The Shocking Story Of Clara Harris, The Woman Who Killed Her Cheating Husband With Her Mercedes. The two women went to a number of restaurants and hotels, until they were alerted by a private detective Clara Harris had hired the previous day that Dr. Harris and Ms. Bridges were at the Hilton. Bridges says that's when Harris came back around and hit David then ran over him repeatedly. She had two sons with her orthodontist husband, David Harris. David Harris - Facebook This post has been updated since publication to correct an error: the minimum punishment for intentional murder is five years, not twenty years. Lindsey was already crying when she reached her dying father, and Harris soon joined in. In the heat of the moment, she went on to say, she didnt even know she had run over David. 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. If she was cheap enough to carry on with a married man, she's cheap enough to have no remorse. Mistresses everywhere were warned to take note: next time it could be them. Dr Lyndsey Harris is a Criminologist with extensive qualitative research experience. She admitted grabbing Bridges' hair when she saw her come out of the elevator with her husband, and said hotel employees broke up the fight and steered her toward her car in the parking lot. Mark Harris - People Directory - 192.com "I've always said I thought that video eventually would be the best thing in the world for us," he said. 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. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. They should've paroled her the first time she was up for parole. When they arrived at the hotel, she said, they went to the front desk, where they were told that neither Dr. Harris nor Ms. Bridges was registered. In 2004 Harris also sued her attorney, George Parnham, who had represented her at trial, claiming he overcharged her and misused her . What very few people knew was that Clara was a model prisoner. ''I'm going to hit him,'' Lindsey quoted Clara Harris, 44, as saying as she drove toward Dr. Harris and Ms. Bridges, who were standing in the parking lot next to Ms. Bridges's car. 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. Facebook gives people the power. At her parole hearing this past October, he brought her two sons, who were then nineteen years old and attending universities in Texas. 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. The mock jury's reaction to her account was encouraging: Just two out of the 20 said Harris was guilty of murder. The romance blossomed so rapidly that the couple got married on Feb. 14, 1992, less than a year after their first date. On February 14, 2003 (which ironically would have been David and Claras 11th anniversary), the jury found her guilty of second degree murder. "This is going to be a hard case," Parnham told Primetime 2 months before the trial. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Facebook gives people the power to. Since it only showed Harris circling the parking lot, and since David was barely visible, the defense argued she only hit him once. Instead of driving out of the parking lot, Harris drove toward Bridges' Lincoln Navigator. Most believed she had not intended to kill her husband, saying she was in a "jealous rage" and "lost it," and that she "didn't know what she was doing." The defense team also found that some of the women were quick to judge Harris by her appearance. Some argued yes, it was murdereven first degree murder that warranted the death penalty. Lindsey Harris in Florida. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. David Harris was a narcissist who bullied his wife into believing she wasn't good enough. Contact. She was quickly inundated with requests for interviews, but she turned all of them down. She stood up well to a tough cross-examination by the prosecution, but her testimony allowed them to introduce selected excerpts from her police statement, including her remark that she wanted to hurt her husband. Clara Harris was granted parole in November 2017, and she was ultimately released in May of 2018. DAVID HARRIS - CLARA HARRIS - CMM-Crime, Mystery & Mayhem 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. View the profiles of professionals named "David Harris" on LinkedIn. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Parnham was relieved; he believed the jury would recommend something close to the two-year minimum. On one hand, Lindsey said, she strenuously objected to her father's affair and disliked Ms. Bridges, who, she said, flirted openly with her father in his office. 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. 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. This time, a jury had little sympathy for Claras story, and it ordered her to pay $3.75 million in damages. Gerald Harris Sr. then defended his son, if not as vehemently. 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. Clara Harris still rotting in prison is a waste of taxpayer money. 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. She testified anyway, and Parnham subsequently passed out from tremendous stress in the courthouse hallway and had to be hospitalized. For his closing argument, Hirschhorn advised Parnham to focus on Bridges as a homewrecker, but not to vilify David Harris as a cheating husband, just a man who made some mistakes. She thought her car was going to stop on the high sidewalk, she said, but instead it kept going. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. He went to church and loved Clara, she said. She cried. She said her father had told her he would end the affair with Ms. Bridges on July 24. Clara Harris: Death by Mercedes - The CrimeWire - HubPages Join Facebook to connect with Harris David and others you may know. I believe anyone can be driven to do what Ms Harris did when they are pushed far enough. HOUSTON Gail Bridges had been having an affair with Clara Harris' husband, David, for months -- an affair Clara says drove her to kill her husband. He and Gail both contributed to the situation. Suzie from Carson City on April 16, 2016: I'm very familiar of this extremely high-profile case. 11/21/2022 8:44 AM. When the story about the scorned woman who used her Mercedes to extract revenge on her cheating husband made national headlines, Americans suddenly found themselves embroiled in a debate: Was it really murder? Join Facebook to connect with Lynsey Harris and others you may know. When Harris suddenly accelerated, Lindsey was thrown against her seat and saw her father put his hands on the hood of the car, shouting, Stop! she said. Find Lindsey Harris's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. Although she knows she cant disappear, she is going to do her best to stay out of the public eye, said Stouwie. ''She's really more like a daughter.''