Carter Cervantez

Summary

Summary of "Snapped: Women Who Murder" Episode: Carter Cervantez

Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "Carter Cervantez" from the true crime podcast Snapped: Women Who Murder, Oxygen delves into the tragic and brutal murder of Ashley Harris, a beloved assistant manager at American Eagle Outfitters in Fort Worth, Texas. Released on January 5, 2025, this episode meticulously chronicles the events leading up to Ashley's untimely death, the subsequent investigation, and the eventual conviction of her murderer, Carter Cervantez.

Background on Ashley Harris

Ashley Harris, born in 1983, was a vibrant and outgoing individual whose vivacious spirit endeared her to friends, family, and coworkers alike. “She was the really cute, fun, outgoing person. A lot of people were attracted to her, regardless of whether or not they were a boy or a girl” (07:32), her friend recalls. Ashley's journey of self-discovery led her to embrace her identity within the LGBTQ community in 2004, a transition warmly supported by her loved ones. Professionally, Ashley thrived at American Eagle Outfitters, where her dedication and leadership earned her the position of assistant manager by the fall of 2011. “What Ashley loved about retail is that she got to meet new people every single day. She finally found like her place in life” (09:58).

The Murder Event

On November 28, 2014, just before 8:00 AM on Black Friday, Ashley's life was brutally cut short. A fire erupted in her Fort Worth apartment complex, initially believed to be a tragic accident. However, firefighters quickly realized the grim reality when they discovered Ashley's mutilated body. “Firefighters immediately discovered a body, so they called the Fort Worth police right away” (05:02). The scene was horrifying: Ashley was found bound, bludgeoned, stabbed, and covered in blood, indicating that her death was not a result of the fire but a heinous act of violence. “This was not a stranger. This was somebody who killed her out of anger. This was torture” (05:28) stated a detective involved in the case.

Investigation and Initial Leads

As news of the murder spread, investigators combed through the evidence, uncovering puzzling details. Notably, Ashley's wallet and ID were found at the scene, but nothing else was missing, ruling out robbery as a motive. “There's still money in her wallet and her credit cards are still there. And so that was odd to them that if maybe it's a home invasion or a robbery, you would expect to see TVs taken, electronics taken, and they didn't see that” (12:42). Additionally, the method of entry baffled the detectives. The apartment door was locked from the inside, and Ashley's keys were missing, suggesting that the perpetrator had access to them.

Identifying Suspects: Carter Cervantez and David Mallory

The investigation took a pivotal turn when Ashley's coworker, Chris Cravey, identified an unfamiliar vehicle—a two-door black Infiniti G35—parked near Ashley's truck the morning of the murder. “Chris tells police the name of the employee is 25-year-old Carter Cervantes” (18:34). Carter Cervantes, formerly a store manager in Amarillo, had been transferred to Fort Worth, where she employed the young David Mallory. Their covert relationship breached company policies, leading to Carter's transfer and David's eventual termination.

Further scrutiny revealed that in August 2014, months before Ashley's murder, there was a significant theft at American Eagle, with over $18,000 stolen. Ashley identified David Mallory as the perpetrator, implicating both him and Carter, who had access to the store's finances. “Carter Cervantes would be one of the only people that would have a key to both the safe and to the back door” (21:21). This revelation sowed the seeds of suspicion towards the duo.

The Plan and Execution

Investigators discovered that Carter had been preparing for a major heist. Surveillance footage showed Carter purchasing a pair of short-handled shovels, rope, gloves, a tarp, and duct tape—essentially a "murder kit" (37:08). These tools were consistent with the evidence found at Ashley's apartment, where she was bound and brutally attacked. Additionally, the discovery of a loaded Glock in Carter's vehicle and the identical shovels in David's trunk linked the suspects directly to the crime scene.

Further investigation revealed meticulous planning. Text messages between Carter and David outlined their intentions, revealing Carter as the mastermind and David as the enforcer. “The planning and the prep for this horrible, horrific event is just kind of part of their daily life almost in their text messages” (42:25). Their coordinated efforts to secure Ashley's keys, commit the murder, and destroy evidence through arson demonstrated a premeditated and calculated approach to the crime.

Arrest and Conviction

By late November 2014, detectives had gathered substantial evidence against Carter and David. The forensic analysis played a crucial role in sealing their fate. DNA evidence from Ashley was found on the Glock in Carter’s car, and blood matching Ashley's was discovered in Carter and David's vehicle (40:31). This irrefutable evidence led to the arrest warrants for capital murder. On May 26, 2016, Carter Cervantes was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life without parole. In 2017, David Mallory faced trial and received the same sentence, deemed equally responsible for Ashley's death.

Aftermath and Reflections

The tragic loss of Ashley Harris left an indelible mark on her community, friends, and family. “Both Carter and David are doing life in prison without the possibility of parole. They will both die in prison” (45:55). Ashley's friend poignantly reflects, “The mark Ashley left on this earth and the happiness and joy that she brought, everyone, myself included, never leaves” (46:34). The episode underscores the profound impact of Ashley's life and the devastating consequences of her murder.

