Dateline will premiere an all-new "Weekend Mystery" titled "Black Friday" on Saturday. The episode will explore the murder of Ashlea Ann Harris who was murdered in Fort Worth, Texas in 2014. Harris was killed on November 28, Black Friday.
The episode will examine Harris' life and look for possible enemies who could have wanted to harm her. The trailer teases Harris as a loving, thoughtful friend who may have had secret enemies.
Harris' death was unusual, according to The Star-Telegram. She was bound while her throat was cut, and eventually, after she had died, her home, where she was murdered, was set on fire. Evidence in the home showed a struggle and revealed Harris fought off her attackers.
"There are no good murders," Kevin Rousseau, prosecutor in the Harris case said. "But at least there are some you can understand. This was different. At a minimum, this took at least a month of planning. They stalked Ashlea Harris like people stalk a deer."
Two people have been convicted in the murder of Harris. Carter Carol Cervantes was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of Harris in May 2016. During his trial, he incriminated his partner in the crime, Clarence David Mallory. Mallory received the same sentence.
Both Cervantes and Mallory worked with Harris at American Eagle, a teen retail store. Harris was the store's manager. Police believed they targeted Harris for the keys to the store. Allegedly, they hoped to profit from the theft of the teen shop's Black Friday income. Police believe the pair had robbed the store on August 24, 2014, and stole nearly $18,000, The Star-Telegram reported in August 2017.
Charles Cassidy, Harris' stepfather, spoke of the trial and outcome. "Our personal preference would have been that they both would be executed, but the state made the decision to not pursue the death penalty," he said. "The overall lack of a criminal history and Mallory's age at the time the crime was committed contributed to that decision I'm sure."
Dateline will also premiere a Sunday episode, titled "Trapped," which will explain the horrific accident which trapped a mother and daughters inside their car. The trailer details a drive gone wrong when a tow truck driver was in a hurry to return home from work.
Dateline will premiere Saturday at 10 p.m. ET and Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. and 10 p.m. PST.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Kelly started a career in journalism after completing her education at The New School in New York City. She currently ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