. Clara and Davids twin sons continue to live Texas with Davids parents, Gerald and Mildred Harris. When they found it, Clara Harris scratched the vehicle with her keys, ripped off the rear windshield wiper and tried to do the same to the front wipers. Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives. 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 stepmother's Mercedes when it struck her father. His close buddies call him, "Val." Bridges said she never saw this coming because Clara knew of their affair and David told his mistress he was leaving his wife. When David Harris wed Colombian-born beauty queen Clara Suarez in a Valentines Day 1992 ceremony befitting royalty at the Nassau Bay Hilton Hotel, he had no way of knowing his loving bride would end his life here some 10 years later. Clara Harris leaving prison on May 11, 2018. He said Burwell probably will discuss the settlement with the parties before the end of July. Joy Davis Aylor was angry that her husband Larry Aylor was having an affair, so she hired a man to murder Larry's mistress and later sent thugs to kill Larry himself. His slut of a receptionist was complicate in his demise but of course I'm sure she lives her life guilt-free. Clara and husband David were both respected dental practitioners in Houston, Texas, with a shared office in the shadow of NASAs Johnson Space Center. "A lot of women would say, 'I don't feel sorry for (you) because (you were) going out with a married man,'" Garza said. They paroled OJ, clearly someone who cannot stay out of trouble. On the night of the killing, she said, Clara Harris "stepped on the accelerator and went straight for him," saying moments before impact, "I'm going to hit him.". Only two of the panelists both men said Harris was guilty of murder. All the while, Lindsey sat screaming at her stepmother from the Mercedes passenger side; begging Clara to stop. Accompanying her was David's. The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. There are 5500+ professionals named "David Harris", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. 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. Read Skip Hollandsworths 2002 piece on Harris, Suburban Madness,. Because of her criminal record, she can no longer practice dentistry.) As Dr. Clara Harris sits in court every day, her staunchest supporters are the parents of her husband, the man she is accused of killing with her Mercedes-Benz. His body then fell to the ground and the Mercedes ran over him once. Meet the Astros prospect tearing up Spring Training, Texas tornados destroy homes, leave 300,000 without power, Proposed Texas bill would offer 12 weeks of paid family leave, Heres how you can watch 'Daisy Jones and the Six', Texas Republican wants to ban access to abortion websites, Dallas Morning News reporter calls mayor 'bruh,' gets fired. '', ''She wasn't sorry,'' Lindsey testified. Clara! a reporter shouted. When one suggested reckless driving, Hirschhorn joked that Parnham should take her to lunch. After it was over, Clara Harris led Lindsey to the Mercedes. The worst was yet to come, however. Prosecutors say Harris, bent on avenging her husband's adultery, used her car as a murder. Many of the mock jurors said that judging from what they had heard in the media, they believed Harris had killed her husband intentionally. However, the defense had another problem: a videotape shot by a private detective Harris had hired after her husband admitted the affair. (According to Stouwie, the company that runs the prison braille program has asked Harris to keep working once she returns to Houston. This beautiful & intelligent woman seemed to crack & fall apart completely due to her narcissistic husband's selfish behavior & infidelity. It seemed that life was perfect and complete for the Harris family. Blood was coming from his nose and mouth. David Harris was gasping for air, making gurgling sounds and his limbs were drawing close to his body, similar to those of stroke victims, she testified. Although Davids parents and brother had testified during the sentencing phase of the trial they had forgiven Clara for murdering their son and brother, they too filed suit against the estate; including Brian and Bradley as petitioners in their claim. There is at least one holdout in family support for the driver of the Mercedes. The Harris parents agreed with a suggestion by a defense lawyer, George Parnham, that Clara Harris had always been a truthful and law-abiding person. They then called Dr. Harris on his cellphone and told him to come home because one of the twins was sick, a statement Lindsey testified was not true. Parnham was confident. Creger, who said she was trained in CPR to care for a premature son, tried to help the injured dentist breathe. The Mercedes glanced off Gails SUV and hit David before he could get out of the way, propelling him 25 feet across the lot. ''I know that he was trying to get away and he couldn't.''. Bridges then walked to her car with David following. Today, the judge sent the jury out and told her: ''Either you will sit here in a composed manner or you will be removed from the courtroom. Lindsey Harris, 17, David Harris's daughter by his first marriage, was in the passenger seat of the car that killed her father. Prosecutors say Harris, bent on avenging her husbands adultery, used her car as a murder weapon. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Menu Log In Sign Up Clara Harris then circled around and ran over him three times, Lindsey said. ''He was really scared,'' she said, describing her father as Clara Harris's Mercedes raced toward him. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. YouTubeDavid and Clara Harris were married for ten years before she killed him in a fit of rage. David Harris is on Facebook. They had hidden from her, and she was upset by that.'' Anyone can read what you share. Back then she declined. In 2003 Harris was again involved in court action over the custody of her and David Harris's two young twin sons. The defense's pathology expert said David Harris' injuries were consistent with being run over once, and Irwin constructed a computer simulation designed to show how the Mercedes' 40-foot turning radius meant it could not have hit the body a second time. She said she remembered driving around in circles, "confused," with no conscious thoughts going through her mind. 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. They heard witnesses tell how she killed her husband, David, by running over him with her car on July 24 after he admitted having an affair. But then, on the last day of testimony, the prosecution produced a rebuttal witness who directly contradicted Irwin's theory. You b, hes my husband! Harris shouted before slapping Bridges. "If they think she's lying, she's history," Parnham told Primetime. Clara Harris discusses her crime, years in prison - Chron ''She said she could kill my father for what he'd done to her,'' Lindsey testified, glancing only briefly at her stepmother, a former beauty queen and dentist, in almost five hours on the witness stand. Previously, Lindsey was a Principal at Kobre & Kim and also held posit ions at Wachtell , Lipton , Rosen & Katz. ''But these were mistakes made by two of the finest people I know. As Assistant District Attorney Mia Magness led Lindsey through the moments leading to her father's death, she kept her composure, her voice quivering occasionally. She screamed. Witnesses recalled Lindsey screaming and trying to get out of the car, but Harris sped off to run over her husband. Then she went inside looking for David. They were victims twice over, they said. A symbol of her American success story, the luxury car soon became a murder weapon. Yet they say they have forgiven Dr. Harris and in court today described an unblemished marriage that was, in Mildred Harris's words, ''made in heaven. David Harris is on Facebook. Individual details - click to Hide Show Main role not specified . They seemed like the perfect family but on July 24, 2002, Harris fatally ran over her husband with her car. Days of Our Lives Spoilers: Steve Burton's First Airdate Revealed She was in her 40s when she was arrested. She would tell me pretty much everything that was going on and made me feel part of the family. Lindsey, David Harris daughter from a previous marriage, spent summers and holidays with her father and Harris. 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. David Harris was enamored. The young woman's appearance in court clearly displayed her ambivalence about the events that led to the death of her father, who married Clara Harris, his second wife, on Valentine's Day in 1992, in the same hotel, the Nassau Bay Hilton, where he died. Click a location below to find Lindsey more easily. 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, David Harris, in a hotel parking lot was widely anticipated. If convicted, Harris could be sentenced to life in prison. With her stepdaughter in the car, she ran over him three times and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. And she was not going to do anything to jeopardize her chance of getting parole so she could someday be with them.. She said she tried to save their 10-year marriage by quitting her job, cooking her husband's favorite meals and promising to please him sexually, and that he promised to break up with Bridges over dinner. Read More . Was her love "above" everybody else's wellbeing? In the statement she gave to police on the night of her husband's death in July 2002, Harris was at times barely coherent, talking nonstop about dental practices and her desire to remake herself for her husband after he told her he was seeing another woman. 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. Inside The Accident That Killed The Beloved Actor, 'A World First': New Species Of Prehistoric Crocodile Discovered With A Dinosaur In Its Stomach, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. She killed my dad,'" Bridges responded. They saw David and Gail heading to Gails SUV in a different part of the parking lot. In 2002 Lindsey Harris, daughter of David Harris filed a Federal lawsuit against Clara Harris. According to the Los Angeles Times, Lindsey later testified that Harris said, Im going to hit him, as they sat in the car and waited for David to appear. Clara had a lucrative practice as a dentist, while Davids specialty was orthodontics. Their most devastating witness was David Harriss teenage daughter Lindsey, who testified that a week earlier her stepmother had told her, With all hes done to me, I could kill him and get away with it. On the night of the killing, she said, Clara stepped on the accelerator and went straight for him, saying moments before impact, Im going to hit him.. 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. 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. Well aware she had run over her husband, Clara circled aroundcrossing two grassy medians, according to witnessesand ran over Davids motionless body; then circled around to run over him again. Bridges spoke to News2Houston in an exclusive interview Thursday. Lindsey Harris, 17, David Harris's daughter by his first marriage, was in the passenger seat of the car that killed her father. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. Jeff Moore, chief of investigations for Blue Moon, said company officials are "very pleased" with the outcome. Local radio stations gave breathless updates. Today, they had the chance to explain why. Murder Defendant's In-Laws Tell Jurors Why They Remain Her Strongest