[11], Harris was released on parole on May 11, 2018, and was released from parole in February of 2023.[12]. In 2005, Oprah arrived at the prison in the town of Gatesville (near Waco), where Clara was incarcerated, to interview her for her talk show. After the initial collision, Clara Harris circled around and ran over him again, the teen testified. Most Facebook users can now claim settlement money. A book titled Out of Control was written by Steven Long about the case. Trending News Bridges says that's when Harris came back around and hit David then ran over him repeatedly. She killed my dad,'" Bridges responded. She then brought up David Harris' daughter, Lindsey, and began crying as she spoke. A lawsuit on behalf of the children of David Harris, a cheating husband fatally run down by his wife in a jealous rage two years ago, has been tentatively settled, lawyers for the involved parties have confirmed. 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. Sheriff says Texas shooting suspect "could be anywhere now", Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events, 1 employee killed, 2 injured at Tennessee Volkswagen plant. How Did James Dean Die? Clara Harris Murders Her Husband While David Harris daughter Lindsey spent the school year in Ohio with her mother, the teenager lived in Houston with her dad Also introduced at her trial was a videotape of the crime, recorded by the detective agency Clara had hired when she suspected David of the affair. "I was in so much pain; it was a physical pain that I was feeling. Clara Harris was convicted Thursday of murder by the jury that rejected her claim she was aiming for his lover's car. A symbol of her American success story, the luxury car soon became a murder weapon. Since it only showed Harris circling the parking lot, and since David was barely visible, the defense argued she only hit him once. Witnesses recalled seeing Lindsey punch Harris in the face before both of them exited the vehicle. Though Harris had hired a private detective to tail her husband that night, she and Lindsey set out to do their own surveillance. When David Harris wasnt at the steakhouse, Lindsey drove her stepmothers car -- with Clara Harris in the passenger seat -- to Bridges house, then to a hotel and two other restaurants the couple had frequented. She said she could kill him and get away with it for what shes been through, Lindsey testified. I hit her because I knew that she had killed my Dad, said Lindsey. Clara Harris dream of being a successful dentist came true when she opened her own practice in 1993. [1], Clara Suarez, a Colombian immigrant, was named "Mrs Colombia Houston" and worked as a dentist. They were victims twice over, they said. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Yes, the twins acknowledged, they had lost their father, but at the same time they had lost their mother, whom they loved deeply. That was when she struck me on my leg with the vehicle," the mistress said. Im thinking about pulling a Clara Harris, a woman would say with a laugh after learning her husband had done something really stupid. Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end", Louisiana's health care deserts put women, babies at risk, doctors say, Second convoy of U.S. citizens fleeing Khartoum arrives at Port Sudan, How a tall Texan became an unlikely Australian rules football star, Surviving the torturous hell of the Hanoi Hilton, Texas surfer pushed offshore by strong winds rescued by Coast Guard, Tornado flips cars, downs trees after touching down in South Florida, Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter dies in drowning accident, Investors sue Adidas over Kanye West Yeezy deal. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. Perhaps the most powerful witness was David Harris' daughter, 17-year-old Lindsey Harris, who was in Mercedes. "I was in so much pain; it was a physical pain that I was feeling. While their marriage seemed perfect from the outside, David Harris began an affair with his receptionist Gail Bridges in the spring of 2002, as reported by CBS News. Harris said she snapped out of her daze as her stepdaughter screamed for her to stop. The 45-year-old dentist had faced up to life in prison if the jury had ruled she had not murdered her husband as a crime of "sudden passion", or as little as probation. "If you had anything to say to Clara, what would it be?" } Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. "She did that when she made the choice to kill their dad. 