and neck. It had its lights off as it left the parking space in front of Ashleas apartment. At 6:56 am Alexis noticed a missed call from Ashlea. She workedas an assistant managerin an American Eagle store in the Hulen Mall. 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. But surveillance video confirmed she was not being truthful and it showed her leaving the mall and walking towards her home. At Carter's Trial, her Defense was that she was not involved in Ashlea's death. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. Next, he heard what sounded like heavy labored breathing. terminated for leaving the store unsecured. It was the proceeds from the sales during the recently concludedTexas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend in August. She was taken to the station for questioning. Nobody knew for certain whether Ashlea was inside or not. This was different. 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's case was heard first. 04:27 GMT 25 Aug 2017. Carter and David were convicted of beating, strangling, and bounding Ashlea and setting fire to her4701 King Ranch Road apartment onNovember 28, 2014, morning. A key belonging to another assistant store manager was left in the night deposit box. Fired One week later Cravey called Cervantez. When Detective Cedillo entered the coordinates it came up to a specific location near Lueders, Texas. Today, Ft. Worth is a thriving city of approximately 800,000 residents. Police began talking to neighbors including Patrick Sweet, who told them about the unusual sounds he heard coming from Ashleas apartment that morning. 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. It was a direct violation of the company policy, and she started facing flak for her relationship with a subordinate. The manner of Ashlea's death was ruled as a homicide. Cervantes helped Mallory falsify documents so she could hire him at the Hulen Mall location where she worked with Harris. 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. 2023 Chilling Crimes. Cervantezs 21 year-old boyfriend Clarence David Mallory has also been charged. Jeff was a neighbor and friend of Ashlea's. At that point, no one other than law enforcement knew that there was any keys missing. That was a term the brand used toindicate that the person should not be hired at any location. Carter worked thereas an assistant manager and she hired her boyfriend Clarence to work at the same store. By 02-16-00224-CR. She was inside getting some paperwork she needed to complete. Her bond was set at $500,000. Harris autopsy pointed to a rage killing. Close to $18,000 was missing from the safe. Her name was Carter Carol Cervantez. . Filed: Police could not find Carter inside the mall even though they saw Clarence drop her off at the door. Cervantes was allowed to go home. The keys seemed to be the only thing missing from her apartment. By 2011, she was an assistant manager at an American Eagle Outfitters store at Fort Worths Hulen Mall. 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. He tried again a second and a third time but the smoke made it an impossible task. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. | Editor In August 2016, Clarence David Mallory was found guilty of murder one after one hour of jury deliberation. They raped her for not following through with the robbery. Cervantez received life in prison without the possibility of parole. It is the13th largest city in the US. Prosecutors charged Cervantez with murder one and did not seek the death penalty. Carter's testimony also included an account of a time that she claimed she was raped by two men. After work, Ashlea returned to herapartment around 3.15am and Alexis called over for a few minutes. A downstairs neighbor, Patrick Sweet, was lying in bed when he heard a loud scream. He continued to lie in bed wondering what was going on in his upstairs neighbors apartment (Ashleas apartment). He saw Cervantez exit the vehicle wearing and enter the mall. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County Medical. Police tracked Cervantes and Mallory to an apartment near the Hulen Mall. The man drove to Hulen Mall and when they got there, he dropped off Carter at the door and parked. Carter did hold this against Ashlea, because Ashlea was the one that turned them in, said Groen. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. She was wearing a grey sweatshirt and a black hat. She also accused the black-hooded male, caught on camera breaking into the store safe and stealing the money, as David. December 10, 2014 / 11:07 AM The Ashlea Harris murder. At the apartment, detectives found a box containing a taser in the trash, strands of duct tape, and a damaged deadbolt lock. She denied being at the Hulen Mall that morning. After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. Cervantes had worked at American Eagle Outfitters for several years and managed a store in Amarillo, Texas. Police say Harris worked a late night Black Friday shift at the American Eagle store in a mall in Fort Worth and arrived home around 3:15 a.m. A neighbor below Harris told police that he heard a thump, screaming and heavy breathing around 7:30 a.m. His carbon monoxide detector then went off, and water from the sprinklers in Harris' apartment came through his ceiling. Wallace also determined that the ignition source was an open flame. It matched Ashlea Harris' DNA. It was a latenight due to Black Friday sales and Alexis looked after Ashlea's dog Nala while Ashlea was working. Malloy is being held in a Potter County Jail and will be. Thats not good. below Ashlea's apartment and hetold police that he heard a thump, screaming and heavy breathing. Detective Cedillo testified that one of the text messages on Clarence's cell phone contained latitude and longitude coordinates and when he entered them into Google Earth, it revealed a locationnear Lueders, Texas. The 31-year-old was an assistant manager at the American Eagle Outfitters store in the Abilene mall in Texas. 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. Her name was Carter Carol Cervantez. David received the same sentence on August 24, 2017. 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. The Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. She admitted to not locking the back door the night of the theft. 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 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. Though Mallory was arrested for driving without a license, he was also released from custody. Jason Kidd hopes Mavs star stays patient in preseason play, Spring training cuts are incoming, but these Rangers prospects have impressed in camp. Cervantez claims that Mallory dug the grave for her. 