He was also fired per store policy. Defendant in American Eagle murder trial testifies | Fort Worth Star In addition, he did not call in to request off. He called 911 as he realized there must be a fire. BestsellerThe Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. Detective Cedillo radioed dispatch and asked them to send a marked patrol call to the mall. The two men, who were strangers to her, were invited into the apartment by Clarence and she was raped by both of them. Before fire and rescue workers arrived a neighbor, Jeff Kayser, kicked in her door calling out for her and Nala. . Ashlea had been murdered and her body and apartment had been set on fire. Malloy is being held in a Potter County Jail and will be. 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. Her name was Carter Carol Cervantez. Once there, she re-hired Mallory. 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. Police asked Alexis if she knew who drove a black Infiniti G35. 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.". After more evidence is gathered they are arrested on December 4, 2014. 2023 Chilling Crimes. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. All were missing. There was no smoke in her lungs indicating she was not alive when the fire was set. His name was Clarence David Mallory. 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. Cervantez claims that Mallory dug the grave for her. 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 . Harris apartment showed no signs of forced entry and none of her valuables were missing. Ashlea identified Clarence as the person who took the money from the safe from the surveillance footage. He told the Court that he lived in an apartment justbelow Ashleas apartment. 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. Detective Cedillo spoke to Chris Cravey, who was Ashleas boss at American Eagle, and asked if he knew anyone who drove a black Infinity. He saw Cervantez exit the vehicle wearing and enter the mall. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. (Fort Worth PD) Harris, who was a manager at the store, had. Woman Convicted in Death of Former Co-Worker in Fort Worth She denied being at the Hulen Mall that morning. 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. She admitted to not locking the back door the night of the theft. Cervantes had hired 19-year-old David Mallory and soon began dating him, in violation of company policy. Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? The following opinions cover similar topics: CourtListener is a project of Free The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. After work, Ashlea returned to herapartment around 3.15am and Alexis called over for a few minutes. Cervantez said Mallory put the gun in her face and tried to make her steal money from the store. It matched Ashlea Harris' DNA. 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. Surveillance cameras caught her wiping down the bottle after drinking from it in order to remove any traces of DNA. 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 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. Both suspects were booked . 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. The district manager decided to give Cervantez a fresh start. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. It was the proceeds from the sales during the recently concludedTexas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend in August. Unsure of her career path, Harris began working in retail in her early 20s. 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. 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. Another video from Texas Appliances on the north side of the mall captures Cervantez walking away from the mall towards her apartment. Ashley Harris - Murdered By American Eagle Co-Workers - CDP Carter Carol Cervantes worked as a store manager of an American Eagle Outfitters outlet in Amarillo, Texas. 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Documents: Hulen Mall employee strangled by former co-workers He continued to lie in bed wondering what was going on in his upstairs neighbors apartment (Ashleas apartment). Cervantez claimed that the grave was not for Ashlea Harris, but for her. rely on donations for our financial security. This key was not in the trash during the first search. Ashlea Harris arrived home to her apartment around 3:25 am. 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. Precedential, Citations: Carter was arrested the following day by Tarrant County deputies. 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. Cervantez v. State, No. 02-16-00224-CR | Casetext Search + Citator 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. Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. 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. Patrick testified that he thought about what he should do. It had its lights off as it left the parking space in front of Ashleas apartment. | Recent Lawyer Listings Ashlea Ann Harris loved working in retail where she could meet new people every day. 