Conclusion

The "Carter Cervantez" episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder is a compelling narrative that highlights the intricate details of a premeditated murder driven by greed and revenge. Through meticulous investigation and undeniable evidence, the podcast illustrates how justice was ultimately served for Ashley Harris. This episode serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring legacy of those we lose too soon.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “She was the really cute, fun, outgoing person. A lot of people were attracted to her, regardless of whether or not they were a boy or a girl.” – Ashley Harris's Friend (07:32)

• “This was somebody who killed her out of anger. This was torture.” – Detective (05:28)

• “There was a pretty big age difference. Laura had a full-time job and Laura had her own place. And Ashley was just still trying to find her way.” – Ashley Harris's Friend (09:04)

• “We believe when it was time to close up, she gave him the key for the safe.” – Shopify Representative (21:21)

• “Carter Cervantes fancied herself, I presume, a criminal mastermind. But in reality, she was an amateur.” – Detective (45:16)

• “The mark Ashley left on this earth and the happiness and joy that she brought, everyone, myself included, never leaves.” – Ashley Harris's Friend (46:34)

Transcript

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Shopify.com Wondery When a fire rages in a Fort Worth apartment, horror awaits beneath the flames.

[Shopify Representative]

This is not just a fire. We actually have a crime scene.

[Jeff Kaiser]

Firefighters immediately discovered a body found bludgeoned, stabbed, blood everywhere.

[Detective]

This was not a stranger. This was somebody who killed her out of anger. This was torture.

[Narrator]

A young life snuffed out just as it was getting started.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

She was the really cute, fun, outgoing person. A lot of people were attracted to her, regardless of whether or not they were a boy or a girl.

[Detective]

They found what can only be described as a grave.

[Narrator]

Burning vengeance and insane, insatiable greed.

[Shopify Representative]

If you got on her bad Side, there was kind of no coming back from it.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

It takes a really evil person to be able to commit a crime that elaborate.

[Detective]

The level of planning you don't often get all this intrigue. She was motivated by greed, by hatred, and finally she was motivated by the thrill of it. She loved doing.

[Narrator]

November 28, 2014. It's just before 8:00am on Black Friday in a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas when all hell breaks loose at the River Ranch apartment complex.

[Detective]

Fort Worth Fire department.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

What's the address of your emergency?

[Narrator]

Yeah, hi, I'm live over at River.

[Detective]

Ranch Apartments and I think there's a.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Fire upstairs in the apartment above me. Stay with me, I'll get someone in their house.

[Narrator]

Another neighbor, 25 year old Jeff Kaiser, notices the smoke outside and immediately runs upstairs to check on his friend, 31 year old Ashley Harris.

[Jeff Kaiser]

Ashley lived in an apartment complex with a lot of friends nearby and he was really worried she might be inside.

[Narrator]

Jeff doesn't wait for the fire department.

[Jeff Kaiser]

He got with a maintenance man and kicked in the door and both went into the apartment. When they did kick in, Ashley's dog ran out. They were looking for Ashley, calling her name. She wasn't answering. The two men couldn't really get to the bedroom. It was too smoky and dangerous. So they exited the apartment. By that time the firefighters had arrived on the scene and they went in with equipment.

[Narrator]

As the smoke clears, it appears firefighters are too late.

[Jeff Kaiser]

Firefighters immediately discovered a body, so they called the Fort Worth police right away.

[Narrator]

Firefighters quickly realized the death wasn't the result of the blaze.

[Jeff Kaiser]

They find a young woman, bound hands and feet on the floor of her bedroom, bludgeoned, stabbed, blood everywhere.

[Shopify Representative]

It was immediately apparent this is not just a fire, we actually have a crime scene.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

I was the on call detective for our unit for the Thanksgiving weekend. Upon entering the apartment, my immediate attention was in the living room. Nothing really appeared to be ransacked or disturbed, as you know, indications of a struggle. I then walked into the bedroom where I immediately saw the victim laying on the floor.

[Shopify Representative]

Her wallet was there at the scene with her ID that they could tell looked like this person, Ashley Harris.

[Narrator]

News of the fire spreads quickly throughout Fort Worth.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

Our friend called me and said that Ashley's apartment was on fire. I said, what? What do you mean Ashley's apartment's on fire?

[Narrator]

A crowd is gathering in the parking lot. Concerned family and friends are desperate for information.

[Family Member]

They were wanting to know, is that Ashley? Is that Ashley? We will often withhold that identification for the medical examiner to confirm that identity either with Dental records or with DNA.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

I said, can you tell me anything? He said, I'll ask you a question. He said, Does Jeremiah 29:11 mean anything to you? And I just spoke. I mean, my knees just gave out. I said, it's Ashley's tattoo. There's like someone like pulled the rug out from underneath you, you know, and then we knew.