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. Lindsey Harris, 17, took the stand as the prosecution's last witness against orthodontist Clara Harris, who stands accused of running down her husband - David Harris, 44, also a dentist - in the parking lot of the Nassau Bay Hilton last year. Oklahoma WR Keilahn Harris Rice Oregon State WR Tyjon Lindsey Report: Bucs star Barrett's daughter, 2, drowns in pool. When the car stopped, Lindsey ran around to the drivers side. Harris said she snapped out of her daze as her stepdaughter screamed for her to stop. It's not fair to dangle those two boys out in front of you the way that she has.". She then cradled her husband and told him she was sorry and loved him, according to The New York Times. Two of them cried as state District Judge Carol Davies read it in court. The teenager said she never thought her stepmother would act on a comment that she could kill David Harris and get away with it. "In conjunction with Clara Harris, their acts contributed (to) or caused the death of David Harris," said John Davis, an attorney for Lindsey Harris. Im so sorry, she was heard saying over and over. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events The tragedy took place at the parking lot of the Hilton Hotel at Nassau Bay last year. A California law says yes. Please enter valid email address to continue. Click Here to try 4 Free Trial Issues of Time! Because of her criminal record, she can no longer practice dentistry.) She was also given the maximum fine of $10,000. Taylor Prewitt is the newsletter editor for Texas Monthly. Lindsey Harris was the prosecution's only witness during the penalty phase of the trial. WebLindsey Burke Harris (born November 19, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper. "He once told me that he would like to spend the rest of his life with me, and he did," Bridges said. 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. George Wong/Getty ImagesClara Harris and attorney George Parnham after the first day of testimony in 2003. Instead, the jury said Harris should be fined and sentenced to prison at the upper limit of the sentencing guidelines for the special circumstance. Read Skip Hollandsworths 2002 piece on Harris, Suburban Madness,. 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. Staring at a photo of her twin boys, Clara bowed her head, her dark brown eyes brimming with tears, and then was escorted away. So she will walk out of prison in about 10 years or so (with time off for good behavior and parole)," says Cohen. David Harris' tooth, found on the pavement next to his head, was introduced as evidence, as were autopsy photos showing what a pathologist said were tire tracks across the body of the 44-year-old orthodontist. The trial is expected to go on through this week as defense lawyers present their case. Clara Published in 2004 by St. Martin's Paperbacks, the book follows the story of the murder and the reasons behind it. The Harrises, who also were business partners, then spent an evening at a bar talking about their relationship. 1 employee killed, 2 injured at Tennessee Volkswagen plant Parnham suggested that the victim himself would have wanted his wife to receive probation and continue raising their twin 4-year-old sons. Harris insisted the death last July was an accident and that she only wanted to damage the black Lincoln Navigator belonging to her husband's receptionist turned lover, Gail Bridges. "I think I closed my eyes" just before impact, she testified. } else if ( host.indexOf("asia.cnn.com") != -1 ) { In July 2002, Clara Harris had her teenage stepdaughter with her as she tracked down her husband David Harris to the Nassau Bay Hilton where he was with his "There's no indication that they did call the police. She wasnt crying, said Lindsey. Harris slumped into her chair as the sentence was read. document.write('Saturday, February 15, 2003 Posted: 11:37 AM HKT (0337 GMT)
<\/span>'); 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. Clara Harris leaving prison on May 11, 2018. One time she wrote about sports. Bacha said that she would sue Clara Harris for breach of contract since she should not have gone to the hotel after receiving the report. She said she quit her job, had sex with her husband three times a night, cooked his favorite meals and hired a personal trainer. "Your verdict will in part tell her what she went through was worth it," Magness said. CBSNews.com Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen says Texas showed too much mercy towards the Mercedes Muderess. Column: Does racism make you too stupid to be a cop? 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. Clara Suarez, a Colombian immigrant, was named "Mrs Colombia Houston" and worked as a dentist. Clara Harris, a Colombian immigrant, was named "Mrs Colombia Houston" and worked as a dentist. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events She also testified she even went to a tanning salon and scheduled liposuction and breast enhancement surgery to make him happy, only to catch him in a tryst with Bridges at the same hotel where the Harrises were married on Valentine's Day 1992. "Without that information, David Harris would not have been located that evening," said Marty Webber, an attorney for Lindsey Harris. The chain was particularly successful, and the couple was able to afford an upscale home and lifestyle in Friendswood, Texas. David Harris and Bridges entered the hotel lobby hand in hand, Lindsey said. I do not regret or will ever regret that I got to know him and that he became part of my life.". I was yelling, 'Stop, don't do that. The chapter title is Luz, overwhelming (Luz, arrolladora). Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end", Louisiana's health care deserts put women, babies at risk, doctors say, Second convoy of U.S. citizens fleeing Khartoum arrives at Port Sudan, How a tall Texan became an unlikely Australian rules football star, Surviving the torturous hell of the Hanoi Hilton, Texas surfer pushed offshore by strong winds rescued by Coast Guard, Tornado flips cars, downs trees after touching down in South Florida, Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter dies in drowning accident, Investors sue Adidas over Kanye West Yeezy deal. She had two sons with her orthodontist husband, David Harris. Jurors found that Harris acted with "sudden passion," which could have reduced the jurors' recommendation to probation. All rights reserved. If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745. (My dad) had his hands in front of the car. She said her stepmother made the remark just after finding him with Bridges. Performance meets portability with Apple's 2023 MacBook Pro. The 44-year-old Colombian had moved to America in the 1980s and opened her own successful dentistry practice. Clara Harris said that remark stunned her. The lawsuit sought damages from the Nassau Bay Hilton Hotel and the Blue Moon Investigations detective agency for the couple's twin sons, Brian and Bradley, 5, and Harris' daughter, Lindsey, 18, by a previous marriage. 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. Gabriel Harris Daughter, Jasmine, Is Close To Her Grandmother Joan Baez and David Harris were once the power couple in the music world. Its daily. The case was profiled on the Oxygen Network series Snapped in 2004, on ABC News's 20/20 in 2006, and on Investigation Discovery's Deadly Women in 2010. Performance meets portability with Apple's 2023 MacBook Pro. 66 Join Insider Sign In Please enter valid email address to continue. After it was over, Clara Harris led Lindsey to the Mercedes. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Bridge's now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder -- flashbacks, nightmares and is on medication. 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 Harris, a suburban Houston orthodontist, died July 24 after Clara Harris car struck him. With all hes done to me, I could kill him and get away with it, Harris had allegedly stated. I hate you!. "I think that speaks volumes to what this jury should do," Parnham said. WebHere he lived out his life, except for some six years near his brother, David Rice Harris, in Perry County, in the late 1860s and early 1870s. She was determined to become a professional dentist. [4], That evening, Clara went to the Hilton Hotel in Nassau Bay, Texas, to confront her husband and reportedly attacked Bridges in the lobby. "It's hard to tell. The Harrises, who also were business partners, then spent an evening at a bar talking about their relationship. Lindsey was upset with her father. Clara was advised not to take the stand. After a three-week trial, Clara Harris was found guilty on Feb. 14, 2003. 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. David Harris' 16-year-old daughter - Clara Harris' stepdaughter - was in the passenger seat of the car at the time. The 44-year-old orthodontist was tragically already gone. A dozen photojournalists flocked to Harris first court appearance. Clara Harris was then escorted by hotel employees to her Mercedes S-Class in the parking lot and accompanied by Lindsey Harris. Jeff Moore, chief of investigations for Blue Moon, said company officials are "very pleased" with the outcome. We went shopping a lot. He said Burwell probably will discuss the settlement with the parties before the end of July. According to the medical examiner's office, they could only be certain there was one tire mark on the body, but Lindsey and eyewitnesses assert Clara ran over David three times. Here's how. Harris agreed, but she secretly hired a private investigator to follow them to dinner and ensure her husband ended the relationship. Yes, she made a horrible fifteen-minute mistake. Clara, who had been tipped off to Davids whereabouts by a private investigator she had hired, went berserk. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday. "I couldn't believe he could sleep holding her all night because we had never slept like that never," she testified. But she denied trying to run him down and said she didn't recall hitting him. The same nine-woman, three-man jury deliberated about eight hours before returning the murder conviction. Clara Harris is serving a 20-year sentence for murder in the case, which drew national attention. Im going to hit him, Suspicious, Clara hired a private detective agency to monitor David, an #inline-recirc-item--id-92ae5a70-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { "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.". She said she glimpsed her husband: "I saw some surprised eyes.". She's also suing the detective agency that followed him, News2Houston reported Thursday in an exclusive story. If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745. The two began working to repair their marriage, and David Harris even told a friend, Were going to make it. He then informed his wife that he wanted to take Bridges to one last dinner to end things amicably, as he had led the receptionist to believe that his marriage was open. She said Harris' boys would be provided for and they would adjust and survive, "because that's what children do. Sixteen years ago, Clara was a pretty and personable dentist who lived in a prosperous south Houston suburb with her husband David, an orthodontist, and their twin three-year-old sons. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Do you miss David?, At her trial, in February 2003, she testified before a packed courtroom that she did not mean to kill her husband but was only trying to wreck Gails SUV. "The whole scene was very mad.". "Suddenly, I thought about smashing my car against her car and then I (picked) up speed. Texas Jails Are Crowded, Understaffed, and Dangerous. Prosecutors say Harris, bent on avenging her husbands adultery, used her car as a murder weapon. And its full of great reads, yall. 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. Harris knew her husband was being unfaithful and hired a private investigation agency to follow him, as reported by ABC News. Instead, the lawsuit said, the company should have followed its own policy and waited a day to provide that information. The settlement terms are confidential, said attorney John A. Davis Jr., who represented Lindsey Harris. ', "She knew what she did and she wasn't sorry.". Clara Harris had it all. Witnesses recalled Lindsey screaming and trying to get out of the car, but Harris sped off to run over her husband. 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 [10] However, she was granted parole in November 2017. Bridges responded, "The affair was wrong. He was trying to get away and he couldn't.". 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. ", She also scoffed at Parnham's statement about keeping the boys with "the last parent they have on Earth.". John Spong writes primarily about popular culture. Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives. The stepfather of Lindsey Harris is upset that defense attorneys accused her of testifying Wednesday to help in her family's wrongful death lawsuit against Clara Harris. Six months later, all Lindsey knows for sure is that her father is dead, and that her stepmother is to blame. She testified that Clara was furious that David was having an affair and determined to catch him in the act, according to a KPRC Channel 2 News report. Local radio talk shows were jammed with callers debating whether Clara was a cold-blooded murderer or a good woman who simply did what every woman secretly wants to do when she finds out her husband is cheating. Clara Harris was convicted of murdering her cheating husband, David Harris, by running him over with her Mercedes-Benz on July 24. YouTubeDavid and Clara Harris were married for ten years before she killed him in a fit of rage. Sheriff says Texas shooting suspect "could be anywhere now" The daughter, Lindsey Harris, was a passenger in a Mercedes-Benz driven by her mother, Clara Harris, when the car was used to run down Harris' dentist husband, Shortly thereafter, appellant and her step-daughter, Lindsey Harris, drove to the hotel. She's also suing the detective agency that followed him, Sheriff says Texas shooting suspect "could be anywhere now" Two of them cried as state District Judge Carol Davies read it in court. Clara was first eligible for parole in 2012, but she was turned down. She said her stepmother made the remark just after finding him with Bridges. Through it all, however, Clara Harris only wanted people to know the truth about what really happened the night she murdered her husband. "Well, she ought not to be given credit for making herself a single parent," Magness said. Bridges was very afraid of the television cameras. Around Houston, she became a pop culture reference. Claras goal was to get paroled so she could be reunited with her sons, Emily Detoto, one of her original defense attorneys, told me. Bridges said she never saw this coming because Clara knew of their affair and David told his mistress he was leaving his wife. February 21, 2003 / 4:32 AM The story of an angry dentist killing her husband spread like wildfire. display: block; You b, hes my husband! Harris shouted before slapping Bridges. Its time to forgive her and let her move on.. Its too bad if they do, said Detoto, who has kept in touch with Harris since her conviction. display: none; A defense expert said Harris was hit by the luxury sedan, carried atop its hood and then run over. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Lawsuit by Clara Harris' children settled. Clara and Lindsey walked into the lobby just as David and his office receptionist, Gail Bridges, were emerging from an elevator.

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