by Chilling Crimes Cervantez pleads not guilty. This case has not yet been cited in our system. Mallory drove her back to their apartment and friends of Mallory were waiting inside. / CBS News/AP. Firefighters found her strangled and burned body early in the morning on Nov. 28. 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. February 04, 2022, "The criminal justice system will take a hard look at what happened to Matthew Eappen. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. 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. Chris went over to Detective Cedillo to tell him what he knew. arrived on the scene. The only thing missing from Ashlea's apartment were her keys. 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. Police believed she saw them talking with Clarence in the car park and walked the two miles home. When she was unable to get in the store the first time she walked back to the car. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. These included the bed, the closet, and Ashleas body. She was strangled, her throat cut, and ultimately asphyxiated. carbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. A few minutes later, Patrick's. The Court heard testimony from Steven Lee. He identified it as a black Infiniti G35. He tried again a second and a third time but the smoke made it an impossible task. Read More: Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? Unsure of her career path, Harris began working in retail in her early 20s. After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. 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. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! rely on donations for our financial security. 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. Police were contacted when the theft was discovered, but I dont know if they questioned Mallory or Cervantez. Police discovered that thirty one year old Ashlea Ann Harris lived in the apartment that was on fire. The perpetrators had stolen Ashleas store keys and were allegedly planning to break into the store again and steal more money. 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 . 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. 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. Cervantez alleges that she did not commit the murder and was asleep in her apartment when Harris was robbed and killed. It is up to the rest of us to take an even harder look at who is minding our children. Police tracked Cervantes and Mallory to an apartment near the Hulen Mall. Her name was Carter Carol Cervantez. 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 . This was different. 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. There were extensive text messages between the two as they watched the store. judgment. Carter Carol Cervantez, 26, and Clarence David Mallory, 19, are both being held on $600,000 bond. Mallory threatened to hurt her parents and relatives if she did not do what she was told, Cervantez said. On the 24th of August 2014, at 1.14am, $18000 was stolen from the safe in the American Eagle store. 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. 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." According to news reports, Carter was an assistant store manager at the time, along with 31-year-oldAshlea Ann Harris. Fort Worth is located in north-central Texas. Ashlea had been murdered and her body and apartment had been set on fire. Outcome: Having overruled all three of Cervantezs points, we affirm the trial courts Another neighbor also told police something disturbing. Cervantes helped Mallory falsify documents so she could hire him at the Hulen Mall location where she worked with Harris. SHARE NEXT UP Young Woman in the Center of a Murder | For My Man S6/EP27 | Airdate: Nov 29, 2021 <span>Runtime: 00:01:30</span> Alexis usually watched Ashleas dog Nala when she worked. Once there, she re-hired Mallory. Chris told police that a former employee at American Eagle, Carter Carol Cervantez, drove a similar car. As word of the fire spread throughout the community, Harris friends rushed to the scene, desperate for information. 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. It didn't last long. He also described seeing the dark-colored vehicle driving away shortly after hearing Ashleas front door close. A bottle of it found near the body. Inside he found 2 shovels and a box of plastic sheeting. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. He observedthat the smoke detector had been removed and was underneath the mattress. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. He called 911 as he realized there must be a fire. Ashlea Harris arrived home to her apartment around 3:25 am. They also found a toboggan with a hole cut in it, a tarp stillinside the package and a kitchen knife. I became interested in this case after listening to Dateline Podcast from November 29, 2019 episode entitled Black Friday. I had some questions that werent answered on the show and thought Id see what I could find. Fort Worth Police arrested two suspects in the November 28 murder of Ashlea Harris. He called 911 when his carbon monoxide detector wentoff and he realized there was a fire. This key was not in the trash during the first search. 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. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. Under the drivers seat was a 9mm Glock with a round still in the chamber. It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. She was taken to the station for questioning. She was tentatively identified by her tattoos. Police asked Mallory to see his drivers license which he told them he did not have on him. At that location, Detective Cedillo found what he describes as a human grave. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. All were missing. The State waived their right to seekthe death penalty and instead looked forlife in prison without parole. For that reason, the fire seemed like an afterthought to me, Fort Worth Police Detective Ernie Pate told Snapped.. 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 term Black Friday originated in Philadelphia to describe heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic on the day after Thanksgiving. Then he gathered up some belongings, moved his car away from the building, and waited for the fire department to arrive. Cravey indicated that he did. He then radioed for police and a crime scene unit to come to the scene. Forth Worth was originally settled in 1849 as a US Army outpost to protect pioneers settling out west. The following correctional supervision record (the "Record") was collected from the official state department of corrections website (see below for source link). Water was spraying from the overhead sprinkling system, but Ashlea did not answer when he called out to her. Prosecutors laid out a case that Cervantez wanted revenge and payback for getting fired. He heard a scream at around 7.30am. She told the Court she did not kill Ashlea and played no part in her death. Police conducted a second search of the apartment on December 4th and found a key in the kitchen trash can. A Friday. A 911 call was made by a resident at an apartment complex in Fort Worth, Texas, United States to ask for help. 