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. The district manager decided to give Cervantez a fresh start. ", by Chilling Crimes 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. Examiners Officer, performed the Autopsy on Ashleas body. Cravey and Ashlea watched the store surveillance video. 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. Our district manager basically gave her the option to quit or to get transferred. Carter chose to get a transfer and was shifted to a store in the Hulen Mall in Fort Worth, Texas. From Free Law Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. The two reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. Today it marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. It turns out that Clarence was also a former employee of American Eagle. It was the 28th of November 2014. He noticed it because he never saw it parked there before. 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. Knives and a loaded gun were found inside Cervantes Infiniti while the shovels and other items were in the trunk of Mallorys vehicle. This was two weeks before Ashleas murder. He testified that when he entered the apartment, it, was full of smoke and water was spraying from the sprinkler system. The State waived their right to seekthe death penalty and instead looked forlife in prison without parole. Carter Carol Cervantez v. The State of Texas Case Number: 02-16-00224-CR Judge: Mark T. Pittman Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth Plaintiff's Attorney: Joseph W. Spence Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray Steven W. Conder Description: For that reason, the fire seemed like an afterthought to me, Fort Worth Police Detective Ernie Pate told Snapped.. He was able to unlock the trunk of Mallorys Cadillac using keys found in the black Infiniti. Cervantez alleges that she did not commit the murder and was asleep in her apartment when Harris was robbed and killed. | Articles . 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. Who Killed Her. They also found a toboggan with a hole cut in it, a tarp stillinside the package and a kitchen knife. 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. Cravey indicated that he did. Police also found a damaged deadbolt lock,two other locks that had been used for practice. 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. Police discovered that thirty one year old Ashlea Ann Harris lived in the apartment that was on fire. It didn't last long. They discovered that on Thanksgiving Day, she went to dinner withher friendAlexis Torres and other friends at an apartment inside her complex. The Court heard that inJune 2014, Ashleawas appointed to run the store while Chris was on medical leave. He opened a window in the bedroom to air it out. Ashlea Harris looked to have severe head trauma. While the homicide took place nearly 6 hours. The scream was followed by a loud thud and hecould hear labored breathing. 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. 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 perpetrators had stolen Ashleas store keys and were allegedly planning to break into the store again and steal more money. 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 found burn marks on her body and she had been strangled and her throat wasslit. He asked if she would be willing to go downtown to be interviewed and she agreed. Ashlea felt that the perpetrator was Mallory. After more evidence is gathered they are arrested on December 4, 2014. In her testimony, Cervantez describes abusive behavior from Mallory, who she says threatened to kill her family if she didnt comply with his orders. Patrick thought that perhaps someone had come to pick Ashlea Harris up for work as her pick-up truck remained in its parking space. Ashlea Harris arrived home to her apartment around 3:25 am. Does Alan Cumming Really Live in a Scottish Castle? He asked him why he was in the parking lot so early in the morning. Cervantes helped Mallory falsify documents so she could hire him at the Hulen Mall location where she worked with Harris. First published on December 10, 2014 / 11:07 AM. Police believed that Ashlea was killed between 4.15am and 7.30am. Outcome: Having overruled all three of Cervantezs points, we affirm the trial courts A 911 call was made by a resident at an apartment complex in Fort Worth, Texas, United States to ask for help. Fort Worth Police arrested two suspects in the November 28 murder of Ashlea Harris. She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you, former co-worker Leticia Groen told Snapped.. He forced her to enter and rob American Eagle at gunpoint and threatened to kill her family if she didnt do what he asked. His name was Clarence David Mallory. Carter Carol Cervantez faces capital murder charges in connection with the death of Ashlea Harris. The two men, who were strangers to her, were invited into the apartment by Clarence and she was raped by both of them. A Friday. 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. 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. Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. Theyare in our work places, our friendship groups and sometimes even our homes. 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. And in Fort Worth, Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. Ashlea had been murdered and her body and apartment had been set on fire. 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. Another video from Texas Appliances on the north side of the mall captures Cervantez walking away from the mall towards her apartment. When he went to touch her, he saw that her wrists and ankles were duct-taped. Clarence and Carter wereboth charged with capital murder. 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 most likely thing that caused that was being pistol whipped.. This was torture, prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told Snapped.. There was no smoke in her lungs indicating she was not alive when the fire was set. Carter Carol Cervantez, 25, was taken into custody by Tarrant County Sheriffs on Saturday. reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. Who Killed Her? Each is charged with one count of capital murder. Im so sorry I forgot. Fort Worth is located in north-central Texas. At that point is where it all becomes apparent why they killed Ashlea Harris. 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.