January 17, 2022 Ashlea was found lying face down on the floor of her bedroom. Harris boss told investigators the car was similar to a vehicle owned by former American Eagle Outfitters employee Carter Cervantes. The Prosecution called Jeff Kayser to testify. Police spoke to him. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. He heard a scream at around 7.30am. On November 29th search warrants were obtained for Cervantez and Mallorys apartment, the black Infinity, and Mallorys Cadillac. We It included her mother, Monica Cassity, stepfather Daddy Chuck, her father Tommy Harris Sr. and her stepmom Mary Reddy. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. She was later found in her apartment complex. 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. 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 . The Black Infiniti G35 was searched by Officer J.J. Prosecutors laid out a case that Cervantez wanted revenge and payback for getting fired. Her throat had been cut and she had been set on fire. 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. At that point is where it all becomes apparent why they killed Ashlea Harris. Close to $18,000 was missing from the safe. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. Mallory threatened to hurt her parents and relatives if she did not do what she was told, Cervantez said. Harris boss told investigators the car was similar to a vehicle owned by former American Eagle Outfitters employee Carter Cervantes. Mallory drove her back to their apartment and friends of Mallory were waiting inside. He called 911 as he realized there must be a fire. After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. Listen to the story of how Ashlea Harris fought for her life upsetting the plans of two nefarious killers who wanted a big pay off. Police retraced Ashlea's movements. 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. 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. . The deposit was somewhere between $40,000 to $50,000. Chris went over to Detective Cedillo to tell him what he knew. 'They slash her throat and then, when she is finally dead, they set her place on fire. At a minimum, this took at least a month of planning. He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. They also found another lock labeled lock picking practice lock. 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. | Advertising The Jury heard that Clarence was arrested in the car park at the mall . Cervantez was the assistant store manager who was to lock up the night of the theft. . Police asked Mallory to see his drivers license which he told them he did not have on him. our Backup, Combined Opinion from Sign up to receive the Free Law Project newsletter with tips and announcements. The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. App. There are predators everywhere. Then he gathered up some belongings, moved his car away from the building, and waited for the fire department to arrive. Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape,. with the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office testified to Ashlea Harriss cause of death. Harris apartment showed no signs of forced entry and none of her valuables were missing. It was a black Infiniti G35. Alexis left after4am. She told police that she didnot leave the apartment complex at all that day. 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 Court also heardpolicefoundlatitude and longitude coordinates on the cell phones. Nobody knew for certain whether Ashlea was inside or not. She transferred to the Hulen Mall location and held an assistant store manager position. 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. Christopher Chris Cravey, Ashlea's boss, heard that police were asking about that vehicle and he told them he knew someone who drove one. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. Unsure of her career path, Harris began working in retail in her early 20s. She stole Ashleas keys to commit another theft with an even bigger payoff. Carter and David were convicted of beating, strangling, and bounding Ashlea and setting fire to her4701 King Ranch Road apartment onNovember 28, 2014, morning. 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 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. Cervantez was the first to go to trial in May 2016. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 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. Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. They found a lock in a kitchen drawer and a TASER box and some strands of duct tape in the trash. Cervantez said Mallory put the gun in her face and tried to make her steal money from the store. There were also no signs that a taser had been used on her. Inside he found 2 shovels and a box of plastic sheeting. While they were let go initially, the investigators had search warrants for their apartment and car. On their cell phones, they had images of Ashlea's apartment, her apartment door and her vehicle. Our district manager basically gave her the option to quit or to get transferred, said Groen. Police searched their apartment. When she was unable to get in the store the first time she walked back to the car. 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 . The two reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. <p>Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, enters court on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with defense attorneys Steve Gordon, right, and Bill Ray, not pictured. 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. They both pleaded not guilty. She told the Court that she left Ashlea's apartment after 4am the morning of the 28th of November and that when she left, Ashlea locked the door. Thats not good. Harris hands and feet were bound with duct tape, police said. Another apartment in the complex was on fire. I think theres a fire upstairs in the apartment above me, the caller said in his 911 call, which was obtained by Snapped.. 