Premonition . The call came on Black Friday. Cashe said the apartment is fire. When the coroner pulled up, my heart broke. The fire was no accident. They conducted surveillance at the apartment. Going back to the place where she worked. The were going after Tens Of Thousands of dollars. Was money the only motive but was or Something Else . There were a lot of rumors going around. I cant believe somebody did that to her. Pure evil. Hello, and welcome to dateline. Ashlea harris had no Shortage H of admirers. Family, friends, coworkers, even her Ex Sung her praises. When she was found dead after a suspicious fire consumed her. Apartment, police were baffled. P this was no accident but who killed ashlea no up in smoke . It would take a determined detective and the discovery of a stolen key to unlock this mystery. Here is Keith Morrison with Black Friday. A hot August Night in texas 2014. The lone figure knew where to go. He knew where the store kept the cash, grabbed 18,000. And thwas gone
Thousands of dollars. But was money the only motive . Or was there Something Else . There were a lot of Rumors Goin around that ended up being true. I couldnt believe that somebody could do that to her. Just Pure Evil y re Hello And Welcome to ren dateline. Ashlea had no shortage of admirers, even her Ex Sung her praises. So when she was found dead, police were baffled. This was no accident, but were the clues now up in smoke . Would take a determined detective and stolen key to unlock this mystery. Heres Keith Morrison with Black Friday. Reporter a hot August Night in texas, 2014. The lone figure knew where to go, knew where the store kept the cash. Grabbed 18,000, and was gone. But it was only money. And no one got hurt. Not that time, anyway. The story begins here in Fort Worth, texas, which turned out to be the perfect growing up place for a rough and tumble, free spirit named Ashlea Harris. I was around 10 when she was born and so the perfect age to pretend she was my baby. Report
Prosecutors were pretty sure ashlea s murder was a thrill kill planned by a sadistic young woman who thought she was smarter than everyone else. but tiny, meek, carter cervantez admitted none of that. she still had a plan, concocted all by herself, to explain why she, too, was a victim. coming up a vicious killer? reporter: you wanted to see the death penalty? death penalty was what i wanted. or a young woman forced into a life of crime? were you in pain? yes. i was screaming. when dateline continues. here, safe driving saves more than just your cargo. safe driving saves you 40% with drivewise.
Me. reporter: the brutality of the murder was never far from the prosecutors minds. i think i just thought how painful and how awful the last few minutes of her life would ve been on this earth reporter: how terrifying. and absolutely terrifying. absolutely terrifying. reporter: even that, they said even that appeared to be part of the plan. this wasn t just about robbery, or even revenge, said prosecutor rousseau. it was discussions that carter cervantez had had with people where she expressed certain i guess you would call them fantasies involving killing people. reporter: liza schoenthal remembers one such discussion at work. it was just us. and we were folding clothes, and she mentioned that she had thought about killing someone before and whether or not she could watch them die. reporter: as if the murder wasn t shocking enough, prosecutors were pretty sure ashlea s murder was a thrill kill planned by a sadistic young
Into the room where monica was. and she was consoling me. and she shouldn t be consoling me. reporter: the brutality of the murder was never far from the prosecutors minds. i think i just thought how painful and how awful the last few minutes of her life would ve been on this earth reporter: how terrifying. and absolutely terrifying. absolutely terrifying. reporter: even that, they said even that appeared to be part of the plan. this wasn t just about robbery, or even revenge, said prosecutor rousseau. it was discussions that carter cervantez had had with people where she expressed certain i guess you would call them fantasies involving killing people. reporter: liza schoenthal remembers one such discussion at work. it was just us. and we were folding clothes, and she mentioned that she had thought about killing someone before and whether or not she could watch them die. reporter: as if the murder wasn t shocking enough, prosecutors were pretty sure ashlea s mu