[Family Member]

I put myself in their position and that was the best thing I could do to let the friends and family, to let them know something.

[Narrator]

Born in 1983, Ashley Harris came from a loving blended family.

[Jeff Kaiser]

She was a Texas girl, born and raised. Her parents divorced.

[Family Member]

Ashley Harris father, he was a Fort Worth police officer. At one time, he was friends with my father.

[Narrator]

Ashley's vivacious spirit drew everyone in.

[Detective]

Ashley struck me as one of those larger than life personalities. She had a huge circle of friends.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

She was the really cute, fun, outgoing person. And so a lot of people were attracted to her, regardless of whether or not they were a boy or a girl.

[Narrator]

In her early 20s, an unexpected romantic spark changed Ashley's life forever.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

When she met Laura, she was straight, you know, she was pursuing men. And Laura just kind of took her by surprise and they really just became very, very close very, very quickly. And then they moved in together.

[Narrator]

In 2004, Ashley was ready to share this revelation about her identity with her loved ones.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

When she did finally come out, you know, everyone welcomed that decision. The LGBTQ community welcomed Ashley and she thrived. Like really, really thrived.

[Narrator]

While her relationship with Laura brought Ashley new friends and self exploration, it wasn't meant to last.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

There was a pretty big age difference. Laura had a full time job and Laura had her own place. And Ashley was just still trying to find her way. But they never stopped being friends.

[Narrator]

As a young adult, Ashley struggled to decide on a career path.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

When she was mid-20s is when she got into retail and then ultimately ended up at American Eagle that she really, really, really, really loved.

[Narrator]

Ashley worked her way up the ranks, making assistant manager by the fall of 2011.

[Jeff Kaiser]

She works at Heulin Mall. Her manager loved her. The store employees loved her. Overall, she was great at her job. People said that she looked out for her staff, kind of helpful mentoring them.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

What Ashley loved about retail is that she got to meet new people every single day. She finally found like her place in Life.

[Narrator]

Just as 31 year old Ashley is coming into her own, her future is cut short.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

We have a 31 year old female who has been murdered. Everyone spoke very highly of Ashley. She was this great person. For us that's important. It's like, who would want to hurt her?

[Shopify Representative]

It was horrific. It's very rare we see a case where a person is bound in their own house. And of course, there was fire that was set to the house.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Her bedroom was the point of origin for the fire. It appeared the bed was partially burned and her body appeared to have been burned partially. There was some type of trauma to her body. You could see signs of blood, see some bruising. This is not going to be your typical fire investigation.

[Narrator]

And arson investigators noticed something peculiar.

[Family Member]

The accelerant that we saw was a bottle of alcohol, rubbing alcohol. That's not a very flammable liquid if.

[Shopify Representative]

You'Re going to set something on fire. Normal household alcohol doesn't really burn as fast and is not a very good accelerant at all.

[Family Member]

For that reason, the fire seemed like an afterthought to me.

[Narrator]

Coming up, detectives have their work cut out for them.

[Detective]

The impression that I got was, no, this was not a stranger.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

Who would want to hurt Ashley?

[Narrator]

Could a surprise witness hold the answer?

[Emergency Dispatcher]

She was one of the last persons to see her alive.

[Narrator]

Friday, November 28, 2014. Homicide investigators in Fort Worth, Texas are combing through the scorched apartment of 31 year old Ashley Harris.

[Family Member]

She had been bound with duct tape. There was trauma to the head and face area. The body was partially burned. There was evidence of a pretty violent struggle.

[Narrator]

Beyond the bedroom, investigators find a home eerily undisturbed.

[Shopify Representative]

There's still money in her wallet and her credit cards are still there. And so that was odd to them that if maybe it's a home invasion or a robbery, you would expect to see TVs taken, electronics taken, and they didn't see that.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

One of the neighbors and a friend had come over and try to get in, make entry into the apartment. Jeff said that he ended up kicking the door in and our victim's dog ran out.

[Family Member]

He described the door as being locked, which, that was interesting to us. How was the door locked?

[Shopify Representative]

We don't know how they access Ashley's apartment. We just feel like by deducing all of that, there's no lock picking evidence.

[Detective]

The impression that I got was, no, this was not a stranger.

[Narrator]

And investigators are faced with another mystery.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

We knew that Ashley had a pickup that was parked at the scene. It was a white Dodge pickup. So for us, that was important because we wanted to search that vehicle.

[Narrator]

The problem is detectives can't find Ashley's keys.

[Jeff Kaiser]

The keys are missing, but it doesn't look like anything else is missing. It didn't look like a Robbery.

[Family Member]

Once we realized, hey, the keys aren't even here. Well, whoever did this could have easily use the keys and lock the deadbolt.