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. He told police that Carter had gone into the mall to collect some papers but when police searched the mall, she wasn't there. She told the Jury that he controlled her and even told her when she could eat or drink. | Store He forced her to enter and rob American Eagle at gunpoint and threatened to kill her family if she didnt do what he asked. Carter Carol Cervantes worked as a store manager of an American Eagle Outfitters outlet in Amarillo, Texas. A friend of hers, Alexis Torres came over. Police also found a damaged deadbolt lock,two other locks that had been used for practice. Detective Cedillo went back to Cervantez apartment and found her in the laundry room this time wearing pink scrubs. A. loaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. On the day after Thanksgiving known in the retail world as Black Friday Harris's. They originally planned to bury Harris at a grave site detectives found north of Abilene, Texas. 04:27 GMT 25 Aug 2017. Carter's testimony also included an account of a time that she claimed she was raped by two men. Aloaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. In addition, we got Ashleas DNA on this gun that was in Carter Cervantes car, said Kevin Rousseau. We may earn a commission from links on this page. 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. Cervantez is being held in the Fort Worth Jail. Ashlea worked on November 27th from 5:30 pm until 3:12 am to prep the store for Black Friday. Clarence and Carter wereboth charged with capital murder. reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. Knives and a loaded gun were found inside Cervantes Infiniti while the shovels and other items were in the trunk of Mallorys vehicle. He then radioed for police and a crime scene unit to come to the scene. Detective Cedillo decided to stake out Cervantez and Mallorys apartment arriving around 3:45 am on Saturday, November 29, 2014. He requested that they stop the black Infinity if they witnessed any type of traffic violation. carbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. Law enforcement officials arrested 19-year-old Clarence Malloy and 25-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez in the murder of Ashlea Harris, the victim of an early morning fire. Though the theft remained an open case with the Fort Worth Police Department, American Eagle believed it had enough evidence to fire Cervantes and Mallory. A neighbor told police that he had heard a thump and screaming from the apartment, the police affidavit said. 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 . They discovered that on Thanksgiving Day, she went to dinner withher friendAlexis Torres and other friends at an apartment inside her complex. I said, Thats Ashleas tattoo,' said Naylor. Harris friends told investigators that she had been working around the clock in anticipation of the Black Friday sales event which started that morning. If you believe this Record is in error (i.e. Ashlea had been murdered and her body and apartment had been set on fire. 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. judgment. The apartment belonged to 31-year-old Ashlea Harris who resided there with her dog, Nala. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. Investigators determined the fire started in Harris bedroom and that rubbing alcohol had been used as an accelerant, despite its low flammability. Jeans with FWPD Crime Scene Unit. When Detective Cedillo entered the coordinates it came up to a specific location near Lueders, Texas. She denied being at the Hulen Mall that morning. All were missing. He went searching for the reason it was going off and then noticed water dripping from the bathroom ceiling. After that, she went to work. It was the 28th of November 2014. Clarence David Mallory took the 5th when he was brought in to testify. 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. 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. One of the investigators alleged, It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. 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. 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. 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. For more on this case and others like it, watch "Snapped," airing Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen, or stream episodes here. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! She recalls being raped multiple times by friends of Mallorys and being coerced into the robbery. Then he heard a loud thump right above him as Ashleas bedroom was directly above his. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. 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. She was tentatively identified by her tattoos. What did they all have in common on Black Friday 2014? 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. Once there, she re-hired Mallory. He heard the door of Ashlea's apartment close and when he looked out his window, he saw ablack Infiniti G35 driving away. , updated As a result of his incompetency, he was fired, and American Eagle put him on the Do Not Hire Again list. It didn't last long. Keith Morrison. Ashlea was appointed to run the store while Cravey was out on medical leave. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. She was strangled, her throat cut, and ultimately asphyxiated. Detective Cedillo entered the mall looking for Cervantez but was unable to find her. At that point, no one other than law enforcement knew that there was any keys missing. First published on December 10, 2014 / 11:07 AM. 