Another apartment in the complex was on fire. Her friend left around 4:40 am with Ashlea locking the door behind her. The locks at American Eagle were for precautionary reasons, Cedillo told Snapped.. While the homicide took place nearly 6 hours. She workedas an assistant managerin an American Eagle store in the Hulen Mall. Police observed that she hadsuperficial scratches on her arms. Police searched their apartment. Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com. 'They slash her throat and then, when she is finally dead, they set her place on fire. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County Medical. The video showed what looked to be a male wearing a hoodie entering the back door. Detective Cedillo spoke to Chris Cravey, who was Ashleas boss at American Eagle, and asked if he knew anyone who drove a black Infinity. They originally planned to bury Harris at a grave site detectives found north of Abilene, Texas. She said that she did not. When he went to get her keys he was unable to locate them. A friend of hers, Alexis Torres came over. The manner of Ashlea's death was ruled as a homicide. The Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. She was strangled, her throat cut, and ultimately asphyxiated. Ashlea Harris - Chilling Crimes The detectives talked to two American Eagle employees who had been locked out due to the locks being changed. Forth Worth was originally settled in 1849 as a US Army outpost to protect pioneers settling out west. Surveillance cameras caught her wiping down the bottle after drinking from it in order to remove any traces of DNA. Cervantez v. State, No. 02-16-00224-CR | Casetext Search + Citator Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape, reports CBS affiliate KHOU, which cites court documents filed by Fort Worth police. Cervantez alleges that she did not commit the murder and was asleep in her apartment when Harris was robbed and killed. Police asked Alexis if she knew who drove a black Infiniti G35. David, 27, is incarcerated at the Jim Ferguson Unit in Midway, Texas. She denied being at the Hulen Mall that morning. They had been dating which was a violation of store policy. By Read the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about. One week later Cravey called Cervantez. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. He was also a former employee at the same American Eagle store where Ashlea worked and he was Carter's boyfriend. Police could not find Cervantez inside the mall but found her later in the laundry room at her apartment; surveillance video confirmed she had walked the two miles home. Chris Cravey had gotten all the locks changed upon hearing about Ashleas murder. The comments below have not been moderated, by Chilling Crimes At Carter's Trial, her Defense was that she was not involved in Ashlea's death. 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. These included a receipt for a cutaway practice lock that had been mailed to Cervantez & Mallorys apartment and a lock picking instruction manual. Each is charged with one count of capital murder. It was a direct violation of the company policy, and she started facing flak for her relationship with a subordinate. By this time, Mallory had failed to show up for work on three consecutive days when he was scheduled. Both suspects were booked . 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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. Carter Carol Cervantez, 26, and Clarence David Mallory, 19, are both being held on $600,000 bond. 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. The police also analyzed their mobile phones to find they had exchanged texts planning the murder and methods of disposing of the corpse. A few minutes later, Patrick'scarbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. The next day, Mallory drove her back to try again. It was the 28th of November 2014. He thought that somebody had collected Ashlea for work. Cops say Texas woman killed by former co-workers in sick Black Friday The following correctional supervision record (the "Record") was collected from the official state department of corrections website (see below for source link). The Jury heard that Clarence was arrested in the car park at the mall . 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. Ashlea Harris looked to have severe head trauma. Ashlea was found lying face down on the floor of her bedroom. The Court also heardpolicefoundlatitude and longitude coordinates on the cell phones. The fire had been extinguished by then. Incriminating texts shown to jury in Black Friday murder trial Ashley Harris - Murdered By American Eagle Co-Workers - CDP On May 26, 2016, twenty-seven-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez was found guilty of capital murder. 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. Theyare in our work places, our friendship groups and sometimes even our homes. Investigators believed Cervantes and Mallory were planning to rob the American Eagle store. Outcome: Having overruled all three of Cervantezs points, we affirm the trial courts A key belonging to another assistant store manager was left in the night deposit box. Carter did hold this against Ashlea, because Ashlea was the one that turned them in, said Groen. Inside he found 2 shovels and a box of plastic sheeting. 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. The couple were arrested this weekend Cervantez in Fort Worth and Mallory in Amarillo on warrants accusing them of capital murder for Harris's slaying and theft $1,500 to $20,000 for the. Another store employee watched the video and agreed with Ashlea based on the suspects physical appearance. She was tentatively identified by her tattoos. Chicwanda Forbes; Carter Cervantez: With Iyana A. Campbell, Jordan Clifford, Herbert Lee Frazier III, Reginald Garner. None known, Docket Number: Prosecutors laid out a case that Cervantez wanted revenge and payback for getting fired. They later found her at her apartment complex doing laundry. 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. Once there, she re-hired Mallory. 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. So what was the motive for such a savage attack? The 31-year-old was an assistant manager at the American Eagle Outfitters store in the Abilene mall in Texas. Chris told police that a former employee at American Eagle, Carter Carol Cervantez, drove a similar car. It was the Prosecution's case that Carter and Clarencehad a couple of different reasons to want to harm Ashlea. A mysterious fire, missing keys, and a black sports car. The term Black Friday originated in Philadelphia to describe heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic on the day after Thanksgiving. Ashlea was the mom of the store. Prosecutors charged Cervantez with murder one and did not seek the death penalty. 