[Narrator]

Investigators continue to process the scene while another team searches for witnesses.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Our job as detectives is to speak to anyone that's close to Ashley, whether it's family, friends, co workers, neighbors, anyone that could possibly have a issue with Ashley. So when we were on the scene, I had interviewed Alexis Torres, who was a friend of Ashley's, and she was one of the last person to see her alive.

[Narrator]

Friends tell detectives that Ashley had been working around the clock, getting ready for Black Friday.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

Ashley was going to work that Thanksgiving, and her friends had a little party because they wanted to make sure that Ashley was fed prior to having to go work.

[Detective]

Alexis had come over to take care of Ashley's dog while Ashley was working because Ashley had to work late that night and then had to be at work early the next morning.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Lex's Torres came over on three occasions that night, the last being shortly after 3am and when she arrived, Ashley was already home.

[Shopify Representative]

It was like three in the morning when Ashley got home from work. And the plan was Ashley was going to take a nap, take a couple hours, get back up early, seven, eight in the morning and go back into American Eagle.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Actually, Ashley wanted Alexis to stay the night and Alexis couldn't because she had her father's pickup and she had to return it to him because he had to work the next morning.

[Narrator]

Alexis tells police that she hung out with Ashley for about an hour and a half before heading home.

[Jeff Kaiser]

According to Alexis, she left about 4:40 or maybe 4:45 in the morning.

[Shopify Representative]

Alexis remembered when she left and she told Ashley goodbye. Ashley locked the door behind Alexis. She remembers hearing that noise.

[Narrator]

Alexis also offers up another key piece of information.

[Jeff Kaiser]

Ashley usually left her keys on this counter, and she always keeps her truck keys with her store keys, and it looks like those are missing.

[Narrator]

Ashley's body is transported to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office for an autopsy. Meanwhile, the crowd outside Ashley's apartment complex is growing.

[Family Member]

There was a lot of friends and family. Ashley was very loved. They all started gathering. Co workers from American Eagle started showing up.

[Narrator]

As investigators talk to potential witnesses, one of Ashley's neighbors comes forward and reports that around seven that morning he saw something suspicious.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Stephen Lee had lived at that apartment complex for several years, so he was very familiar with the people that lived nearby. He turns out to be a retired law enforcement officer from California, So he was very observant.

[Family Member]

Steve and Lee had a pretty structured routine. Each morning he would step out, smoke a cigarette and take note of who was home and who wasn't by where their cars were.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Stephen Lee noticed a specific vehicle that he'd never seen before. He described that vehicle to be a two door black Infiniti, which he thought was a G35.

[Detective]

It was not a car that he was familiar with. He'd lived there for a while and he knew his neighbor's vehicles.

[Shopify Representative]

Everyone in that apartment has kind of assigned parking spots. It's not technically assigned, but everybody has their spot they park in. And so he noticed that car.

[Narrator]

More importantly, Steve says the black sedan had been parked next to Ashley's truck.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

The crowd was asked about an Infinity that may have been visiting Ashley.

[Narrator]

Ashley's boss, Chris Cravey, is also standing by.

[Shopify Representative]

Chris Cravey was actually one of the managers at the time. He was also very close to Ashley. They were friends. And so he immediately went to her apartment when he was hearing all about this, and when he hears that a Infiniti G35 had been at the scene, he immediately thinks, I know an employee that drives that type of Infiniti.

[Narrator]

Chris tells police the name of the employee is 25 year old Carter Cervantes.

[Jeff Kaiser]

Carter Cervantes had been working with American Eagle Outfitters for quite some time.

[Shopify Representative]

The first time I met Carter, she was the store manager in Amarillo, Texas. She actually interviewed me for a sales associate job. 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. She would always find a way at work to make it harder on you.

[Narrator]

While Carter was managing the Amarillo store, Carter, she also hired 19 year old David Mallory.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Sometime during their working together, Carter and David became involved in a relationship.

[Shopify Representative]

David was a stock manager. They weren't supposed to be dating because she controlled his pay, she controlled how much he worked, and she would just give him more preferential treatment. And our district manager basically gave her the option to, to quit or to get transferred.

[Jeff Kaiser]

David is 19, very young. Carter is 24 or 25, older. The managers discovered they had a relationship that was against the rules. Carter and her manager worked out that they were going to transfer her to Fort Worth.

[Shopify Representative]

She moved about six hours away to Fort Worth. David was still on our schedule in Amarillo. He didn't show up for three shifts in a row, which meant that he was fired and now considered unrehirable. So we made sure to put him in our system so that it would show that he was not allowed to work at an American Eagle anymore.

[Narrator]

However, Carter knew how to cheat the system and didn't let that stop her from hiring David In Fort Worth.

[Jeff Kaiser]

She and David moved in together. Carter got him employed by changing his Social Security number. So in the system, it looked like this was a new employee with a different Social Security number. So that do not hire note didn't come up with corporate hr.

