"That forced Harris' lawyers to tell jurors not to believe their own eyes but to believe the defense theory that the whole thing was an accident.". The defense's attempts to prove that Clara ran over David only once crumbled when the judge ruled their re-creation of the crime by a private consultant inadmissible in court. "He pushed Gail out of the way. Read Skip Hollandsworths 2002 piece on Harris, Suburban Madness,. Clara and Lindsey walked into the lobby just as David and his office receptionist, Gail Bridges, were emerging from an elevator. / CBS. Taking the stand allowed parts of Clara's original interview, which her attorneys had previously gotten ruled inadmissible, to come into question. [11], Harris was released on parole on May 11, 2018, and was released from parole in February of 2023.[12]. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. Staring at a photo of her twin boys, Clara bowed her head, her dark brown eyes brimming with tears, and then was escorted away. She and Lindsey got into Harris silver S-Class 430 Mercedes-Benz and waited. Performance meets portability with Apple's 2023 MacBook Pro. Davis said the settlement followed a long day of mediation among the parties in May but will not be final until Galveston County Probate Judge Gladys Burwell approves it. I yelled, 'Stop it, you're killing him.' } His children are Dr. Joseph Denton Harris, IV and Donna Harris of Beaumont, TX, Mary Kathleen Harris of Houston, TX, Peggy Harris Lacy and Mike Lacy of Dallas, TX, Connie Harris Arnold and Dr. David Arnold of Liberty, TX, Ann Marie Harris and Pam Karter of Liberty and Houston, TX, Dr. James Mitchell Harris and Meredith Harris of The verdict is not a surprise, according CBSNews.com Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen. I could hear someone yell at me to get away from my car to get away and I didn't quite understand why until I turned and looked. David Harris, a suburban Houston orthodontist, died July 24 after Clara Harris car struck him. Appellant and Lindsey walked to the parking lot and found Bridges s Navigator. Clara suddenly gunned the engine and raced toward them. She said her stepmother made the remark just after finding him with Bridges. Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. Through it all, however, Clara Harris only wanted people to know the truth about what really happened the night she murdered her husband. She has already filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Clara Harris. Please enter valid email address to continue. Bridges responded, "The affair was wrong. Harris slumped into her chair as the sentence was read. display: none; She's also suing the detective agency that followed him, News2Houston reported Thursday in an exclusive story. Clara Harris was convicted Thursday of murder by the jury that rejected her claim she was aiming for his lover's car. He pointed out that even David Harris' parents and brother had testified on Clara Harris' behalf. I wasn't thinking anything," Harris testified. The video was especially damning, as it showed her circling her Mercedes around the parking lot three times, although David is not clearly seen in the video. David Harris was enamored. Gail Bridges told Garza that her heart goes out to the children, especially Lindsey, who was in the car and witnessed this tragedy that night. YouTubeDavid and Clara Harris were married for ten years before she killed him in a fit of rage. #inline-recirc-item--id-92ae5a70-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { display: none; David, Im so sorry., The murder made headlinesall over the world. Her husband later opened Space Center Orthodontics outside of Houston. All she wants to do is make up for lost time with her boys., Clara is now sixty years old, and her hair is getting gray. I'm so sorry. Lindsey testified Clara "peeled out" and headed around to another part of the parking lot where her father and his alleged mistress were getting into a Lincoln Navigator. Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. Clara Harris tried to control the damage by making herself real pretty so Dad would want her and not Gail, said Lindsey. Clara then parks her car next to his body. On July 24, 2002, Clara Harris confronted her husband in a hotel parking lot over an extramarital affair, then struck and ran over him with her Mercedes-Benz sedan, killing him in an act of mariticide. Trending News While David Harris daughter Lindsey spent the school year in Ohio with her mother, the teenager lived in Houston with her dad and stepmom over the summers. Prosecutor Mia Magness, however, said Harris was using her sons as a "shield" to gain probation. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. In 2007, Clara was brought back to Houston for a civil trial to defend herself in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Davids parents. Without warning, she stomped on the accelerator and went straight for my Dad, testified Lindsey, 17, at Harris murder trial Wednesday. "(Clara) knew what she did, was not sorry about it and meant to kill him," were Lindsey's damning words inside Judge Carol Davies' courtroom. The jury began deliberating the penalty phase of Harris' murder trial about 10:30 a.m. EST Friday after closing arguments, which became a battle of tears between the defendant and prosecution. David had been married once before and had a daughter named Lindsey, and Harris loved the young girl like her own. Her husband had confessed to her on July 17, and Harris had confronted Bridges at the orthodontics office that same day, telling her she was fired. Their 11th wedding anniversary would have been Friday. The 45-year-old dentist faces up to life in prison when she is sentenced, though the punishment could be reduced if jurors decide she acted with "sudden passion.". She's also suing the detective agency that followed him, "She ought not get credit for making herself a single parent," the prosecutor told jurors before deliberations began. Her sons were placed in the care of family friends, and her stepdaughter Lindsey testified against her at the trial that began in January 2003. The Harrises, who also were business partners, then spent an evening at a bar talking about their relationship. "I think I closed my eyes" just before impact, she testified. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. She married David Harris on February 14, 1992, at the Nassau Bay Hilton, and raised three children: twin sons Brian and Bradley, born in 1998, and David's daughter Lindsey from a previous marriage. Abbott, FBI announce rewards for info on Cleveland mass shooter, Massive ranch up for sale near Texas next big state park, 3,800-acre San Antonio-area property to become Texas state park, Texas man catches giant alligator snapping turtle, releases it, Former KPRC 2 anchor Dominique Sachse to launch podcast Monday, Uber ranks Houston among most 'forgetful' U.S. cities, Texas to host national hot air balloon championship this summer, Report: Texas man took break from dinner date to kill man outside, One of Houston's tallest skyscrapers to become apartment complex, J.J. 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All external sites will open in a new browser. She had two sons with her orthodontist husband, David Harris. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. [1], Clara Suarez, a Colombian immigrant, was named "Mrs Colombia Houston" and worked as a dentist. Gail Bridges describes the night she and her lover, David Harris, were confronted by his wife, Clara Harris, in a hotel lobby -- the last night she would ever see him alive. Harris sons visited her at the Mountain View Unit prison in Gainesville, Texas, every month. We became very close, Lindsey said. Whats more, she didnt violate any prison rules. While he gave his wife higher marks for "prettier" hands, feet and eyes, he described his 39-year-old receptionist, a former beauty queen, as "petite" and "the perfect fit to sleep with, holding her all night.". Legendary singer Nina Simones granddaughter accused Vice President Kamala Harris of causing the family to lose control of Simone's estate while Harris was California attorney general. Clara Harris said that remark stunned her. Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? I hit her because I knew that she had killed my Dad, said Lindsey. Instead, the jury said Harris should be fined and sentenced to prison at the upper limit of the sentencing guidelines for the special circumstance. The chain was particularly successful, and the couple was able to afford an upscale home and lifestyle in Friendswood, Texas. According to bar napkin notes kept by Clara Harris, David Harris thought his wife was overweight, dominated conversations and was a workaholic, all in contrast to Bridges. She said her stepmother made the remark just after finding him with Bridges. Prosecutor Mia Magness used her rebuttal to try to dismantle arguments for probation. Clara Harris said that remark stunned her. He was trying to get away and he couldn't.". #inline-recirc-item--id-92ad5f4e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-92ad5f4e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { The testimony of Lindsey Harris, a high school student from Columbus, Ohio, in the trial of her stepmother, who is accused of murdering her husband of 10 years, Witnesses recalled seeing Lindsey punch Harris in the face before both of them exited the vehicle. "What happened when you got off that elevator?" One time she wrote about sports. College career. I could tell when we were going over the big concrete curve and when we were going over my dad. And its full of great reads, yall. "He was really scared. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. One of the English tabloids nicknamed Clara The Driller Killer. In Houston, it was the story of the year. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { She urged prison time, though she made no specific recommendation about the length of a sentence. She was in the Mercedes-Benz when her stepmother, Clara Harris, ran over her husband in the parking lot of the Clear Lake-area hotel on July 24, 2002. We went shopping a lot. She was denied parole in her first attempt on April 11, 2013, by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. Lindsey Harris filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her stepmother and was awarded about $2 million from her father's estate, as were her half brothers. Lindsey was upset with her father. Clara Harris had it all. Though Harris had hired a private detective to tail her husband that night, she and Lindsey set out to do their own surveillance. February 21, 2003 / 4:32 AM Copyright 2011 by Click2Houston.com. The parents of the victim, David Harris, took the stand, too to testify in support of their daughter-in-law. Killen ordered attack on civil rights worker, jury hears, Father convicted of murdering 9 of his children, Gov. "What did Lindsey say to you?" Lindsey testified against her stepmother, claiming she told her to stop the vehicle. Nevertheless, Claras attorneys persuaded the jurors that Clara had acted under sudden passion rather than with intent to kill, and they gave her a twenty-year sentence. } She was in the car with her stepmother when her father was killed. Clara Harris retained $1.2 million in assets. Trending News "Soon after that, it all turned into massive turmoil, and the only thing that I could do was to yell for help for someone to please, please get her off of me.". "I knew she had killed my dad," Lindsey Harris testified. [9] Her second parole request was denied in September 2016. (While the sentence for intentional murder in Texas is five years to life, murder in sudden passion carries a minimum penalty of just two years, with a maximum of twenty years.) The 44-year-old Colombian had moved to America in the 1980s and opened her own successful dentistry practice. A total of three times," Lindsey concluded. The Shocking Story Of Clara Harris, The Woman Who Killed Her Cheating Husband With Her Mercedes. The teenager said she never thought her stepmother would act on a comment that she could kill David Harris and get away with it. Save on AeroGarden indoor herb growing kits at Amazon, Create a bonsai tree out of bricks with this $40 LEGO set, Dyson's air purifying headphones have finally arrived, Preorder 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' today, There are a ton of great patio furniture sets on sale right now, Beat the heat with this discounted Lasko tower fan from Amazon, Apple deal: The 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop is under $2,000 on Amazon, New Texas bill would charge electric car drivers $200 annual fee, These 8 Denver-area hikes each offer something unique, Why this museum should be on every Houston kid's must-visit list, Elon Musk describes Starship flight as 'roughly what I expected', Here's how much you have to make to be 'middle class' in Houston. Jurors deemed hers a crime of sudden passion, and she was sentenced to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, the maximum allowed for murder under such circumstances. Get a 42-inch oscillating fan for 15% off with this deal. Her lawyer contends that the 44-year-old dentist acted in the heat of passion, a wife unhinged by her cheating husband. Garza asked Bridges. I think they tried to deal with this in-house. The lawsuit claimed that Blue Moon, of Webster, which Clara Harris hired to photograph her husband with another woman, should not have told Clara Harris that the two were at the hotel. Go the other way,'" an emotional Lindsey Harris remembered in the courtroom. When Clara finally stopped the car, she got out, looked around, walked toward her dead husband, cradled him in her arms, and begged him to breathe. She was incarcerated at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas,[8] where she converted school textbooks to Braille for blind students. "We were leaving the hotel and I was looking at David and I noticed all of a sudden his face changed. She was on a mission to find where he was, said Lindsey. They seemed like the perfect family but on July 24, 2002, Harris fatally ran over her husband with