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. A few minutes later, Patrick's. For My Man - TV One He had looked at his alarm clock and saw the time was 7:30 am. One of her former co-workers, Leticia Groen, explained, They werent supposed to be dating because she controlled his pay, she controlled how much he worked, and she would just give him more preferential treatment. After more evidence is gathered they are arrested on December 4, 2014. Cravey and Ashlea watched the store surveillance video. Harris was an assistant manager at the store. She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you.. She told police that she didnot leave the apartment complex at all that day. I didnt touch it. Ashlea suspended Carter and one week later, Chris called Carter and told herthat she had beenterminated for leaving the store unsecured. 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. Our district manager basically gave her the option to quit or to get transferred, said Groen. 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. She then walks to American Eagle and goes out of view. Police spoke to him. Carter Carol Cervantez is a 33 year-old who was listed as being under the supervision of the department of corrections in Christina Melton Crain Unit Prison, Texas. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! carbon monoxide detector went offand he sawwater dripping from the ceiling in his bathroom. Cervantes had hired 19-year-old David Mallory and soon began dating him, in violation of company policy. Mallory and Cervantez reportedly also stole $18,000 from the same store in August of 2014. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Cervantes had worked at American Eagle Outfitters for several years and managed a store in Amarillo, Texas. | Editor 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. Shes the one that coordinated everything and came up with the plan, said Cedillo. Mallory claimed that he was waiting for his girlfriend, who worked at Aeropostale. Dateline: Ashlea Harris' Parents Wanted Mallory, Cervantez Executed Clarence and Carter wereboth charged with capital murder. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! CBS DFW - Fort Worth Police arrested two suspects in the | Facebook As word of the fire spread throughout the community, Harris friends rushed to the scene, desperate for information. The scream was followed by a loud thud and he, could hear labored breathing. 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. He went searching for the reason it was going off and then noticed water dripping from the bathroom ceiling. Ashlea worked on November 27th from 5:30 pm until 3:12 am to prep the store for Black Friday. Communication between Mallory and Cervantez led police to a shallow hole in a town more than a hundred miles away. Chris went over to Detective Cedillo to tell him what he knew. Domestic violence speaks many languages, has many colors and lives in many different communities. Carter Cervantez, 27, who was an assistant manager at the Hulen Mall store, is on trial this week, accused of killing Ashlea Ann Harris, 31, on the day after Thanksgiving 2014. 23:46 GMT 24 Aug 2017 Jeff was a neighbor and friend of Ashlea's. Mallory drove her back to their apartment and friends of Mallory were waiting inside. the Court. 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. The Court heard that inJune 2014, Ashleawas appointed to run the store while Chris was on medical leave. Filed: The trial for the horrific murder of an American Eagle employee on Black Friday began this week in Fort Worth, TX. rely on donations for our financial security. She was taken to the station for questioning. Who Killed Her? After missing several shifts, he was fired and barred from working at other American Eagle stores. 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. Saturday Tarrant County Sheriffs arrested 25-year-old Carter Carol Cervantez. Carter Carol Cervantez appeals from her jury conviction for capital murder and automatic life sentence. And Ashlea discovered that Carter was the person due to lock up the night it was stolen and had left the back door open. When she tried to call her back Ashlea didnt pick up. One of Harris friends had stopped by after Ashlea got off work on Thanksgiving night and stayed until around 5 a.m. Christopher Chris Cravey, Ashlea's boss, heard that police were asking about that vehicle and he told them he knew someone who drove one. According to the show, Carter was recorded being very careful about leaving forensic evidence, even wiping a water bottle after drinking to remove her fingerprints. 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 was arrested for not having his driver's license on him. Ashlea Harris arrived home to her apartment around 3:25 am. She also accused the black-hooded male, caught on camera breaking into the store safe and stealing the money, as David. Dr Richard Fries, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County MedicalExaminers Officer, performed the Autopsy on Ashleas body. Mallory drove the car to another mall exit. Carter Carol Cervantez. App. She was wearing a grey sweatshirt and a black hat. a plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. From what he could make out it was a female lying face down on the floor in front of the bed. 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. Various documents were found. 27-year-old old Carter Carol Cervantez is on trial for capital murder in the. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. It was a black Infiniti G35. It took them just two hours to find her guilty and she was sentenced tolife in prison without parole. Firefighters found her strangled and burned body early in the morning on Nov. 28. The perpetrators had stolen Ashleas store keys and were allegedly planning to break into the store again and steal more money. Two arrests made in Fort Worth murder case | wfaa.com Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, enters court Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with defense attorneys Steve Gordon, right, and Bill Ray, not pictured. 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. The prosecution alleged Carter to be the mastermind behind the homicide. 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?