It showed Cervantez buying two shovels, a rope, bungee cords, gloves, and a tarp. The Court heard testimony fromAlexis Torres Bunch. He is 22 years old. Investigators believe the fire was an abrupt change in plan. 'They slash her throat and then, when she is finally dead, they set her place on fire. Cedillo went to the American Eagle store where Harris' boss was waiting for the owners to open up. The two men, who were strangers to her, were invited into the apartment by Clarence and she was raped by both of them. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that 27-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was convicted of capital murder Thursday and sentenced to life in prison . He asked him why he was in the parking lot so early in the morning. The comments below have not been moderated, by Chilling Crimes He was also found found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to the Dallas Voice newspaper. Somehow they avoided looking up at the camera. No charges were filed against the two. The Court heard about Ashlea's injuries. Cervantez said Mallory put the gun in her face and tried to make her steal money from the store. Ashlea Harris Killed By Coworkers On Black Friday, They Needed Her Keys Patrick testified that he thought about what he should do. December 10, 2014 / 11:07 AM She stole Ashleas keys to commit another theft with an even bigger payoff. She testified at her own Trial and told the Court that she was afraid of Clarence. The scream was followed by a loud thud and he, could hear labored breathing. Whoever was the last person to leave had locked the door behind them. She was sentenced / adjudicated in Runnels County, Winters. Police had to establish if they were involved in Ashlea's death what the motive was. Police discovered that thirty one year old Ashlea Ann Harris lived in the apartment that was on fire. He continued to lie in bed wondering what was going on in his upstairs neighbors apartment (Ashleas apartment). Prosecutors also showed evidence that Cervantez and Mallory were planning to rob the American Eagle in Abilene (where they had previously worked). He tried again a second and a third time but the smoke made it an impossible task. 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. Ashley Harris - Murdered By American Eagle Co-Workers - CDP The inside of the apartment and Ashlea's body led police to believe that the fire was not an accidental fire. Details emerge in killing of Hulen Mall store employee - Dallas News Steven W. Conder. They were not able to open the gate and promptly left. Jeffcrawled midway to the kitchen before he was forced to get out for some air. Detective Cedillo radioed dispatch and asked them to send a marked patrol call to the mall. 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. There were extensive text messages between the two as they watched the store. A neighbor told police that he had heard a thump and screaming from the apartment, the police affidavit said. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. Many retailers have special markdowns and people lose their minds trying to snatch up the bargains. However, her loyalty to the store where she was employed would tragically lead to her death. rely on donations for our financial security. Her feet and hands were bound with duct tape and she was covered in blood, according to Texas. The fire had been extinguished by then. Mark Sedwick, a special agent with the FBI and a member of the Cellular Analysis Survey Team, testified as to the content of texts that had been sent at 11.52amon the 28th of November between Clarence's phoneandCarter's phone: Carter's phone-Hey, remember that thing you said I didnt clean well?Did you clean it? Examiners Officer, performed the Autopsy on Ashleas body. She is described by the store manager, Chris Cravey, as being a phenomenal employee who was loved by everyone.. . He called 911 as he realized there must be a fire. Prosecutors charged Cervantez with murder one and did not seek the death penalty. At a minimum, this took at least a month of planning. 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. It was a direct violation of the company policy, and she started facing flak for her relationship with a subordinate. 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. 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. Detective Cedillo entered the mall looking for Cervantez but was unable to find her. She then walks to American Eagle and goes out of view. They went to the store as planned on the Saturday morning with the keys but the lockshad already been changed. | Recent Lawyer Listings After that, she went to work. Police could not find Carter inside the mall even though they saw Clarence drop her off at the door. Jeff was a neighbor and friend of Ashlea's. August 20, 2021, "Evil people always support each other; that is their chief strength.". Today, Ft. Worth is a thriving city of approximately 800,000 residents. When he went to get her keys he was unable to locate them. 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. Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. Carter did hold this against Ashlea, because Ashlea was the one that turned them in, said Groen. She was blamed as the mastermind behind the murder plot by prosecutors. Chris was in the parking lot and had been talking to Alexis Torres, who was the last person to talk to Ashlea Harris. The video showed what looked to be a male wearing a hoodie entering the back door. Police have charged Carter Cervantez, 25, and her boyfriend Clarence "David" Mallory, 19, with capital murder in the death of Ashlea Harris, 31. He requested that they stop the black Infinity if they witnessed any type of traffic violation. The two. Harris boss told investigators the car was similar to a vehicle owned by former American Eagle Outfitters employee Carter Cervantes. He took photos of the various items found in the car. It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. The key opened the dressing room and storage closet at Hulen Mall American Eagle. s asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head and neck. She told the Court she did not kill Ashlea and played no part in her death. 