(My dad) had his hands in front of the car. "She stepped on the accelerator and went straight for him," Lindsey Harris told jurors. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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. Lindsey Harris was the prosecution's only witness during the penalty phase Perhaps the most powerful witness was David Harris' daughter, 17-year-old Lindsey Harris, who was in Mercedes. [13] This story was the inspiration for the completion of a chapter in the Mexican series Mujeres Asesinas "Killer Women." //-->. The teenager said she never thought her stepmother would act on a comment that she could kill David Harris and get away with it. When the car stopped, Lindsey ran around to the drivers side. "It will be really interesting to find out whether the same jurors who so quickly and harshly judged her will now show some sympathy for her situation and recommend a lighter sentence," said Cohen. They got married on March 26, 1968, at St. Clements Episcopal Church in New York. Most Facebook users can now claim settlement money. "I think that speaks volumes to what this jury should do," Parnham said. 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. 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. Column: Does racism make you too stupid to be a cop? document.write('Friday, February 14, 2003 Posted: 10:37 PM EST (0337 GMT)
<\/span>'); I wrote a long article about her, titled Suburban Madness, for Texas Monthly. Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? They were victims twice over, they said. Clara's trial began the following February. Harris, who had remained stoic during her verdict on Thursday, slumped in her chair crying as the judge read her sentencing. She's also suing the detective agency that followed him, Over the next five years, she was turned down three more times. Under the conditions of her parole, she has to wear a monitoring bracelet, take regular drug and alcohol tests, be gainfully employed, and reside in Galveston County. I wasn't thinking anything," Harris testified. 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, Since it only showed Harris circling the parking lot, and since David was barely visible, the defense argued she only hit him once. I wasn't thinking anything," Harris testified. #inline-recirc-item--id-92ae5a70-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-92ae5a70-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Her husband later opened Space Center Orthodontics outside of Houston. Clara Harris said that remark stunned her. Clara contends that she did not see David when she ran into him with her car. Originally sentenced to twenty years for first-degree murder, the former Houston dentist has been paroled. Davids daughter from a previous marriage, Lindsey Nicole Harris, who was in the car at the time of the incident, testified against her stepmother in the trial. 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. College career. Lindsey opened the door and stuck her feet on the ground, as if she was attempting to escape, according to witnesses, who then saw Clara whip the car around, hit the accelerator again, and drive over her husbands crumpled body a second time. After the car came to a stop, Lindsey said she got out and began hitting Clara Harris, who was knelt next to her husband saying, "I'm sorry. She was incarcerated at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas,[8] where she converted school textbooks to Braille for blind students. Harris faces the possibility of life in prison and the same jury that so quickly found her guilty will have a large say in what the punishment ought to be, Cohen said. The romance blossomed so rapidly that the couple got married on Feb. 14, 1992, less than a year after their first date. How Did James Dean Die? A prosecution expert said Clara Harris hit her husband and then circled, running over him at least two times. ", She also scoffed at Parnham's statement about keeping the boys with "the last parent they have on Earth.". YouTubeDavid and Clara Harris were married for ten years before she killed him in a fit of rage. She urged prison time, though she made no specific recommendation about the length of a sentence. The couple married on February 14, 1992, at the Nassau Bay Hilton, and were raising three children, twin sons born in 1998 and David's daughter Lindsey from a previous marriage. Bridge's now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder -- flashbacks, nightmares and is on medication. "(Clara) went right through (a hotel employee) and straight for my dad. As part of a prison program, she learned braille and worked several hours a day translating school textbooks into braille. David Harris told his daughter that he felt neglected by his wife after the birth of their twin boys three years earlier. [10] However, she was granted parole in November 2017. If you're going to hire an investigator and you call for a report, and Clara called us twice for a report, legally, we have to give our client a report," said Bobbi Bacha, with Blue Moon. Harris sons visited her at the Mountain View Unit prison in Gainesville, Texas, every month. WebThey had one daughter, Martha "Mattie" Harris, who was born in November 1895, when Gideon Lindsey Harris was almost 82 years old. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. ', "She knew what she did and she wasn't sorry.". Harris' attorney, George Parnham, had argued that the crime happened moments after an emotional and volatile confrontation between Harris, her husband and his mistress at the same hotel where the couple was married. I never thought hed do something like that to her. You b, hes my husband! Harris shouted before slapping Bridges. 