After he missed three scheduled shifts after the burglary, he and her lover were terminated, and Carters managers keys were confiscated. Cervantez asked to speak to the regional manager about her firing, but in the end, handed over her store keys. This key was not in the trash during the first search. The two reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. But at least there are some you can understand. Ashlea went through the surveillance footage and alleged Carter and David to be the burglars, as Carter was seen leaving the back door of the store unlocked when she took the garbage out the night before. Text messages obtained from Cervantes and Mallorys phones showed them plotting Harris murder as part of a planned Black Friday heist. 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. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. From Free Law Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Prosecutors say Cervantez and her. Cervantez was the assistant store manager who was to lock up the night of the theft. Like Harris, Cervantez was an assistant manager. It didn't last long. Communication between Mallory and Cervantez led police to a shallow hole in a town more than a hundred miles away. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. On Tax Free Weekend and Black Friday, those were our highest deposit days, said Groen. Jeff Kayser to testify. She was later found in her apartment complex. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. The Court heard testimony fromAlexis Torres Bunch. We It was a latenight due to Black Friday sales and Alexis looked after Ashlea's dog Nala while Ashlea was working. Christopher Chris Cravey, Ashlea's boss, heard that police were asking about that vehicle and he told them he knew someone who drove one. He was also fired per store policy. Law Project, a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit. The manner of Ashlea's death was ruled as a homicide. He took photos of the various items found in the car. First published on December 10, 2014 / 11:07 AM. She was savagely beaten. He was arrested for not having his driver's license on him. Ashlea Harris arrived home to her apartment around 3:25 am. It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Another neighbor also told police something disturbing. Who Killed Her. They later found her at her apartment complex doing laundry. Get an 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. Keith Morrison. 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. According to news reports, Carter was an assistant store manager at the time, along with 31-year-oldAshlea Ann Harris. Police began talking to neighbors including Patrick Sweet, who told them about the unusual sounds he heard coming from Ashleas apartment that morning. Police believed they were used for practice as theywerelabeled lock picking practice lock.. In addition, we got Ashleas DNA on this gun that was in Carter Cervantes car, said Kevin Rousseau. Firefighters found her strangled and burned body early in the morning on Nov. 28. Another neighbor, Patrick Sweet, also testified. On May 26, 2016, twenty-seven-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was found guilty of capital murder. When she was unable to get in the store the first time she walked back to the car. The scream was followed by a loud thud and hecould hear labored breathing. Both suspects were booked . Carter Carol Cervantez v. The State of Texas Case Number: 02-16-00224-CR Judge: Mark T. Pittman Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth Plaintiff's Attorney: Joseph W. Spence Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray Steven W. Conder Description: | Advertising Whoever was the last person to leave had locked the door behind them. When she tried to call her back Ashlea didnt pick up. She was taken to the station for questioning. They went directly to the safe where the night deposits were kept, unlocked it, and took the cash inside. 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. 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. 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. Once there, she re-hired Mallory. If you believe this Record is in error (i.e. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! He asked him why he was in the parking lot so early in the morning. She said that she did not. Police have charged Carter Carol Cervantez, 25, and her boyfriend Clarence "David" Mallory, 19, with capital murder in the death of their former co-worker, Ashlea Harris, 31. Next, he heard what sounded like heavy labored breathing. Saturday Tarrant County Sheriffs arrested 25-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez. A. loaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. She was sentenced / adjudicated in Runnels County, Winters. She was the youngest of three girls. Cravey indicated that he did. The district manager decided to give Cervantez a fresh start. Another video from Texas Appliances on the north side of the mall captures Cervantez walking away from the mall towards her apartment. Ashlea had been murdered and her body and apartment had been set on fire. The key opened the dressing room and storage closet at Hulen Mall American Eagle. Investigators believed Cervantes and Mallory were planning to rob the American Eagle store. Chris testified that Carter and Clarence would have known that Ashleaidentified Clarence and informed him of the theft. Carter Carol Cervantez faces capital murder charges in connection with the death of Ashlea Harris. He testified that at around 7.30am on the 28th of November, he woke when heheard a loud scream. After more evidence is gathered they are arrested on December 4, 2014. 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. 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. Steven W. Conder. This was torture, prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told Snapped.. He called 911 when his carbon monoxide detector wentoff and he realized there was a fire. Cervantez received life in prison without the possibility of parole. Patrick thought that perhaps someone had come to pick Ashlea Harris up for work as her pick-up truck remained in its parking space. By this time, Mallory had failed to show up for work on three consecutive days when he was scheduled. There were extensive text messages between the two as they watched the store. Chris went over to Detective Cedillo to tell him what he knew. So why did they kill Ashlea? The two disappeared after the theft and were not arrested until police tracked them down on Dec. 6. On November 29th search warrants were obtained for Cervantez and Mallorys apartment, the black Infinity, and Mallorys Cadillac. At a minimum, this took at least a month of planning. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. 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. Police "developed probable cause" to make the arrests, according to a release. 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. At the apartment, detectives found a box containing a taser in the trash, strands of duct tape, and a damaged deadbolt lock. It had its lights off as it left the parking space in front of Ashleas apartment. , updated Steven Lee was an ex-cop who lived downstairs and diagonally across from Ashlea Harris. The neighbor attempted several times to get into Ashleas apartment but was forced out each time due to the heavy smoke. carbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. From what he could make out it was a female lying face down on the floor in front of the bed. Police had to establish if they were involved in Ashlea's death what the motive was. He determined the source of all the smoke was coming from the bedroom and specifically the bed. Police also saw what appeared to be a fresh injury to his lower lip and his lower lip was swollen. Clarence's phone-We left it. . 