[Narrator]

While talking to detectives, Ashley's boss reveals another crucial detail.

[Shopify Representative]

In August of 2014, months prior to the murder in November, there had been an individual that had gone into American Eagle and stolen over $18,000.

[Narrator]

CO workers tell detectives that Ashley was the one who discovered the theft.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

A thin individual, possibly a male, comes in, goes straight to the safe, unlocks the safe and takes money from the safe and walks out.

[Shopify Representative]

The back door was left unlocked, which is how he got in. You have to have a key to open it. It's not a digital safe. It was obviously somebody who had worked at an American Eagle because they didn't search around. It was clear to Ashley that this is David Mallory that's entering in and taking the money. The person that would have left the door open would have been his girlfriend at the time, Carter Cervantes. So we believe when it was time to to close up, she gave him the key for the safe.

[Narrator]

Coming up. Could one of Ashley's former co workers have reason to kill her?

[Shopify Representative]

Carter did hold this against Ashley because Ashley was the one that turned them in.

[Narrator]

And investigators learn the horrific details of Ashley's last moments.

[Shopify Representative]

Ashley Harris had a tremendous amount of injuries on her body. She had basically more injuries than anyone I've ever seen.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

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[Emergency Dispatcher]

Beverly Hills are all new.

[Narrator]

We are going to arrive in style. I feel so elegant.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

You can't wear anything that people have seen you in.

[Narrator]

That's the kiss of death.

[Jeff Kaiser]

I'm living my best life.

[Shopify Representative]

Beverly Hills is where marriages come to die.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

PK and I have agreed to separate.

[Narrator]

I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore. It's time to let go of the past.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

Is there more to the story?

[Jeff Kaiser]

Absolutely. Step into the spotlight with the Real.

[Narrator]

Housewives of Beverly Hills every Tuesday at.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

8 on Bravo and streaming on Peacock.

[Narrator]

Hours. After discovering the brutalized body of 31 year old Ashley Harris, the assistant men manager at a popular retail store, investigators in Fort Worth, Texas get their first big lead.

[Shopify Representative]

So back in 2014, in August, there was this robbery that occurred inside of American Eagle. It was the tax free weekend. An individual had stolen over $18,000.

[Narrator]

After reviewing the surveillance footage, Ashley identified one of her co workers as the perpetrator, David Mallory.

[Shopify Representative]

The record showed that the alarm was not tripped, but the door was ajar. Carter Cervantes, as one of the assistant managers, would be one of the only people that would have a key to both the safe and to the back door.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Earlier that night, Carter Cervantes had gone out to take out trash, which is not typically something that she normally does. But on this specific night, she did take out trash and she left the door propped open. And that's where this individual later in that night made entry.

[Narrator]

When detectives pull the police report on the theft, they find that it's still an active case.

[Detective]

From the police department's perspective, it was still an open case. From American Eagle's perspective, they were satisfied that they knew who had done it.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Carter Cervantes was terminated after that and David Mallory never showed up to work. So he was obviously also terminated.

[Shopify Representative]

Carter did hold this against Ashley because Ashley was the one that turned them in.

[Narrator]

Detectives become even more suspicious when they receive the results of Ashley's autopsy.

[Shopify Representative]

Ashley Harris had a tremendous amount of injuries on her body. She had basically more injuries than anyone I've ever seen.

[Detective]

She had a deep cut to one side of her neck Numerous injuries on her face and head from being struck with a hard object. She had what we believed to be a stomp mark on one of her lower legs. There was evidence of ligature where something had been wrapped around her neck and pulled tight to result in strangulation as well. This was somebody who killed her out of anger. This was torture. This looked like somebody who was mad at her.

[Narrator]

The cause of death is listed as asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head and neck.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

She was deceased shortly before the fire started.

[Narrator]

It becomes clear to authorities that this was a rage killing and that Alexis Torres is not their suspect.

[Family Member]

Alexis was very cooperative and she was cleared pretty quickly.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Alexis turned out not to be the best person to look at at that time. After we developed two additional suspects.

[Narrator]

Investigators at the scene immediately start tracking down Carter Cervantes and David Mallo.

[Family Member]

We found through our research that they lived in an apartment complex near Hewland Mall and near the crime scene. And that they did have a G35, the exact kind of vehicle seen parked next to Ashley's truck, registered to Carter Cervantes.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

I contacted one of our undercover units to maintain constant surveillance on this apartment. Roughly from about three till about midnight. There was a white Cadillac that was parked nearby registered to David Mallory with the black two door Infinity wasn't in the parking lot at that time.

[Narrator]

In the early morning hours of Saturday, November 29th, Detective Sedillo returns to run surveillance on the apartment. It's been nearly 24 hours since Ashley was found. Murder.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Upon driving near the building, I now see the black two door infinity backed in approximately 7:45 and the sun's starting to come up. I see the lights on the vehicle blink on and off as if someone has unlocked the vehicle, which gets my attention.

