host = new String(location.hostname); Read Skip Hollandsworths 2002 piece on Harris, Suburban Madness,. A dozen photojournalists flocked to Harris first court appearance. Then, learn about rich teenager Ethan Couch being released from prison despite murdering four people. 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. Prosecutors, however, went after her, saying she knew exactly what she was doing in that Hilton parking lot. He was trying to get away but couldnt., Harris was expressionless as she steered the car over a concrete median, then circled around the lot, said Lindsey. Harris played for the Tar Heels of the She testified anyway, and Parnham subsequently passed out from tremendous stress in the courthouse hallway and had to be hospitalized. 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, They saw David and Gail heading to Gails SUV in a different part of the parking lot. She said her stepmother made the remark just after finding him with Bridges. Jurors deliberated for eight hours over two days before reaching the verdict. Bridges responded, "The affair was wrong. 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. She was convicted of sudden passion and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Clara! a reporter shouted. I do not regret or will ever regret that I got to know him and that he became part of my life.". 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.. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "A lot of women would say, 'I don't feel sorry for (you) because (you were) going out with a married man,'" Garza said. Clara Harris leaving prison on May 11, 2018. However, after watching days of testimony, she decided she had to speak. But she denied trying to run him down and said she didn't recall hitting him. She got out and saw her husband lying on the pavement, blood streaming from his ears and mouth. When the car stopped, Lindsey ran around to the drivers side. The Legislature Is Poised to Send Them More Inmates. Witnesses recalled seeing Lindsey punch Harris in the face before both of them exited the vehicle. The person at the front desk told them that neither David Harris nor Bridges was registered with the hotel. Go the other way,'" an emotional Lindsey Harris remembered in the courtroom. "I think that speaks volumes to what this jury should do," Parnham said. 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. She testified that Clara was furious that David was having an affair and determined to catch him in the Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events Lindsey Harris is David's daughter from a previous marraige. "They did not specifically have procedures and proper training to train their employees in how to deal with these situations," Webber said. "It's hard to tell. That was when she struck me on my leg with the vehicle," the mistress said. "I couldn't believe he could sleep holding her all night because we had never slept like that never," she testified. At her parole hearing this past October, he brought her two sons, who were then nineteen years old and attending universities in Texas. The teenager said she never thought her stepmother would act on a comment that she could kill David Harris and get away with it. The story of an angry dentist killing her husband spread like wildfire. 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.". "Your verdict will in part tell her what she went through was worth it," Magness said. Trending News Please enter valid email address to continue. John Spong writes primarily about popular culture. WebLindsey Burke Harris (born November 19, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper. She said she quit her job, had sex with her husband three times a night, cooked his favorite meals and hired a personal trainer. Appellant and Lindsey walked to the parking lot and found Bridges s Navigator. 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. Yes, the twins acknowledged, they had lost their father, but at the same time they had lost their mother, whom they loved deeply. CBSNews.com Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen says Texas showed too much mercy towards the Mercedes Muderess. He pointed out that even David Harris' parents and brother had testified on Clara Harris' behalf. We became very close, Lindsey said. "This was an unfortunate tragedy and it did not have to end this way," Bridges said. Leave them blank to get signed up. / CBS. She said her stepmother made the remark just after finding him with Bridges. "I was in so much pain; it was a physical pain that I was feeling. In the heat of the moment, she went on to say, she didnt even know she had run over David. I wasn't thinking anything," Harris testified. She was on a mission to find where he was, said Lindsey. "I wasn't sure if what I was seeing was real," said one tearful witness, Chris Junco. 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! [3] Suspicious, Clara hired a private detective agency to monitor David, and on July 24, 2002, the agency notified her that he was at a hotel with his mistress. George Wong/Getty ImagesClara Harris and attorney George Parnham after the first day of testimony in 2003. 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. 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. HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- Clara Harris was sentenced to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine Friday for killing her husband in a hotel parking lot with her Mercedes-Benz. After the initial collision, Clara Harris circled around and ran over him again, the teen testified. After a three-week trial, Clara Harris was found guilty on Feb. 14, 2003. 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. I wasn't thinking anything," Harris testified. The 17-year-old's pivotal testimony on Thursday gave jurors a firsthand glimpse into the horror Lindsey witnessed the night of July 24, when she was sitting in the front passenger seat of Clara Harris' Mercedes S-Class. Its daily. 