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. Despite the medical examiner's report, the defense was unable to prove that she did not in fact run over him multiple times. Seven months later, she called News2Houston's Cindy Garza and said she was ready to talk, but only under one condition -- no cameras, only audio. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! She wasnt crying, said Lindsey. Clara Harris, the woman who mowed down her philandering husband with a Mercedes-Benz, was sentenced by a Houston jury to 20 years in prison on the day that would have been her 11th wedding anniversary. And she was not going to do anything to jeopardize her chance of getting parole so she could someday be with them.. In testimony mixed with flashes of fury and tears, the teenager described how Harris enlisted her support after learning about her husbands affair with his receptionist, Gail Bridges. Prosecutors called a half-dozen witnesses who said they watched in disbelief as Harris ran over her husband at least twice. 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. Bush: Prosecutor taking up Schiavo inquiry. Leave them blank to get signed up. In an interview with Oprah before her release, Harris said, I want to be judged by what really happened, not by the speculations people had made I found myself in a situation that I never thought myself capable of.. Jurors deliberated for eight hours over two days before reaching the verdict. "(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. Clara then parks her car next to his body. The Legislature Is Poised to Send Them More Inmates. Perhaps the most powerful witness was David Harris' daughter, 17-year-old Lindsey Harris, who was in Mercedes. Inside the Bro-tastic Party Mansions Upending a Historic Austin Community, Sex, Threats, and Late-Night Phone Calls: The Allegations From Inside Jolanda Joness Legislative Office, Texass Big Ranches Are Still Selling for Big Bucks, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools, Forty Years Later, Wrongfully Convicted James Reyos Has Another Day in Court. As soon as News2Houston walked into her home with a camera, she bolted into the bedroom and did not want to come out until the camera was gone. "He was really scared. The hotel's attorney, Ervin Apffel Jr., confirmed that the lawsuit had been settled but declined to comment further. She was in the car with her stepmother when her father was killed. Neil Patrick Harris is wishing his twin children a very happy birthday. 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. Prosecutor Mia Magness, however, said Harris was using her sons as a "shield" to gain probation. Without warning, she stomped on the accelerator and went straight for my Dad, testified Lindsey, 17, at Harris murder trial Wednesday. The 44-year-old orthodontist was tragically already gone. Its daily. After a three-week trial, Clara Harris was found guilty on Feb. 14, 2003. She told jurors she wanted to save her 10-year marriage after learning of the affair. Performance meets portability with Apple's 2023 MacBook Pro. display: none; Perhaps the most powerful witness was David Harris' daughter, 17-year-old Lindsey Harris, who was in Mercedes. / CBS. This time, a jury had little sympathy for Claras story, and it ordered her to pay $3.75 million in damages. Mike Hall writes about criminals, musicians, the law, and barbecue. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Clara "What did your dad do?" "She stepped on the accelerator and went Two of them cried as state District Judge Carol Davies read it in court. In 2003 Harris was again involved in court action over the custody Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end" HOUSTON The stepdaughter of Clara Harris is suing the hotel where her father was fatally run over. "We're just glad it's over," he said. ', "She knew what she did and she wasn't sorry.". She turned the car around to run over him a second time, then made a final 180-degree turn to hit him once more. Yes, the twins acknowledged, they had lost their father, but at the same time they had lost their mother, whom they loved deeply. A symbol of her American success story, the luxury car soon became a murder weapon. Get a 42-inch oscillating fan for 15% off with this deal. 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. "If you had anything to say to Clara, what would it be?" She testified that Clara was furious that David was having an affair and determined to catch him in the Harris played for the Tar Heels of the "There's no indication that they did call the police. One of the prosecution's most powerful witnesses was 17-year-old Lindsey Harris, David Harris' daughter from a previous marriage, who was riding in her Its free. Go the other way,'" an emotional Lindsey Harris remembered in the courtroom. 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. The investigators Harris had hired happened to record the entire ordeal on video, which was entered into evidence. She and her future husband met as colleagues at the Castle Dental Center in 1991. Clara! a reporter shouted. It was an accident.". 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Watt tweets the 2 things he doesn't miss about Houston, You can own your own cave system for a cool $875k, home included, Texas college baseball player hit by stray bullet mid-game, Greg Abbott announces $50k reward for information on Cleveland shooting, Massive Coastal Bend ranch up for sale near Texas next big state park, Property north of San Antonio set to become a new Texas state park, Texas man catches massive alligator snapping turtle, then releases it back into the wild, How former KPRC 2 anchor Dominique Sachse is getting back to reporting, Uber ranks Houston among the most 'forgetful' U.S. cities. Silently, Harris put the car in reverse and began to drive out of the hotel parking lot. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Oklahoma WR Keilahn Harris Rice Oregon State WR Tyjon Lindsey Report: Bucs star Barrett's daughter, 2, drowns in pool. display: none; The person at the front desk told them that neither David Harris nor Bridges was registered with the hotel. "She said, 'I'm so sorry. This time, Harris got in on the drivers side. A California law says yes. 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. She was on a mission to find where he was, said Lindsey. "In conjunction with Clara Harris, their acts contributed (to) or caused the death of David Harris," said John Davis, an attorney for Lindsey Harris. Assistant District Attorney Mia Magness, who is prosecuting the case, asked the teenager. Oklahoma WR Keilahn Harris Rice Oregon State WR Tyjon Lindsey Report: Bucs star Barrett's daughter, 2, drowns in pool. Climate change sparks disaster fears, Police manhunt continues for suspect in Texas mass shooting, A powerhouse U.S. doctor slain in Sudan, killed for nothing, In final Mass in Budapest, pope urges Hungary to open doors. She always said that David called Lindsey his angel and now David is her angel. With all hes done to me, I could kill him and get away with it, Harris had allegedly stated. Although she knows she cant disappear, she is going to do her best to stay out of the public eye, said Stouwie. Clara was advised not to take the stand. display: block; [11], Harris was released on parole on May 11, 2018, and was released from parole in February of 2023.[12]. "I couldn't believe he could sleep holding her all night because we had never slept like that never," she testified. 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. The lawsuit also said hotel management failed to provide effective security or notify police in time to prevent Harris' death and failed to train its employees to deal with domestic disputes. "I was in so much pain; it was a physical pain that I was feeling. She was denied parole in her first attempt on April 11, 2013, by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. "His last words to me were, 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry' and then he lost his life shortly after that.". Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Wildfires in Anchorage? On the evening of July 24, 2002, Harris received a devastating call from the investigator. "Doing the right thing doesn't always feel good," she said. 66 Join Insider Sign In This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Lindsey was already crying when she reached her dying father, and Harris soon joined in. 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. She and Lindsey got into Harris silver S-Class 430 Mercedes-Benz and waited. Their 11th wedding anniversary would have been Friday. Lindsey was with Harris when she sped off in the direction of the hotel on July 24 to confront her husband. I yelled, 'Stop it, you're killing him.' "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.". She has already filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Clara Harris. Clara's sons, who are in the custody of family friends, were said to visit about once a month. 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.". "She did that when she made the choice to kill their dad. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "I think I closed my eyes" just before impact, she testified. Witnesses recalled Lindsey screaming and trying to get out of the car, but Harris sped off to run over her husband. Its time to forgive her and let her move on.. Click Here to try 4 Free Trial Issues of Time! Through it all, however, Clara Harris only wanted people to know the truth about what really happened the night she murdered her husband. Harris knew her husband was being unfaithful and hired a private investigation agency to follow him, as reported by ABC News. "She stepped on the accelerator and went The death came a week after David Harris confessed to his nearly three-month affair with Bridges. But she denied trying to run him down and said she didn't recall hitting him. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Parnham argued that Clara Harris acted out of sudden passion. Bridges then walked to her car with David following. Read Skip Hollandsworths 2002 piece on Harris, Suburban Madness,. 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. Six months later, all Lindsey knows for sure is that her father is dead, and that her stepmother is to blame. They said they had come to the prison every month for the last fifteen years, without fail, to visit their mother. Clara Harris was convicted Thursday of murder by the jury that rejected her claim she was aiming for his lover's car. The Harrises, who also were business partners, then spent an evening at a bar talking about their relationship. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. He yelled 'stop' and she didn't. David Harris' father, mother and brother "don't want those boys ripped away from the last parent that they have on this Earth," Parnham said. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Lyndsey Harris and others you may know. Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. Garza asked Bridges. "He once told me that he would like to spend the rest of his life with me, and he did," Bridges said. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events Clara Harris leaving prison on May 11, 2018. Attorneys for Lindsey Harris filed a lawsuit Thursday, naming Blue Moon Investigations and the Hilton Nasa Clear Lake, Nasa Road 1, in Nassau Bay. jenni rivera's childhood home address, the effect of temperature on enzyme activity lab report, jelani day autopsy photos,