[Detective]

David Mallory and Curtis Vondage both came outside. They got into her car and he followed them as they left the parking lot.

[Jeff Kaiser]

He follows them just a couple of miles to Hewlett Mall, which is very interesting. Why are they going to Hewlett Mall early in the morning?

[Narrator]

The detective watches as Carter Cervantes exits the vehicle and enters the mall.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

She was wearing dark clothing. Why would they be coming back to a location where they used to work and where Ashley Harris used to work? At 7:45 in the morning, the only people that are in the mall are mall workers or employees.

[Narrator]

Detective Cedillo calls for backup before following Carter into the mall.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

And I went into the mall. As I'm walking, I run into Chris Cravey, who is standing outside of American Eagle with the Gate still closed. I said, hey, by chance, did you see Carter Cervantes walk by?

[Narrator]

Chris says he hasn't seen Cervantes, but is anxious to get inside the store to collect a large sum of money in the safe from Black Friday.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

I ask him, well, what are you doing still standing out here? And he says, well, we changed the locks to the gates after we learned of Ashley's death. So he was waiting on his bosses to show up with the keys so they can go in. At that point, no one other than law enforcement knew that there was any keys missing. The locks were changed at American Eagle for precautionary reasons.

[Shopify Representative]

On tax free weekend in Black Friday, those were our highest deposit days. Sometimes two or three deposits would be left inside of the safe until they could take it. Carter would always joke that if I were ever going to steal a deposit, it would be Black Friday or tax free weekend. And we always thought, oh, ha ha, that's funny.

[Jeff Kaiser]

Black Friday and special events are huge. Stores can bring in 50, 60, sometimes almost even 70k in cash. Carter knew the process, the timing, who did what, when, how they made deposits. She knew there would be a lot of money in there.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

So for me, in my mind, I'm thinking that David and Carter are there to rob the money from Thursday night and Friday night.

[Narrator]

Outside, officers confront 19 year old David Mallory, who appears to be waiting on Carter to exit the mall.

[Family Member]

He didn't want to talk. That's whenever we arrested him for not having his driver's license on his person. Our goal was to talk to David and also to get that vehicle to search for forensic evidence. We took the car, but we don't have a right to search the vehicle legally until we obtain a search warrant.

[Narrator]

Meanwhile, Detective Sedillo is having no luck locating Carter inside the mall.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

At this point, the mall starting to open up and customers are starting to come in. Now it's going to be even more impossible to locate Carter. So I decided to go and maintain surveillance at her apartment a couple miles from the mall. Shortly after, the undercover officer had spotted Carter Cervantes in the business office of the complex. The officers mentioned that she was wearing pink scrubs, which, you know, that didn't make any sense to me because when I saw her go in, I never saw her wearing any pink. She agreed to come down to our office to be interviewed.

[Jeff Kaiser]

She volunteered of her own volition, went down, and so now the detectives have both of them to at least start getting information.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

I know you have a lot of questions about what's going on and why you're here. You're under arrest for not having a driver's license on your person at the office here in Texas.

[Detective]

When they asked David Mallory about why he was at the mall that morning, he told them that he brought Carter to the mall and that she was supposed to be doing some new employee paperwork and that he was waiting for her to finish.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Is there a reason why you're lying to us? You know, she hasn't worked since she left American school. I thought maybe I got her confused or something, but no. You can't even say that without stuttering.

[Narrator]

Coming up, investigators finally confront Carter Cervantes.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

We asked where she had been the last two days. She mentions that she cooked Thanksgiving dinner for her and David. I know that's a lie.

[Shopify Representative]

No, it's. No, it's not.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

You're about to make the biggest mistake of your life. Do you understand me?

[Shopify Representative]

I haven't done anything.

[Narrator]

November 29, 2014. It's been a little over 24 hours since the brutal murder of 31 year old Ashley Harris. Now investigators in Fort Worth are gearing up to interview their prime suspect, Ashley's former co worker, Carter Cervantes.

[Jeff Kaiser]

Carter Cervantes is super nice and friendly at the police department, looking them in the eye, answering questions.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

All right, so how did you end up in Fort Worth?

[Shopify Representative]

I had a job opportunity with American Eagle Outfitters. I was a store manager for them in Amarillo, and they transferred me down here to work at Hewland Mall.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Okay. Are you still there?

[Shopify Representative]

No, I'm not.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

And why did you leave that company?

[Shopify Representative]

They decided to let me go. On September 1, there was a robbery at Hewland Mall, and I had closed the night before. They determined that I had left the.

[Narrator]

Store unsecured, so they let me go.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

So where are you currently working?

[Shopify Representative]

I'm not currently working. I do some volunteer work sometimes at Texas Health Heritage.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Do you own any other scrubs besides these?

