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. He testified that at around 7.30am on the 28th of November, he woke when heheard a loud scream. Both are held on a $100,000 bond. 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. 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. Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth, Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray Cervantes had worked at American Eagle Outfitters for several years and managed a store in Amarillo, Texas. Following Harris murder, the locks had been changed and the Black Friday proceeds were still inside. She was savagely beaten. She was strangled, her throat cut, and ultimately asphyxiated. Clarence David Mallory took the 5th when he was brought in to testify. Cervantes helped Mallory falsify documents so she could hire him at the Hulen Mall location where she worked with Harris. Take out all the trash andleave that. Patrick thought that perhaps someone had come to pick Ashlea Harris up for work as her pick-up truck remained in its parking space. The Ashlea Harris murder. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. 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. Rousseau added: 'Imagine the horror, someone is probably sitting on you while someone else is taping up your hands and then your ankles. Police have charged Carter Cervantez, 25, and her boyfriend Clarence "David" Mallory, 19, with capital murder in the death of Ashlea Harris, 31. His name was Clarence David Mallory. She was inside getting some paperwork she needed to complete. This was most likely a lighter and the accelerant was rubbing alcohol. A Friday. Investigators determined the fire started in Harris bedroom and that rubbing alcohol had been used as an accelerant, despite its low flammability. He heard the door of Ashlea's apartment close and when he looked out his window, he saw ablack Infiniti G35 driving away. 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. 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? Police could not find Carter inside the mall even though they saw Clarence drop her off at the door. Somehow they avoided looking up at the camera. Cervantez claimed that the grave was not for Ashlea Harris, but for her. Cervantez said Mallory put the gun in her face and tried to make her steal money from the store. Mallory drove the car to another mall exit. They also found another lock labeled lock picking practice lock. They originally planned to bury Harris at a grave site detectives found north of Abilene, Texas. FWPD Fort Worth Police Department FORT WORTH Pictures of tools that could be used to pick locks, the front cover of the book Practical Lock. The Jury heard that Clarence was arrested in the car park at the mall . It matched Ashlea Harris' DNA. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. Under the drivers seat was a 9mm Glock with a round still in the chamber. Steven Lee was an ex-cop who lived downstairs and diagonally across from Ashlea Harris. The 31-year-old was an assistant manager at the American Eagle Outfitters store in the Abilene mall in Texas. He saw Cervantez exit the vehicle wearing and enter the mall. She was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole on May 26, 2016. It took them just two hours to find her guilty and she was sentenced tolife in prison without parole. Police had to establish if they were involved in Ashlea's death what the motive was. Carter Carol Cervantez faces capital murder charges in connection with the death of Ashlea Harris. Various documents were found. The detectives talked to two American Eagle employees who had been locked out due to the locks being changed. 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. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Cervantes and Mallorys apartment and found a shopping receipt from November 21 for shovels, gloves, duct tape, rope, and a tarp. He then radioed for police and a crime scene unit to come to the scene. Her feet and hands were bound with duct tape and she was covered in blood, according to Texas. At the police station, police observed that he was wearing a ski mask. 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. The scream was followed by a loud thud and he, could hear labored breathing. Read the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about. The fire had been extinguished by then. Police were contacted when the theft was discovered, but I dont know if they questioned Mallory or Cervantez. Ashlea had been murdered and her body and apartment had been set on fire. 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. Many retailers have special markdowns and people lose their minds trying to snatch up the bargains. The Prosecution claimed that person was Carter. David, 27, is incarcerated at the Jim Ferguson Unit in Midway, Texas. On November 29th search warrants were obtained for Cervantez and Mallorys apartment, the black Infinity, and Mallorys Cadillac. Around 8 am Ft. Worth Fire Department Lt. Jarrod Pavlechko arrived on the scene. The State waived their right to seekthe death penalty and instead looked forlife in prison without parole. Dr. Richard Fries, deputy M.E. When he went to touch her, he saw that her wrists and ankles were duct-taped. Cervantez alleges that she did not commit the murder and was asleep in her apartment when Harris was robbed and killed. At that point, the firefighters had arrived. Joyce Marshall jlmarshall@star-telegram.com FORT WORTH. Messages indicate they planned on burying the corpse in an unmarked grace north of Abilene, Texas. Officers found Mallory waiting in Cervantes car in the Hulen Mall parking lot and took him into custody. Harris was born in 1983 and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. November 8th, 2018, Precedential Status: ", 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 . Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. 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. It didn't last long. . For more on this case and others like it, watch "Snapped," airing Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen, or stream episodes here. Her truck was still in the apartment complexs parking lot. Before fire and rescue workers arrived a neighbor, Jeff Kayser, kicked in her door calling out for her and Nala. Chicwanda Forbes; Carter Cervantez: With Iyana A. Campbell, Jordan Clifford, Herbert Lee Frazier III, Reginald Garner. 