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. 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. They went to the store as planned on the Saturday morning with the keys but the lockshad already been changed. When police looked at mall surveillance the video showed a person wearing a grey sweatshirt and black hat arrive at the security gate at American Eagle. Her friend left around 4:40 am with Ashlea locking the door behind her. Joyce Marshall [email protected] FORT WORTH. Police believed she saw them talking with Clarence in the car park and walked the two miles home. Detective Cedillo drove there and he found a hole that had been dug that measuredsix feet long, two and a half feet wide, and three feet deep. Cervantez alleges that she did not commit the murder and was asleep in her apartment when Harris was robbed and killed. The next day, Mallory drove her back to try again. A downstairs neighbor, Patrick Sweet, was lying in bed when he heard a loud scream. Though Mallory was arrested for driving without a license, he was also released from custody. She transferred to the Hulen Mall location and held an assistant store manager position. 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. By January 17, 2022 Police believed that Ashlea was killed between 4.15am and 7.30am. 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. Clarence David Mallory (age 19) had previously worked for American Eagle at their Amarillo location. (Joyce Marshall)</p> Author: WFAA Staff Published:. The Court heard about Ashlea's injuries. He ruled out accidental causes for the reason for the fire and concluded that the fire was set on purpose. Cervantez was the assistant store manager who was to lock up the night of the theft. They were there to get the keys, said Cedillo. There were also no signs that a taser had been used on her. She workedas an assistant managerin an American Eagle store in the Hulen Mall. Then he gathered up some belongings, moved his car away from the building, and waited for the fire department to arrive. He observed. After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. The police also analyzed their mobile phones to find they had exchanged texts planning the murder and methods of disposing of the corpse. After work, Ashlea returned to herapartment around 3.15am and Alexis called over for a few minutes. She testified at her own Trial and told the Court that she was afraid of Clarence. Close to $18,000 was missing from the safe. Police found burn marks on her body and she had been strangled and her throat wasslit. They both pleaded not guilty. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. 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. The Court heard testimony from Steven Lee. 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 getinto her Infiniti G35 with a man. This manager did not close the store that night and did not appear to have the same build as the person in the video. 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. Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com, 'Multiple' US Army drill sergeants at Fort Benning suspended after sexual assault allegations surface, 'It's tough to watch him struggle': Hugh Hefner's son opens up about his dad's health struggles as reclusive Playboy founder hasn't been seen in public in over a year, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, TN residents say Jack Daniel's distillery spews black mold, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' A woman was found guilty of capital murder Thursday for helping to beat, bind and set fire to another woman as part of a Black Friday robbery scheme in 2014. 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. Malloy is being held in a Potter County Jail and will be. . Did we leave it behind? Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape, reports CBS affiliate KHOU, which cites court documents filed by Fort Worth police. Sign up to receive the Free Law Project newsletter with tips and announcements. The two men, who were strangers to her, were invited into the apartment by Clarence and she was raped by both of them. | Privacy Statement. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He spotted the black Infinity in the apartment parking lot. The inside of the apartment and Ashlea's body led police to believe that the fire was not an accidental fire. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. Carter Carol Cervantez, 26, and Clarence David Mallory, 19, are both being held on $600,000 bond. The Court heard that inJune 2014, Ashleawas appointed to run the store while Chris was on medical leave. He testified that when he entered the apartment, itwas full of smoke and water was spraying from the sprinkler system. According to local news reports,the opening manager discovered $17,850.32 had been stolen from the safe. Cervantez is being held in the Fort Worth Jail. He was able to unlock the trunk of Mallorys Cadillac using keys found in the black Infiniti. Today, Ft. Worth is a thriving city of approximately 800,000 residents. 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. When he went to get her keys he was unable to locate them. 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. He was eventually labeled as non-rehirable in the American Eagle system. Police were contacted when the theft was discovered, but I dont know if they questioned Mallory or Cervantez. Aloaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. His name was Clarence David Mallory. Read More: Ashlea Harris Murder: How Did She Die? But Tarrant County prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told the jury that Cervantez was the one who tried to control Mallory, whose trial is pending. 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. They founda plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. I didnt touch it. He opened a window in the bedroom to air it out. Nobody knew for certain whether Ashlea was inside or not. 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. He told the Court that he lived in an apartment justbelow Ashleas apartment. The following correctional supervision record (the "Record") was collected from the official state department of corrections website (see below for source link). 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. Rousseau added: 'Imagine the horror, someone is probably sitting on you while someone else is taping up your hands and then your ankles. There are predators everywhere. By The prosecution alleged Carter to be the mastermind behind the homicide. Harris hands and feet were bound with duct tape, police said. Police searched the black Infiniti G35 and found a plastic bag inside a black trash bag, a sharpening stone for a knife, a nine-millimeter cartridge, a cellphone, a walkie talkie and a Buck knife with a sheath. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. Mallory claimed that he was waiting for his girlfriend, who worked at Aeropostale. Posted on May 27, 2016. Protect yourself and those you love. In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. BestsellerThe Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you, former co-worker Leticia Groen told Snapped.. Detective Cedillo spoke to Chris Cravey, who was Ashleas boss at American Eagle, and asked if he knew anyone who drove a black Infinity. Cervantes helped Mallory falsify documents so she could hire him at the Hulen Mall location where she worked with Harris. This Record may not reflect actual, complete, or up-to-date data. Mallory is awaiting his trial on the same charges. 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. August 20, 2021, "Evil people always support each other; that is their chief strength.".