[Narrator]

Yeah, I do.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

We asked where she had been the last two days. She mentions that she cooked Thanksgiving dinner for her and David, and they had a quiet dinner there at the apartment where they watched movies.

[Narrator]

After just half an hour, detectives decide to take a break and regroup.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Thank you. We gave Carter a bottle of water, and Detective Pate and I step out and we're sitting in our office, but we're watching the interview room through a monitor.

[Family Member]

She got a tissue, and she wiped the mouth of the bottle off, and she wiped the bottle down, and she used the tissue to put the cap back on. She never touched the bottle. Again.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

So at that point, I'm thinking she thinks we're gonna try to grab DNA from the bottle, which, you know, is only making her look more suspicious.

[Jeff Kaiser]

So if you're perfectly innocent, why are you wiping down a water bottle at the police station?

[Narrator]

When detectives ask Carter about her trip to the mall that morning, she denies it.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

You were not in that car this morning. You don't get out of the mall.

[Shopify Representative]

No, I got up, I went and put the laundry in and I went and checked my email. That's all.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Okay. I know that's a lie. No, it's.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

No, it's not.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

You're about to make the biggest mistake of your life. Do you understand me?

[Shopify Representative]

I haven't done anything.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

She continues to deny that she ever went to the mall that morning. We thought she'd be the weakest link. Boy, were we wrong. She was actually the tougher one to interview.

[Narrator]

After the interviews, Carter is free to leave, but David is booked on the misdemeanor and sent to jail.

[Family Member]

David was arrested, but then it's just like getting a no seatbelt ticket or a moving violation ticket. You get out pretty quickly. So he was out.

[Jeff Kaiser]

They didn't have enough to charge them yet, but the investigators were narrowing in quite quickly.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

After the interviews. I obtained a search warrant for Carter and David's apartment. Initially, we weren't sure exactly what we were looking for, but we found some receipts. She was using credit cards, which turned out to be a bad mistake for her. We began to do follow up investigation at those locations. We obtained some video.

[Narrator]

What they see on the surveillance video is shocking.

[Detective]

On November 21, Carter Cervantes went and purchased a pair of short handled shovels. And she purchased what I'm going to describe as a murder kit. She had rope, she had gloves. She purchased a tarp and duct tape.

[Narrator]

When authorities pull the surveillance footage from the mall on Saturday, November 29, the day after Ashley's murder, they see a familiar figure.

[Shopify Representative]

It's Carter Cervantes. We have her going into the mall around 8 in the morning that next day after the murder.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

She's walking through the mall. She is wearing a gray sweater, the black pants, black hats.

[Family Member]

Carter actually goes up to the roll down door and she tries to unlock the bottom of that door. That's when we knew she had Ashley's keys. But she was unable to gain entry into the store. American Eagle, out of abundance of caution, had changed the locks at the store.

[Shopify Representative]

The second that they got word that there had been an employee that was killed, corporate immediately changed the locks in this Fort Worth store. She did not bank on that.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Later, when she walks from the mall towards her house, she is wearing pink scrubs. So our theory is that she has the pink scrubs underneath the dark clothing. And once the offense was committed, I think she was going to shed those clothes. Now be wearing pink scrubs.

[Narrator]

Investigators suspicions are finally validated at that.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Point where all becomes apparent that this is a reason why they killed Ashley Harris. They were there to get the keys.

[Narrator]

Coming up, new evidence surfaces, and it's quite damning.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Upon searching the Carter, there was a loaded Glock underneath the driver's seat.

[Shopify Representative]

When we opened the trunk of David Mallory's car, those two shovels that she bought were sitting in the back of his trunk.

[Narrator]

Following the November 29, 2014 interviews with Murder suspects Carter Cervantes and David Mallory, investigators in Fort Worth, Texas, are inching toward justice for Ashley Harris. And the evidence is mounting.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Upon searching Carter's vehicle, there was a loaded Glock underneath the driver's seat. We located several knives that were in the vehicle and we seized two cell phones which belonged to Carter and David.

[Shopify Representative]

When we opened the trunk of David Mallory's car, those two shovels, the exact same shovels that she bought, were sitting in the back of his trunk.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

They had bungee cords and zip ties and a tarp. And to me, all that's indications of trying to wrap up a body somehow. But, you know, they weren't able to do that.

[Narrator]

The nail in the proverbial coffin comes with the DNA results.

[Family Member]

Carter's vehicle, the floor mat in that vehicle would. We ended up getting forensic evidence off of that. We found blood on the floor mat that had been transferred from David's boot to the floor mat of the car.

[Shopify Representative]

Sure enough, it did match Ashley Harris's DNA. So that was a big, big piece of evidence that we were able to get.

[Detective]

In addition, we got Ashley's DNA on this gun that was found in Carter Cervantes car under the seat. Ashley had a star shaped injury behind one ear. That's purely the result of impact. And she had another one on the bridge of her nose. Eventually, we determined that the most likely thing that caused that was being pistol whipped.