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. He heard the door of Ashlea's apartment close and when he looked out his window, he saw ablack Infiniti G35 driving away. | Articles Since this was a violation they took him into custody. In the meantime, Detective Pate, Cedillos partner, made contact with Mallory. That was a term the brand used toindicate that the person should not be hired at any location. Authorities discovered Harris' body face down on her scorched bed with her ankles and wrists bound on Nov. 28, 2014, the. They were not able to open the gate and promptly left. He determined the source of all the smoke was coming from the bedroom and specifically the bed. Two arrests made in Fort Worth murder case | wfaa.com She stole Ashleas keys to commit another theft with an even bigger payoff. We may earn a commission from links on this page. On November 29th search warrants were obtained for Cervantez and Mallorys apartment, the black Infinity, and Mallorys Cadillac. They believed that Carter and Clarencekilled Ashlea as they knew she had the keys for the safe and the plan was to take the keysand go to the American Eagle store to steal the tens of thousands of dollars they knew would be in the safe after Black Friday. The apartment belonged to 31-year-old Ashlea Harris who resided there with her dog, Nala. On Tax Free Weekend and Black Friday, those were our highest deposit days, said Groen. 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. 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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. Harris was born in 1983 and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. Carter worked thereas an assistant manager and she hired her boyfriend Clarence to work at the same store. Murder trial begins in slaying of Hulen Mall store employee She told police that she didnot leave the apartment complex at all that day. January 17, 2022 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. The couple lived only two miles from Ashleas apartment. Her feet and hands were bound with duct tape and she was covered in blood, according to Texas Amarillo Globe-News newspaper. She transferred to the Hulen Mall location and held an assistant store manager position. She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you.. However, they were never charged or arrested for allegedly committing the robbery. The detectives talked to two American Eagle employees who had been locked out due to the locks being changed. 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. From what he could make out it was a female lying face down on the floor in front of the bed. As a result of his incompetency, he was fired, and American Eagle put him on the Do Not Hire Again list. Cervantes helped Mallory falsify documents so she could hire him at the Hulen Mall location where she worked with Harris. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. Mallory and Cervantez reportedly also stole $18,000 from the same store in August of 2014. During a break in questioning, Cervantes was given a bottle of water and left alone in the interrogation room. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The manner of Ashlea's death was ruled as a homicide. But prosecutors said Cervantez planned the crime, which involved stealing Harris' keys to the American Eagle Outfitters store at Hulen Mall in Fort Worth so the couple could take the cash from the store. Police believed she saw them talking with Clarence in the car park and walked the two miles home. Carter Carol Cervantez | Christina Melton Crain Unit Prison | Texas And when she did not do what she was told, they returned to their apartment, where Mallorys friends raped her repeatedly, Cervantez testified. Somehow they avoided looking up at the camera. 04:27 GMT 25 Aug 2017. Though Mallory was arrested for driving without a license, he was also released from custody. She was the youngest of three girls. Ashlea has suffered numerous injuries to her face and head indicating that there were multiple blows. He met his girlfriend Carter Cervantez there. Cervantes helped Mallory falsify documents so she could hire him at the Hulen Mall location where she worked with Harris. Detective Cedillo decided to stake out Cervantez and Mallorys apartment arriving around 3:45 am on Saturday, November 29, 2014. No charges were filed against the two. The two reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. He was eventually labeled as non-rehirable in the American Eagle system. Im so sorry I forgot. Today it marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Both denied knowing anything about the homicide and claimed to be together on Thanksgiving, having dinner and watching movies. This was torture, prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told Snapped.. At a minimum, this took at least a month of planning. Cravey and Ashlea watched the store surveillance video. She workedas an assistant managerin an American Eagle store in the Hulen Mall. 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. She told the Jury that he controlled her and even told her when she could eat or drink. Carter was a former employee at the American Eagle store where Ashlea worked but she was fired in August. Police arrested him as he could not produce his driver's license when asked. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. 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. She enters the mall at 7:56 am on November 29th. Read the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about. Police found burn marks on her body and she had been strangled and her throat wasslit. that the smoke detector had been removed and was underneath the mattress. The Autopsy revealed that Ashleahad numerous injuries on her body including but not limited to, Dr Fries testified that the injuries on Ashlea's face were caused by multiple blows. She was taken to the station for questioning. The State waived their right to seekthe death penalty and instead looked forlife in prison without parole. Detective Cedillo went back to Cervantez apartment and found her in the laundry room this time wearing pink scrubs. These included a black trash bag, a sharpening stone for a knife, a 9mm cartridge, a cell phone, a walkie-talkie, a buck knife sheath, a plastic tub, mens boots that had a cell phone in them, clothing, a toboggan with a hole cut in it, a tarp still inside the package and a kitchen knife. Ashlea Harris worked as an assistant store manager for American Eagle Outfitters located in the Hulen Mall. So he laid back down to try to fall back asleep, but thats when the carbon monoxide detector went off. At the police station, police observed that he was wearing a ski mask. Cervantez was the first to go to trial in May 2016. The inside of the apartment and Ashlea's body led police to believe that the fire was not an accidental fire. 