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. 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 . Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. Carter and David were convicted of beating, strangling, and bounding Ashlea and setting fire to her4701 King Ranch Road apartment onNovember 28, 2014, morning. Chris told police that a former employee at American Eagle, Carter Carol Cervantez, drove a similar car. ", 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 . Police believed she saw them talking with Clarence in the car park and walked the two miles home. These included a receipt for a cutaway practice lock that had been mailed to Cervantez & Mallorys apartment and a lock picking instruction manual. She transferred to the Hulen Mall location and held an assistant store manager position. Police searched their apartment. Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth, Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray Though Mallory was arrested for driving without a license, he was also released from custody. . 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. It was only at that point that Chris discovered that it was Carter who had hired Clarence and he found out that Clarence hadpreviously worked at an American Eagle store in Amarillo and was listed in the American Eagle system as non-rehireable." The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that 27-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was convicted of capital murder Thursday and sentenced to life in prison. He then radioed for police and a crime scene unit to come to the scene. He ruled out accidental causes for the reason for the fire and concluded that the fire was set on purpose. Helived downstairs and diagonally across from Ashlea. 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. Dr. Richard Fries, deputy M.E. Dr Friesexplained that cricoid fractures are seen mostly in motor vehicle accidents or something involving a significant amount of force. When he went to touch her, he saw that her wrists and ankles were duct-taped. Harris was found dead in her apartment several hours later when firefighters responded to a fire alarm. A 911 call was made by a resident at an apartment complex in Fort Worth, Texas, United States to ask for help. Police found burn marks on her body and she had been strangled and her throat wasslit. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. Incriminating texts shown to jury in Black Friday murder trial This manager did not close the store that night and did not appear to have the same build as the person in the video. They went directly to the safe where the night deposits were kept, unlocked it, and took the cash inside. There was a cut on the right side of Ashlea's neck which was caused by a knife and bruises and abrasions on her neck, chest and right arm. She purchased what Im going to describe as a murder kit, said Rousseau. She came from a blended family. Ashlea had been murdered and her body and apartment had been set on fire. Ashlea Harris killer Clarence Mallory gets life in prison Her bond was set at $500,000. They are not hiding in shadows. She told the Jury that he controlled her and even told her when she could eat or drink. The Ashlea Harris murder. On May 26, 2016, twenty-seven-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was found guilty of capital murder. A Friday. Blood was found on the floor mats of Cervantes car. Patrick testified that he thought about what he should do. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. When Detective Cedillo follows up with a manager who happened to be in that morning at Aeropostale, he told police that Carter Cervantez did not work there. The couple lived only two miles from Ashleas apartment. 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. He was able to determine that the fire had multiple points of origin. It had its lights off as it left the parking space in front of Ashleas apartment. Another video from Texas Appliances on the north side of the mall captures Cervantez walking away from the mall towards her apartment. Police spoke to all of Ashlea'sneighbors. Her lover, David, continued working at the Amarillo store but began to miss shifts regularly. Cervantez was the assistant store manager who was to lock up the night of the theft. CBS DFW - Fort Worth Police arrested two suspects in the | Facebook Mallory drove her back to their apartment and friends of Mallory were waiting inside. 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. For more on this case and others like it, watch "Snapped," airing Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen, or stream episodes here. 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. 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 . 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. Once there, she re-hired Mallory. Harris friends told investigators that she had been working around the clock in anticipation of the Black Friday sales event which started that morning. She was raised in a large and loving family and made friends wherever she went. It didn't last long. 2018) Court of Appeals of Texas Add Note Filed: November 8th, 2018 Precedential Status: Precedential Citations: None known Docket Number: 02-16-00224-CR The locks at American Eagle were for precautionary reasons, Cedillo told Snapped.. Shes the one that coordinated everything and came up with the plan, said Cedillo. It turns out that Clarence was also a former employee of American Eagle. By 2011, she was an assistant manager at an American Eagle Outfitters store at Fort Worths Hulen Mall. This was torture, prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told Snapped.. Prosecutors laid out a case that Cervantez wanted revenge and payback for getting fired. Her friend left around 4:40 am with Ashlea locking the door behind her. Another neighbor also told police something disturbing. Malloy is being held in a Potter County Jail and will be. He testified that the presence of. She told police that she didnot leave the apartment complex at all that day. The Black Infiniti G35 was searched by Officer J.J. Documents: Hulen Mall employee strangled by former co-workers Both are held on a $100,000 bond. 