[Family Member]

The arrest warrants for capital murder were obtained. On December 4, David was arrested in West Texas. Once Carter learned that there was an arrest warrant for her, she tried to turn herself in with her attorney.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Her lawyer was adamant that we couldn't speak to her and was upset that she was getting arrested.

[Narrator]

David, however, agrees to answer some questions.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

David, are you aware of what you're under arrest for. The charges are capital murder. He did admit that Carter stole the tax free weekend money back in August, but wouldn't admit to the murder. Man, I don't know nothing about no homicide, but I don't.

[Narrator]

I really feel like I'm just getting.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

Drugged into this because she doesn't want.

[Family Member]

To go down the road.

[Narrator]

When detectives pull the couple's phone records, they find a blueprint for Ashley's murder.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Once we were able to forensically analyze those phones, entire case and their plan was spelled out.

[Jeff Kaiser]

The planning and the prep for this horrible, horrific event is just kind of part of their daily life almost in their text messages, like back and forth, what's for lunch, what's for dinner, let's go to a movie. Oh, yeah, I got the duct tape and the shovels.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

It was evident to us that Carter was the mastermind behind this. And I think David was the muscle. She's the one that coordinated everything and came up with a plan.

[Narrator]

On Friday, Nov. 28, 2014, authorities believe Carter and David laid in wait outside Ashley's apartment until she returned home from her retail shift.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

To this day, we still don't know whether or not the door was locked and how the suspects actually got in.

[Jeff Kaiser]

She fought for her life, duct taped, hand and foot. Stabbed, bludgeoned, asphyxiated. The fire was set to try to cover up other evidence.

[Detective]

We believe that Carter Cervantes locked the door on the way out. I mean, they had her keys.

[Narrator]

And.

[Detective]

If they want the place to burn, it makes more sense to lock the door behind you. She was motivated by greed. She wanted money. She was motivated by revenge, hatred. And finally, though she was motivated by the thrill of it, she loved doing this.

[Narrator]

And that's not all.

[Family Member]

I kept going through the phone records and I found they had text messaged each other. GPS coordinates. This coordinates flew out into middle of nowhere, north of Abilene.

[Detective]

David Mallory sent this text, these coordinates to Carter on November 25, four days after she purchased these shovels.

[Narrator]

What they find at that spot is chilling.

[Detective]

They walked directly to the spot where these coordinates directed them, and they found what can only be described as a grave. We believe that David used those shovels to dig that grave. And the intent was to have transported Ashley's body there and buried her. And that the plan just didn't work out.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

They put a lot of planning into this. I don't think they expected that Ashley was gonna put up a fight. Their plan fell apart very quickly and they got desperate.

[Family Member]

My opinion is it was harder to move a dead body than they thought it was. And for that reason, they tried to destroy the crime scene and destroy evidence with the fire.

[Detective]

Carter Cervantes fancied herself, I presume, a criminal mastermind. But in reality, she was an amateur. And she was. She left a trail of evidence a mile wide.

[Narrator]

On May 26, 2016, Carter is convicted of capital murder and receives a mandatory sentence of life without parole. Ultimately, the jury in David's 2017 trial holds him just as responsible as Carter.

[Family Member]

Both Carter and David are doing life in prison without the possibility of parole. They will both die in prison.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

It takes a really evil person to be able to commit a crime that elaborate. It's unfathomable.

[Shopify Representative]

As swift as the life without parole was given on both defendants, we'll never be able to give her back to the family.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

All of us that experienced it will never be the same person that we were before November 28th.

[Shopify Representative]

Ever.

[Ashley Harris's Friend]

The mark Ashley left on this earth and the happiness and joy that she brought, everyone, myself included, never leaves. I think that there's a piece of her that's with me sometimes. Carter Cervantes is currently imprisoned at Patrick O'Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas. David Mallory is currently imprisoned in Ferguson unit in Madison County, Texas. They will never be released.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

I'm Jake Warren, and in our first season of Finding, I set out on a very personal quest to find the woman who saved my mum's life. You can listen to Finding Natasha right now exclusively on Wondery Plus.

[Narrator]

In season two, I found myself caught.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

Up in a new journey to help someone I've never even met. But a couple of years ago, I.

[Narrator]

Came across a social media post by a person named Loti.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

It read in part three years ago.

[Narrator]

Today that I attempted to jump off.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

This bridge, but this wasn't my time to go. A gentleman named Andy saved my life. I still haven't found him. This is a story that I came.

[Narrator]

Across purely by chance, but it instantly moved me me.

[Emergency Dispatcher]

And it's taken me to a place where I've had to consider some deeper issues around mental health. This is season two of Finding, and this time, if all goes to plan, we'll be finding Andy. You can listen to Finding Andy and Finding Natasha exclusively and ad free on Wondery plus. Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts, or Spotify.