On November 28, 2014, 31-year-old assistant manager Ashlea Ann Harris did not return home and was later found dead in her apartment. Firefighters discovered a deliberately set blaze; Ashlea was bound, showed blunt force trauma, and had been strangled. Nothing appeared stolen, though her keys were missing, and investigators suspected an accelerant was used to destroy evidence. Months earlier Ashlea reported about $18,000 missing and identified two employees, Carter Cervantez and Clarence "David" Mallory, who were subsequently fired. Investigators focused on those former coworkers and followed evidence linking them to the crime, which drew national attention.
on November 28, 2014, Ashlea Ann Harris did not come home from work. Ashlea was 31 and an assistant manager at an American Eagle Outfitters store in Fort Worth, Texas. Early the next morning, a neighbor called firefighters to a small apartment complex after seeing smoke. Inside, crews found a fire and Ashlea's body. The scene suggested the flames were set after she was attacked. Her hands and feet were bound, and medical examiners found signs of blunt force trauma and strangulation.
When firefighters entered the apartment, the crime already looked unusual. Ashlea's body was discovered in the bedroom, bound with duct tape. Nothing appeared stolen, but her keys were missing. Investigators suspected the fire was deliberately set using an accelerant to destroy evidence. Dateline: Black Friday later highlighted how the decision to stage a fire became an early clue for detectives. It suggested that whoever killed Ashlea wanted to hide their actions rather than escape with valuables.
The case later gained national attention when it was featured on Dateline: Black Friday. Viewers were struck by how a workplace connection, rather than a stranger, led to such violence. The episode explained how investigators followed a trail of evidence to two former employees. The crime scene showed signs of planning Dateline: Black Friday (Image via NBC) When firefighters entered the apartment, the crime already looked unusual.
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