27-year-old old Carter Carol Cervantez is on trial for capital murder in the. Alexis usually watched Ashleas dog Nala when she worked. Documents say the only thing missing from Harris' apartment were her keys, which contained the keys to the American Eagle store as well as the safe. Investigators believed Cervantes and Mallory were planning to rob the American Eagle store. Harris hands and feet were bound with duct tape, police said. 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. August 20, 2021, "Evil people always support each other; that is their chief strength.". Her throat had been cut and she had been set on fire. In the meantime, Detective Pate, Cedillos partner, made contact with Mallory. 2018) Court of Appeals of Texas Add Note Filed: November 8th, 2018 Precedential Status: Precedential Citations: None known Docket Number: 02-16-00224-CR All were missing. They were arrested and charged with capital murder, according to the, 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, Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. Wallace also determined that the ignition source was an open flame. As a result of his incompetency, he was fired, and American Eagle put him on the Do Not Hire Again list. 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. Lets find out. I didnt touch it. Inside he found 2 shovels and a box of plastic sheeting. Police retraced Ashlea's movements. It was the proceeds from the sales during the recently concludedTexas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend in August. They went to the store as planned on the Saturday morning with the keys but the lockshad already been changed. These included the bed, the closet, and Ashleas body. Who Killed Her. Clarence David Mallory (age 19) had previously worked for American Eagle at their Amarillo location. 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. 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. It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. A key belonging to another assistant store manager was left in the night deposit box. Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape, reports CBS affiliate KHOU, which cites court documents filed by Fort Worth police. Malloy is being held in a Potter County Jail and will be. Update: A correction was. Carter Carol Cervantez, 26, and Clarence David Mallory, 19, are both being held on $600,000 bond. Jeff, Wallace E. Hood Jr., an arson investigator, told the Court that, multiple origins of the fire, including in the bed, on Ashleas body, and in the closet. Cedillo went to the American Eagle store where Harris' boss was waiting for the owners to open up. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. 04:27 GMT 25 Aug 2017. This was two weeks before Ashleas murder. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. The district manager decided to give Cervantez a fresh start. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. I need to take care ofthat. 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. Her name was Carter Carol Cervantez. As word of the fire spread throughout the community, Harris friends rushed to the scene, desperate for information. When Ashlea arrived for work she discovered that a theft had occurred sometime overnight. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. 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. Another store employee watched the video and agreed with Ashlea based on the suspects physical appearance. They later found her at her apartment complex doing laundry. Theyare in our work places, our friendship groups and sometimes even our homes. They stalked Ashlea Harris like people stalk a deer.'. 2023 Chilling Crimes. The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. While they were let go initially, the investigators had search warrants for their apartment and car. Patrick testified that he thought about what he should do. Text messages obtained from Cervantes and Mallorys phones showed them plotting Harris murder as part of a planned Black Friday heist. Prosecutors also showed evidence that Cervantez and Mallory were planning to rob the American Eagle in Abilene (where they had previously worked). On the 24th of August 2014, at 1.14am, $18000 was stolen from the safe in the American Eagle store. Ashlea was appointed to run the store while Cravey was out on medical leave. It is the13th largest city in the US. 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.". Police also found a damaged deadbolt lock,two other locks that had been used for practice. CourtListener is sponsored by the non-profit Free Law Project. She admitted to not locking the back door the night of the theft. They had been dating which was a violation of store policy. 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. that the smoke detector had been removed and was underneath the mattress. Assuming that there may be a fire in Ashleas apartment he dialed 911. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County Medical. Cervantez claims that Mallory dug the grave for her. Investigators believe the fire was an abrupt change in plan. One week later Cravey called Cervantez. She was sentenced / adjudicated in Runnels County, Winters. At Clarence's Trial, he claimed that he was not involved in Ashlea's murder but the Jury also did not believe him and he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. While the homicide took place nearly 6 hours. 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. He took photos of the various items found in the car. Carter's case was heard first. Chris looked at Clarence'spersonnel fileanddiscovered thatwhen Carterhired him, she changed his Social Security number and his name in the system so that it would not be detected or show up any red flags. They are not hiding in shadows. It was approximately 6 ft. long, 2 ft wide and 3 feet deep. Mallory and Cervantez reportedly also stole $18,000 from the same store in August of 2014. Ashlea Harris looked to have severe head trauma. Police arrested him as he could not produce his driver's license when asked. Who Killed Her? Cervantez was recently found guilty of her involvement and sentenced to life in prison without parole in May 2016, reported the Star-Telegram. (Joyce Marshall)</p> Author: WFAA Staff Published:. The Court also heardpolicefoundlatitude and longitude coordinates on the cell phones. He testified that when he entered the apartment, itwas full of smoke and water was spraying from the sprinkler system. 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.