'They slash her throat and then, when she is finally dead, they set her place on fire. He spotted the black Infinity in the apartment parking lot. Our district manager basically gave her the option to quit or to get transferred, said Groen. 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. 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. It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. carbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. Whoever was the last person to leave had locked the door behind them. Officers found Mallory waiting in Cervantes car in the Hulen Mall parking lot and took him into custody. Cervantes was allowed to go home. Wallace also determined that the ignition source was an open flame. Police had to establish if they were involved in Ashlea's death what the motive was. Alexis Torres Bunch. What did they all have in common on Black Friday 2014? Investigators believe the fire was an abrupt change in plan. The Black Infiniti G35 was searched by Officer J.J. Fired One week later Cravey called Cervantez. He was arrested for not having his driver's license on him. Cervantez was recently found guilty of her involvement and sentenced to life in prison without parole in May 2016, reported the Star-Telegram. January 25, 2022, "The effects of abuse are devastating and far reaching. Harris and other workers helped identify them as suspects, KHOU reports. She recalls being raped multiple times by friends of Mallorys and being coerced into the robbery. The following correctional supervision record (the "Record") was collected from the official state department of corrections website (see below for source link). Both Mallory and Cervantez are questioned and released despite both being caught lying and contradicting each other. Both are held on a $100,000 bond. When he left for work around 7:30 am the car was still there. The keys seemed to be the only thing missing from her apartment. Carter Carol Cervantez. Nobody knew for certain whether Ashlea was inside or not. This Record may not reflect actual, complete, or up-to-date data. Posted on May 27, 2016. Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth, Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray a plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. Detective Jerry Cedillo with the Ft. Worth Police Department Homicide Unit arrived at 10:22 am. There were also no signs that a taser had been used on her. A bottle of it found near the body. A Friday. Harris was an assistant manager at the store. Many retailers have special markdowns and people lose their minds trying to snatch up the bargains. 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. Harris boss told investigators the car was similar to a vehicle owned by former American Eagle Outfitters employee Carter Cervantes. 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. Get Driving Directions to Christina Melton Crain Unit Prison, Texas. Detective Cedillo entered the mall looking for Cervantez but was unable to find her. A few minutes later, Patrick'scarbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. Police observed that she hadsuperficial scratches on her arms. All were missing. Cravey indicated that he did. Ashlea Harris was outgoing and personable while the other assistant store manager, Carter was more straight-laced and reserved. Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. She bends down to unlock it but is unable to. | Link Errors It turns out that Clarence was also a former employee of American Eagle. 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. He had looked at his alarm clock and saw the time was 7:30 am. Thats not good. 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. (Joyce Marshall)</p> Author: WFAA Staff Published:. . 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'. The manner of Ashlea's death was ruled as a homicide. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Harris friends told investigators that she had been working around the clock in anticipation of the Black Friday sales event which started that morning. Where Are Carter Cervantez and David Mallory Today? Update Ashlea Harris looked to have severe head trauma. Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you, former co-worker Leticia Groen told Snapped.. Does Alan Cumming Really Live in a Scottish Castle? Carter Carol Cervantez v. State - CourtListener.com Carter Carol Cervantez v. State, 02-16-00224-CR (Tex. The two disappeared after the theft and were not arrested until police tracked them down on Dec. 6. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He took photos of the various items found in the car. 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. The Autopsy revealed that Ashleahad numerous injuries on her body including but not limited toa laceration on the right side of her scalp, on her cheek and the left side of her face and a patterned bruise on the right side of her face, a bruise between her eyes and around her left eye.

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