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 testified that at around 7.30am on the 28th of November, he woke when heheard a loud scream. No charges were filed against the two. Combined Opinion from Patrick testified that he thought about what he should do. He also described seeing the dark-colored vehicle driving away shortly after hearing Ashleas front door close. A mysterious fire, missing keys, and a black sports car. The following opinions cover similar topics: CourtListener is a project of Free Carter Carol Cervantez v. State - CourtListener.com Carter Carol Cervantez v. State, 02-16-00224-CR (Tex. He was also fired per store policy. Powered by Shopify. There was no smoke in her lungs indicating she was not alive when the fire was set. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. Before fire and rescue workers arrived a neighbor, Jeff Kayser, kicked in her door calling out for her and Nala. Assuming that there may be a fire in Ashleas apartment he dialed 911. Chicwanda Forbes; Carter Cervantez: With Iyana A. Campbell, Jordan Clifford, Herbert Lee Frazier III, Reginald Garner. She came from a blended family. The Court heard that inJune 2014, Ashleawas appointed to run the store while Chris was on medical leave. Today it marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Precedential, Citations: 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. Prosecutors showed video surveillance from Home Depot a week before Ashlea Harris was murdered. 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 apartment was filled with smoke. Under the drivers seat was a 9mm Glock with a round still in the chamber. 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. 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. One week later Cravey called Cervantez. The prosecution alleged Carter to be the mastermind behind the homicide. By 2011, she was an assistant manager at an American Eagle Outfitters store at Fort Worths Hulen Mall. He called 911 when his carbon monoxide detector wentoff and he realized there was a fire. January 25, 2022, "The effects of abuse are devastating and far reaching. Ashlea suspended Carter and one week later, Chris called Carter and told herthat she had beenterminated for leaving the store unsecured. Police could not find Carter inside the mall even though they saw Clarence drop her off at the door. Her lover, David, continued working at the Amarillo store but began to miss shifts regularly. And Ashlea discovered that Carter was the person due to lock up the night it was stolen and had left the back door open. This case has not yet been cited in our system. They found ample evidence in both places, including a gun used to pistolwhip Ashlea, receipts for a murder kit, including the duct tape used to bind her, and her blood on the floor mat of their vehicle. His name was Clarence David Mallory. Filed: Police arrested him as he could not produce his driver's license when asked. Her body was partially burned and she had been beaten. So he laid back down to try to fall back asleep, but thats when the carbon monoxide detector went off. He told the Court that he lived in an apartment justbelow Ashleas apartment. Patrick was thinking about trying to find out what was going on when he heard Ashleas front door open and then close. It looked new as there was notany noticeable wear and the plastic price tag fastener was still attached. Saturday Tarrant County Sheriffs arrested 25-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez. She bends down to unlock it but is unable to. 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. 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. Another store employee watched the video and agreed with Ashlea based on the suspects physical appearance. She admitted to not locking the back door the night of the theft. In her testimony, Cervantez describes abusive behavior from Mallory, who she says threatened to kill her family if she didnt comply with his orders. Ashlea identified Clarence as the person who took the money from the safe from the surveillance footage. She and her. The scream was followed by a loud thud and hecould hear labored breathing. 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. He took photos of the various items found in the car. She was inside getting some paperwork she needed to complete. Carter Carol Cervantez was arrested Dec. 6, 2014. From what he could make out it was a female lying face down on the floor in front of the bed. They stalked Ashlea Harris like people stalk a deer.". She workedas an assistant managerin an American Eagle store in the Hulen Mall. Officers found Mallory waiting in Cervantes car in the Hulen Mall parking lot and took him into custody. Patrick testified that he thought about what he should do. All were missing. And in Fort Worth, Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. 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. She told the Court that she left Ashlea's apartment after 4am the morning of the 28th of November and that when she left, Ashlea locked the door. It was the proceeds from the sales during the recently concludedTexas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend in August. She told the Court she did not kill Ashlea and played no part in her death. Blood was found on the floor mats of Cervantes car. This key was not in the trash during the first search. Protect yourself and those you love. She switched his first name with his middle name and changed two digits of his social security number. Police believed they were used for practice as theywerelabeled lock picking practice lock.. An older man offers Chicwanda Forbes the attention she craves in exchange for her loyalty. Cedillo went to the American Eagle store where Harris' boss was waiting for the owners to open up. . Whoever was the last person to leave had locked the door behind them. Police observed that she hadsuperficial scratches on her arms. 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?
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