her car. When David and Bridges came out of the hotel, Clara struck down her husband in the parking lot as her teenaged stepdaughter Lindsey sat in the passenger seat. Eventually, Clara and Lindsey stormed back to the Mercedes. Silently, Harris put the car in reverse and began to drive out of the hotel parking lot. Lindsey Burke Harris (born November 19, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Harris played for the Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2012 to 2016, redshirting during her freshman year. } During a violent confrontation with her husband and his alleged mistress, Gail Bridges, in the hotel lobby, Clara Harris "went straight for Gail, hitting and ripping her shirt off," Lindsey testified. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, What GOPs plan for Medicaid work requirements would mean, Column: A centrist, third-party alternative for 2024 is a nice idea but a nightmare in practice, Chinese man who reported on COVID to be released after 3 years. Lindsey Harris filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her They saw David and Gail heading to Gails SUV in a different part of the parking lot. Custody Compromise Reached For Clara Harris' Twins, Custody Battle Begins Over Harris Children, Harris' Stepdaughter Sues Hotel, Detective Agency, Hotel Official Fired After Testifying In Clara Harris Trial, Clara Harris Says She Still Loves Her Dead Husband, Jury Considers Punishment For Clara Harris, Jurors Set To Begin Deliberations In Clara Harris Case, Closing Arguments Wednesday In Harris Trial, Jurors Told To Bring Toothbrushes In Clara Harris Trial, Clara Harris' Attorney Collapses Outside Courtroom, Harris' Lover Testifies About Relationship, Defense Goes After Victim In Clara Harris Case, Collision Expert Testifies About Harris' Death, Accusations Fly After Harris Daughter Testifies, Harris' Daughter Testifies: 'She Meant To Kill Him', Stepdaughter To Testify In Clara Harris' Trial, Harris Cries Uncontrollably, Removed From Trial, Private Investigator Testifies In Clara Harris Trial, Witnesses Describe Harris Running Over Husband, Jury Selection Continues In Harris' Murder Trial, Jurors To Be Picked For Clara Harris' Trial, Harris' Stepdaughter's Remarks Spark Debate, Audiotapes Allege Clara Harris Also Having Affair, Custody Battle Stems From High-Profile Murder, Wife Free After Allegedly Running Over Husband. Clara Harris had just shouted at her philandering husband and wrestled his mistress to the floor of a hotel lobby, but now appeared to be calm. I don't know if she had run over him or if he had gotten away," Lindsey answered. "I wouldn't bet on it, but that is what the defense has been focusing upon all through this trial.". She then cradled her husband and told him she was sorry and loved him, according to The New York Times. } The investigators Harris had hired happened to record the entire ordeal on video, which was entered into evidence. She knew what she did and she wasnt sorry, said Lindsey. She turned the car around to run over him a second time, then made a final 180-degree turn to hit him once more. The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. Clara contends that she did not see David when she ran into him with her car. They were more concerned, from what we can tell, about the embarrassing situation that was going on in the lobby of their hotel," Davis said. It was an accident. "A lot of women would say, 'I don't feel sorry for (you) because (you were) going out with a married man,'" Garza said. Its daily. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. While David Harris daughter Lindsey spent the school year in Ohio with her mother, the teenager lived in Houston with her dad and stepmom over the summers. Lindsey was with Harris when she sped off in the direction of the hotel on July 24 to confront her husband. Harris found her husband and Bridges in the hotel lobby. You b, hes my husband! Clara Harris was born Clara Suarez on Feb. 3, 1958, in Bogot, Colombia, according to Texas Monthly. According to bar napkin notes kept by Clara Harris, David Harris thought his wife was overweight, dominated conversations and was a workaholic, all in contrast to Bridges. Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end" Bridges says that's when Harris came back around and hit David then ran over him repeatedly. "If you had anything to say to Clara, what would it be?" Over the next five years, she was turned down three more times. The woman who ran down her philandering husband with a Mercedes-Benz after catching him with his mistress was convicted of murder Thursday by a jury that rejected her claim she was aiming for his lover's car.
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