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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. 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 Most Facebook users can now claim settlement money. Lindsey started hitting her father while shouting, I hate you! Harris ripped the shirt off Bridges, then David reportedly pushed Harris to the floor. A California law says yes. } else if ( host.indexOf("asia.cnn.com") != -1 ) { After it was over, Clara Harris led Lindsey to the Mercedes. Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. On March 11, 1896, Gideon Lindsey Harris passed away and is buried in the old Mars Hill Cemetery beside his second wife, Catherine, and among many of his descendants who rest there. Here's how. They had twin sons named Brian and Bradley in 1998. Her stepmother ran to them and began slapping Bridges and ripping her shirt, she added. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { It was an accident. When he walked outside, his wife did precisely that, sending him flying 25 feet across the parking lot. display: none; 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. 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, Clara was advised not to take the stand. Lindsey Harris filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her 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. ", Harris said she saw three figures near Bridges' Navigator. "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.". Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He then escorted Bridges to her Lincoln Navigator while hotel staff took Harris outside. Over the years, there were occasional stories in the media about Clara. She was in the car with her stepmother when her father was killed. [1][7] The prosecution claimed Clara's actions were more than a crime of passion, but that she "wanted to hurt" David, as she was heard saying in a police interview. Because she is penniless (and legally, she still owes her in-laws $3.75 million), she will initially live with a friend, and she will look for a job. Im going to hit him, Harris told the teenager. 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. A book titled Out of Control was written by Steven Long about the case. [5] David was dead at the scene, and Clara was charged with murder.[6]. Killen ordered attack on civil rights worker, jury hears, Father convicted of murdering 9 of his children, Gov. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The 44-year-old orthodontist was tragically already gone. Clara contends that she did not see David when she ran into him with her car. When I went to her first court appearance, nearly a dozen photographers were there to capture her every move. [1], Clara Suarez, a Colombian immigrant, was named "Mrs Colombia Houston" and worked as a dentist. "I think I closed my eyes" just before impact, she testified. } Prosecutor Mia Magness, however, said Harris was using her sons as a "shield" to gain probation. And its full of great reads, yall. Clara When she arrived at the Hilton, Clara Harris caused a scene in the lobby, fighting with her husband's mistress before getting in her car and running over David Harris. Clara Harris was convicted of murdering her cheating husband, David Harris, by running him over with her Mercedes-Benz on July 24. The chain was particularly successful, and the couple was able to afford an upscale home and lifestyle in Friendswood, Texas. Clara Harris and attorney George Parnham after the first day of testimony in 2003. She was quickly inundated with requests for interviews, but she turned all of them down. You b, hes my husband! Harris shouted before slapping Bridges. Because of her criminal record, she can no longer practice dentistry.) 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. Her friends have told me she is worried that people she meets will realize who she is and back away. A 20-year prison term for a first-degree murder conviction in Texas is a pie-in-the-sky legal result if I have ever seen one,'' he said. February 13, 2003 / 3:16 PM Neil Patrick Harris is wishing his twin children a very happy birthday. The owner of Blue Moon Investigations said that they did not do anything wrong. Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives. "Suddenly, I thought about smashing my car against her car and then I (picked) up speed.". It felt different. I wrote a long article about her, titled Suburban Madness, for Texas Monthly. During his half-hour closing, Parnham also focused on Harris' twin sons and how they need their mother. 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.". Clara suddenly gunned the engine and raced toward them. David Harris' 16-year-old daughter - Clara Harris' stepdaughter - was in the passenger seat of the car at the time. //-->. She was incarcerated at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas,[8] where she converted school textbooks to Braille for blind students. The parents of the victim, David Harris, took the stand, too to testify in support of their daughter-in-law. Hotel employees escorted Clara to her Mercedes-Benz sedan. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. This post has been updated since publication to correct an error: the minimum punishment for intentional murder is five years, not twenty years. The Harrises, who also were business partners, then spent an evening at a bar talking about their relationship. On the evening of July 24, 2002, Harris received a devastating call from the investigator. 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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. "(Clara) went right through (a hotel employee) and straight for my dad. She said she has been seeing a therapist, is taking medication and that her leg -- hit by Clara Harris' car -- still bothers her.