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. Prosecutors for the case showed surveillance video of Cervantez buying shovels and other gear on November 21st, with the intention of digging a grave for Harris. 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 . | Editor She was blamed as the mastermind behind the murder plot by prosecutors. It didn't last long. She recalls being raped multiple times by friends of Mallorys and being coerced into the robbery. They were there to get the keys, said Cedillo. She was the youngest of three girls. Police spoke to all of Ashlea'sneighbors. ", by Chilling Crimes Ashlea identified Clarence as the person who took the money from the safe from the surveillance footage. She is described by the store manager, Chris Cravey, as being a phenomenal employee who was loved by everyone.. The Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. He followed them as Mallory drove to the Hulen Mall. Helived downstairs and diagonally across from Ashlea. When Detective Cedillo entered the coordinates it came up to a specific location near Lueders, Texas. Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com. 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. Carter Carol Cervantez. The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. Cedillo went to the American Eagle store where Harris' boss was waiting for the owners to open up. 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. They originally planned to bury Harris at a grave site detectives found north of Abilene, Texas. The manner of Ashlea's death was ruled as a homicide. Harris boss told investigators the car was similar to a vehicle owned by former American Eagle Outfitters employee Carter Cervantes. Ashlea Ann Harris was murdered Nov. 28, 2014, by Clarence David Mallory, 22, and his co-defendant, Carter Carol Cervantes, 28. Her truck was still in the apartment complexs parking lot. Ashlea suspended Carter and one week later, Chris called Carter and told herthat she had beenterminated for leaving the store unsecured. From Free Law Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. 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. 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. Then he heard a loud thump right above him as Ashleas bedroom was directly above his. It matched Ashlea Harris' DNA. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. December 10, 2014 / 11:07 AM Another video from Texas Appliances on the north side of the mall captures Cervantez walking away from the mall towards her apartment. This was two weeks before Ashleas murder. This was done while Chris Cravey was out on medical leave. Cerevantez and Mallory had previously worked with Harris at the American Eagle store, but this summer were suspected of stealing $18,000 dollars from it. Combined Opinion from Carter Carol Cervantez is on trial this week on a capital murder charge in the slaying of Ashlea Ann Harris, 31, on Nov. 28, 2014, the day after Thanksgiving, known commercially as Black Friday. Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape,. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. The man drove to Hulen Mall and when they got there, he dropped off Carter at the door and parked. Harris apartment showed no signs of forced entry and none of her valuables were missing. One of Harris friends had stopped by after Ashlea got off work on Thanksgiving night and stayed until around 5 a.m. She said that she did not. Clarence David Mallory, 22, would meet a similar fate in August 2017. Police retraced Ashlea's movements. Chris Cravey had gotten all the locks changed upon hearing about Ashleas murder. 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. Various documents were found. Chris was in the parking lot and had been talking to Alexis Torres, who was the last person to talk to Ashlea Harris. What did they all have in common on Black Friday 2014? Cervantez claims that Mallory dug the grave for her. Both Mallory and Cervantez are questioned and released despite both being caught lying and contradicting each other. David, 27, is incarcerated at the Jim Ferguson Unit in Midway, Texas. Police "developed probable cause" to make the arrests, according to a release. Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com
After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. She came from a blended family.
She told Chris police were asking about an Infiniti G35. He observed. November 8th, 2018, Precedential Status: Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. He determined the source of all the smoke was coming from the bedroom and specifically the bed. He testified that the presence of. He took photos of the various items found in the car. Domestic violence speaks many languages, has many colors and lives in many different communities. In her testimony, Cervantez describes abusive behavior from Mallory, who she says threatened to kill her family if she didnt comply with his orders. He met his girlfriend Carter Cervantez there. The following opinions cover similar topics: CourtListener is a project of Free He heard the door of Ashlea's apartment close and when he looked out his window, he saw ablack Infiniti G35 driving away. Officers found Mallory waiting in Cervantes car in the Hulen Mall parking lot and took him into custody. He was also a former employee at the same American Eagle store where Ashlea worked and he was Carter's boyfriend. 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. And in Fort Worth, career-driven Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. The prosecution alleged Carter to be the mastermind behind the homicide. 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. Knives and a loaded gun were found inside Cervantes Infiniti while the shovels and other items were in the trunk of Mallorys vehicle. Both denied knowing anything about the homicide and claimed to be together on Thanksgiving, having dinner and watching movies. . At the apartment, detectives found a box containing a taser in the trash, strands of duct tape, and a damaged deadbolt lock. Chicwanda Forbes; Carter Cervantez: With Iyana A. Campbell, Jordan Clifford, Herbert Lee Frazier III, Reginald Garner. 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. She claimed she spent Thanksgiving cooking dinner for her and Mallory and they watched movies afterward. This Record may not reflect actual, complete, or up-to-date data. I think theres a fire upstairs in the apartment above me, the caller said in his 911 call, which was obtained by Snapped.. 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. Many retailers have special markdowns and people lose their minds trying to snatch up the bargains. Both suspects were booked . One of the investigators alleged, It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle.