Before fire and rescue workers arrived a neighbor, Jeff Kayser, kicked in her door calling out for her and Nala. Posted on May 27, 2016. They discovered that Ashlea's missing keys had the store keys on them too. 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. Carter's case was heard first. On their cell phones, they had images of Ashlea's apartment, her apartment door and her vehicle. 2023 Chilling Crimes. 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. They founda plastic tub that contained bungee cords and arope. 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. Our district manager basically gave her the option to quit or to get transferred, said Groen. He testified that he wokethat morning when he heardthe sound of the fire alarms. Cedillo went to the American Eagle store where Harris' boss was waiting for the owners to open up. Her feet and hands were bound with duct tape and she was covered in blood, according to Texas Amarillo Globe-News newspaper. This was two weeks before Ashleas murder. At Carter's Trial, her Defense was that she was not involved in Ashlea's death. He asked him why he was in the parking lot so early in the morning. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Cravey indicated that he did. Take out all the trash andleave that. Cervantes had hired 19-year-old David Mallory and soon began dating him, in violation of company policy. However, her loyalty to the store where she was employed would tragically lead to her death. While Cervantes moved six hours away to Fort Worth, Mallory stayed in Amarillo. When he left for work around 7:30 am the car was still there. 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 . All were missing. He heard the door of Ashlea's apartment close and when he looked out his window, he saw ablack Infiniti G35 driving away. Harris was born in 1983 and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. He was able to unlock the trunk of Mallorys Cadillac using keys found in the black Infiniti. out-of-date, incorrect offense/sentence details, record expunged, etc), please send an email to: Violent Offenders: Evidence and Treatment, Prison Suicide: Methods, Risk, and Prevention, Executions and Execution Rates (by State), Childhood Psychopathy Scale (CPS) (41-Item Version), Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), Jung Self-Rating Scale for Depression (SDS), Borderline Personality Disorder Self-Report, California Psychological Inventory (Socialization), Correctional Mental Health Screening for Men, Black Guerilla Family: Prison Gang Profile, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-COG), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Geriatric Depression Scale (Short Form) (GDS-SF), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD or HAM-D), Ohio Risk Assessment System - Pretrial (ORAS-PAT), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), University of Rhode Island Change Assessment(URICA), Christina Melton Crain Unit Prison, Texas Inmates & Offenders, https://offender.tdcj.texas.gov/OffenderSearch/offenderDetail.action?sid=50612977, Search is on for inmate accidentally released from Colorado jail, Search for Escaped Inmate in Ellis County, Search underway after inmate escapes in Sabine Parish, Three inmates escape Athens County correctional facility, one apprehended, Man Accused of Helping Callahan County Inmate Escape Self-Surrenders, Oklahoma DOC unveils new inmate search feature, Search continues for Inmate who escaped from Lawrence County work release, Correctional Facility or Supervision Authority, Department of Corrections Inmate / Offender Record. Surveillance cameras caught her wiping down the bottle after drinking from it in order to remove any traces of DNA. Carter and David were convicted of beating, strangling, and bounding Ashlea and setting fire to her4701 King Ranch Road apartment onNovember 28, 2014, morning. Cervantez was the first to go to trial in May 2016. Hetestified that it looked like a human grave. Patrick testified that he thought about what he should do. Kevin Rousseau, Tarrant County prosecutor, said of their crime: 'At a minimum this took at least a month of planning. The State waived their right to seekthe death penalty and instead looked forlife in prison without parole. 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. Jeff was a neighbor and friend of Ashlea's. 'They slash her throat and then, when she is finally dead, they set her place on fire. 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. Steven W. Conder. <p>Carter Carol Cervantez, 27, enters court on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with defense attorneys Steve Gordon, right, and Bill Ray, not pictured. Police observed that she hadsuperficial scratches on her arms. From what he could make out it was a female lying face down on the floor in front of the bed. When he went to see why the smoke detector had not gone off he noticed it had been removed and placed under the mattress. The only thing missing from Ashlea's apartment were her keys. He tried again a second and a third time but the smoke made it an impossible task. The man drove to Hulen Mall and when they got there, he dropped off Carter at the door and parked. Water was spraying from the overhead sprinkling system, but Ashlea did not answer when he called out to her. One of the investigators alleged, It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. Video from American Eagle picks her up approaching the gate. It didn't last long. While the homicide took place nearly 6 hours. He told the Court that he lived in an apartment just, below Ashleas apartment. Cervantes had worked at American Eagle Outfitters for several years and managed a store in Amarillo, Texas. On December 4, 2014, arrest warrants were issued for Carter Carol Cervantez and Clarence David Mallory Jr. Cervantez was the assistant store manager who was to lock up the night of the theft. Joyce Marshall jlmarshall@star-telegram.com FORT WORTH. 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. FORT WORTH, Texas -- A woman whose burned body was found in her Fort Worth apartment Thanksgiving weekend had been strangled and beaten, allegedly by former co-workers, according to court documents. Both denied knowing anything about the homicide and claimed to be together on Thanksgiving, having dinner and watching movies. Fort Worth Police arrested two suspects in the November 28 murder of Ashlea Harris. Police believed they were used for practice as theywerelabeled lock picking practice lock.. 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. David received the same sentence on August 24, 2017. Jeffcrawled midway to the kitchen before he was forced to get out for some air. Then he gathered up some belongings, moved his car away from the building, and waited for the fire department to arrive. As word of the fire spread throughout the community, Harris friends rushed to the scene, desperate for information. Examiners Officer, performed the Autopsy on Ashleas body. 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. 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. The two reunited in Fort Worth and moved in together. BestsellerThe Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. According to news reports, Carter was an assistant store manager at the time, along with 31-year-oldAshlea Ann Harris. He was eventually labeled as non-rehirable in the American Eagle system. Another neighbor, Patrick Sweet, also testified. Investigators determined the fire started in Harris bedroom and that rubbing alcohol had been used as an accelerant, despite its low flammability. Unsure of her career path, Harris began working in retail in her early 20s. Jeff, Wallace E. Hood Jr., an arson investigator, told the Court that, multiple origins of the fire, including in the bed, on Ashleas body, and in the closet. Firefighters found her strangled and burned body early in the morning on Nov. 28. He was also fired per store policy. During a break in questioning, Cervantes was given a bottle of water and left alone in the interrogation room. 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. She claims that Mallory drove her to the Hulen Mall not once, but twice. Cervantezs 21 year-old boyfriend Clarence David Mallory has also been charged. 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. They went to the store as planned on the Saturday morning with the keys but the lockshad already been changed. The Court heard testimony from Steven Lee. In August 2016, Clarence David Mallory was found guilty of murder one after one hour of jury deliberation. This was torture, prosecutor Kevin Rousseau told Snapped.. Dr Fries testified that the injuries on Ashlea's face were caused by multiple blows. On the 24th of August 2014, at 1.14am, $18000 was stolen from the safe in the American Eagle store. 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. The two. He went searching for the reason it was going off and then noticed water dripping from the bathroom ceiling. These included a receipt for a cutaway practice lock that had been mailed to Cervantez & Mallorys apartment and a lock picking instruction manual. Cervantes was allowed to go home. The term Black Friday originated in Philadelphia to describe heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic on the day after Thanksgiving. 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. Carter Carol Cervantez v. State - CourtListener.com Carter Carol Cervantez v. State, 02-16-00224-CR (Tex. 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. And in Fort Worth, Carter Carol Cervantez begins to rethink her priorities when she finds love at the workplace. Chris told police that a former employee at American Eagle, Carter Carol Cervantez, drove a similar car. 27-year-old old Carter Carol Cervantez is on trial for capital murder in the. 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. It matched Ashlea Harris' DNA. with the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office testified to Ashlea Harriss cause of death. She was blamed as the mastermind behind the murder plot by prosecutors. Police believed that Ashlea was killed between 4.15am and 7.30am. A. loaded Glock 19 with a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver's seat. Like Harris, Cervantez was an assistant manager. She also accused the black-hooded male, caught on camera breaking into the store safe and stealing the money, as David. ", Sign up to get the latest true crime stories, new product releases and more, Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more . 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. Since this was a violation they took him into custody. He was also found found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to the Dallas Voice newspaper. Cravey fired Cervantez because she had left the store unsecured. The comments below have not been moderated, by Chilling Crimes Both are held on a $100,000 bond. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. He then radioed for police and a crime scene unit to come to the scene. He forced her to enter and rob American Eagle at gunpoint and threatened to kill her family if she didnt do what he asked. Chris was in the parking lot and had been talking to Alexis Torres, who was the last person to talk to Ashlea Harris. Harris' hands and feet were bound in duct tape, reports CBS affiliate KHOU, which cites court documents filed by Fort Worth police. It is up to the rest of us to take an even harder look at who is minding our children. This Record may not reflect actual, complete, or up-to-date data. 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. 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. Powered by Shopify. Police discovered that thirty one year old Ashlea Ann Harris lived in the apartment that was on fire. Carter Carol Cervantes worked as a store manager of an American Eagle Outfitters outlet in Amarillo, Texas. Cervantes also received a sentence of life without parole at a. At Clarence's Trial, he claimed that he was not involved in Ashlea's murder but the Jury also did not believe him and he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Her lover, David, continued working at the Amarillo store but began to miss shifts regularly. Mallory drove the car to another mall exit. She told the Court she did not kill Ashlea and played no part in her death. Ashlea felt that the perpetrator was Mallory. Dr. Richard Fries, deputy M.E. Chris went over to Detective Cedillo to tell him what he knew. At that point, no one other than law enforcement knew that there was any keys missing. A friend of hers, Alexis Torres came over. arrived on the scene. 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. At that location, Detective Cedillo found what he describes as a human grave. They went directly to the safe where the night deposits were kept, unlocked it, and took the cash inside. 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 then walks to American Eagle and goes out of view. An older man offers Chicwanda Forbes the attention she craves in exchange for her loyalty. The district manager decided to give Cervantez a fresh start. In August 2014, a hooded burglar had stolen $18,000 from the American Eagle Hulen Mall store following Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. He was able to determine that the fire had multiple points of origin. Court: Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth, Defendant's Attorney: William H. "Bill" Ray Firefighters put out the blaze and found 31-year-old Harris dead on her bedroom floor. She workedas an assistant managerin an American Eagle store in the Hulen Mall. He ruled out accidental causes for the reason for the fire and concluded that the fire was set on purpose. By this time, Mallory had failed to show up for work on three consecutive days when he was scheduled. It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this and I think David was the muscle. Fire investigator, Wallace Hood, with the Ft. Worth Fire Department arrived on the scene around 8:45 am. On the day after Thanksgiving known in the retail world as Black Friday Harris's. The Prosecutor,Kevin Rousseau,told the Jury: "There are no good murders. Patrick thought that perhaps someone had come to pick Ashlea Harris up for work as her pick-up truck remained in its parking space. Close to $18,000 was missing from the safe. Ashlea had been murdered and her body and apartment had been set on fire. The apartment belonged to 31-year-old Ashlea Harris who resided there with her dog, Nala. It was approximately 6 ft. long, 2 ft wide and 3 feet deep. Her bond was set at $500,000. Alexis usually watched Ashleas dog Nala when she worked. Following Harris murder, the locks had been changed and the Black Friday proceeds were still inside. the Court. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Sign up to receive the Free Law Project newsletter with tips and announcements. January 25, 2022, "The effects of abuse are devastating and far reaching. Officers found Mallory waiting in Cervantes car in the Hulen Mall parking lot and took him into custody. Investigators believe the fire was an abrupt change in plan. 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. Whoever was the last person to leave had locked the door behind them.

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