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 . Police: Texas woman strangled by fmr. co-workers - CBS News The police also analyzed their mobile phones to find they had exchanged texts planning the murder and methods of disposing of the corpse. carbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. At the police station, police observed that he was wearing a ski mask. By 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. Norfolk Southern train derails in Springfield, Ohio, At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Promising drug could provide alternative to statins, new study finds, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead, Colombia wants to deport "cocaine hippos" to stop them from multiplying, The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh, Ben Renick case: World-renowned snake breeder murdered. Where Are Carter Cervantez and David Mallory Today? Update When he went to see why the smoke detector had not gone off he noticed it had been removed and placed under the mattress. Re: Carter Carol Cervantez v. The State of Texas - MoreLaw Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. Carter's case was heard first. February 04, 2022, "The criminal justice system will take a hard look at what happened to Matthew Eappen. Cervantez v. State, No. 02-16-00224-CR - Texas - Case Law - VLEX 888293893 At that location, Detective Cedillo found what he describes as a human grave. They founda plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. She claims that Mallory drove her to the Hulen Mall not once, but twice. He opened a window in the bedroom to air it out. Mallory is awaiting his trial on the same charges. She was inside getting some paperwork she needed to complete. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. | Store the Court. Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. Ashlea was the mom of the store. Carter Carol Cervantez, 26, and Clarence David Mallory, 19, are both being held on $600,000 bond. Suspects in capital murder of Fort Worth mall worker schemed their way 02-16-00224-CR. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. The Court heard that when police searched Clarence's car, which was a Cadillac, they found two shovels, a box of plastic sheeting, and a box of Craftsman sockets. They were scheduled to make a deposit that morning of the proceeds from the Black Friday sales. Detective Cedillo went back to Cervantez apartment and found her in the laundry room this time wearing pink scrubs. Text messages obtained from Cervantes and Mallorys phones showed them plotting Harris murder as part of a planned Black Friday heist. It included her mother, Monica Cassity, stepfather Daddy Chuck, her father Tommy Harris Sr. and her stepmom Mary Reddy. 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. Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. One of Harris friends had stopped by after Ashlea got off work on Thanksgiving night and stayed until around 5 a.m. Cervantes was later located at her apartment and agreed to meet with detectives. At that point, the firefighters had arrived. Harris boss told investigators the car was similar to a vehicle owned by former American Eagle Outfitters employee Carter Cervantes. He called 911 when his carbon monoxide detector wentoff and he realized there was a fire. Another store employee watched the video and agreed with Ashlea based on the suspects physical appearance. 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. "For My Man" Chicwanda Forbes; Carter Cervantez (TV Episode 2018 - IMDb He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. Jeans with FWPD Crime Scene Unit. Police believed that Ashlea was killed between 4.15am and 7.30am. Wallace also determined that the ignition source was an open flame. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County MedicalExaminers Officer, performed the Autopsy on Ashleas body. The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. The Jury heard that Clarence was arrested in the car park at the mall . ", by Chilling Crimes Carter Carol Cervantez v. State - CourtListener.com Carter Carol Cervantez v. State, 02-16-00224-CR (Tex. Mallory and Cervantez reportedly also stole $18,000 from the same store in August of 2014. The Court heard that the car was still there when Steven left for work after 7.30am. Various documents were found. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. Officers found Mallory waiting in Cervantes car in the Hulen Mall parking lot and took him into custody. In looking at a police department database, Cedillo found that Cervantez and her boyfriend, Clarence Mallory had been suspects in an August 24, 2014 theft at America Eagle. At that point is where it all becomes apparent why they killed Ashlea Harris. 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. The perpetrators had stolen Ashleas store keys and were allegedly planning to break into the store again and steal more money. Carter Carol Cervantez | Christina Melton Crain Unit Prison | Texas 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. Communication between Mallory and Cervantez led police to a shallow hole in a town more than a hundred miles away. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. January 17, 2022 Under the drivers seat was a 9mm Glock with a round still in the chamber. 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.