>> caring, wondering, compassionate. >> so why did she have the strange permission? >> actually always felt like she was gonna die young. >> the call came on black friday. >> they said that ashlea apartment was on fire. >> when the car picked up, i my heart broke. >> and this fire was no accident. >> they conducted surveillance at ashlea apartment. >> they're going back to the place where ashlea worked? >> they were going after tens of thousands of dollars. >> but was money they only motive? or was there something else? >> there were a lot of rumors going around that ended up being true. >> couldn't believe anyone did that to her. it was just pure evil. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> hello and welcome to dateline. ashlea harris had no shortage of admirers. family, friends, coworkers. even her ex son her praises. so when she was found dead after a suspicious fire consumed her apartment, police were baffled. this was no accident. but where the clues to who killed ashlea now up in smoke? it would take a determined detective, and the discovery of a stolen keaton lock this mystery. here is keith morrison with black friday. >> a hot august night in texas, 2014. the lone figure knew where to go. know where the story kept the cash. grabbed $18,000. and was gone. but it was only money. and no one got hurt. not that time, anyway. the story begins here in fort worth, texas. which turned out to be the perfect growing up plays for a rough and tumble free spirit named ashlea harris. >> i was around ten when she was born. so, perfect age to pretend that she was my baby. >> melissa hill is ashlea's eldest sister. >> she marched to the beat of a different drum. she would wear things that did not match. her hair was just, it didn't seem combed. >> she was never the little princess type? >> now. now. >> there were three girls in the family. ashlea was the baby. their mom, monica, remembers how ashlea love sports, and music, an art. and bingo! >> it was our mom and daughter bonding time. she would get really excited. >> by the time she got a high school, ashlea had lots of friends. even a boyfriend. and she was devoted to her two dads. her father, tommy, and her stepfather, chuck. both, required police officers. >> didn't she talk at one point about getting into yard line of work? >> she was interested in policing. i think that she took a unique interest in it. >> but after high school, she ended up working for a short time. at blockbuster video. and that is where she met a customer named laura love. >> i walked around the store for a little bit, and just kept looking at her. because she is so beautiful. >> laura wanted to meet the girl behind the counter. they became friends. and then, something more. >> we hung out for a few months. more like eight months, before it ever really got there. >> by that, she means that she and ashlea fell in love. >> there was a lot of growing up, she had to work through her feelings. being gay isn't necessarily an easy thing. and it definitely wasn't easy 14 or 15 years ago. >> oh no, it wasn't. >> was there a coming out period? >> i believe there is, 2004. she came over to the house, and she goes, mom i have something to tell you. and chuck. i just want you to know that i was gay. and i say, well, ashlea, i already knew it. but you need to give me some space. i need some time. >> so monica took some time, prayed about it. came to this conclusion. >> i cannot imagine god given me this child, and living with her, and raising her. that he would want me to stop loving her. >> would it make any sense at all. >> yet, for a while, monica wasn't comfortable with ashlea 's no relationship. though laura said that she and ashlea were very good together. >> she was always very giving, very, what else can i do for you to make you happy? >> the romance lasted more than three years. then it was over. but they remained friends. and laura remembers how happy ashlea was, when she started working at guy american eagle outfitters, in the mall in fort worth. >> she loved it. >> she wasn't existent manager, and good at, it said her boss. chris. >> just her personality, caring, loving, compassionate. she just loved life. >> and she loved taking videos of her life. lots of them, at work. >> looks really tired, this is not helping. look at my eyes. it's horrible. >> she had this laugh, it was so infectious. >> they weren't all like that, however. employee, lindsey green, said another assistant manager carter cervantes, was very different from ashlea. >> she taught me how to love myself to a point. carter cervantes just talk me work related things. >> not a jokester. >> right. >> and actually, polar opposite, and popular. >> this is what it looks like. i'm so heard. >> so work was going well. her love life? not so much. and then one night, she went out with friends. and april was there. >> i was the waitress. and she was having a bad night. and i was trying to pull her out of her shell. she was not having it. so i just, fine. >> april gave up on her grumpy customer. until months later, they connected on social media. they met for a dog walk. ashlea brought her dog, nala. april brought cooper. and everyone clicked. >> what was it like when you first started going out with her? >> she has a magnetic force to her. it is hard to not instantly love her. >> so, by the summer of 2014, life was good for ashlea. her social life, her job, though she did hit a bump of sorts in august. when someone stole 18 grand from the store safe. >> it was ashlea, who realized the theft had occurred and reported it to you? >> correct. >> she even helped i. d. the suspects. with her interest in police work, actually thought she might have a calling here. >> she wanted to go until last prevention, and work for our home office, in american eagle. >> she was 31, she had all kinds of plans. but on the morning after thanksgiving, black friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. chris's phone rang at home. >> it was our other assistant manager. saying, ashlea's apartment is on fire. we can't get her on the phone. i put clothes on as fast as i could get, started driving, and follow the trail, and the sirens. >> coming up! no one would guess where that trail would eventually lead. >> we were asking if we could talk to ashlea, and where she was at. they were just saying she was unavailable right now. >> when dateline continues! dancing is my passion. but with my moderate-to-severe eczema, it hasn't always been easy. i was constantly itching. whatever i was doing now, i'm staying ahead of my eczema there's a power inside all of us to live our passion. and dupixent works on the inside, to help heal your skin from within. it helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema. so, adults can have long lasting, clearer skin and fast itch relief serious allergic reactions can occur, that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, including blurred vision, joint aches and pains, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. healing from within is a powerful thing. ask your eczema specialist how dupixent can help heal your skin from within. tiny, branch, poppy on another musical adventure. ask your eczema specialist you see that button? yeah. press it. hold onto your cupcakes. ♪ ♪ ooh! too much hustle is a thing. look at that. >> it was the morning after thanksgiving. black friday. laura love had only one thing on her mind. >> black friday was my favorite day of the year. i love to shop, and save money. >> but laura's black friday, was about to turn very dark, indeed. >> i got a call from a friend of ours. and she said ashlea's apartment is on fire. >> ashlea's friends arrived at her parking lot to something like chaos. >> there was a lot of police cars. the crime scene was there. >> detective jerry, and his partner ernie, sped over there too. >> there was a crowd starting to gather. next thing you know, we have about 40 to 50 of friends and family, and coworkers. and then we had residents that were just looking from balconies. we had quite a crowd out here. >> by now, firefighters squelch the flames. and detectives watlked up to ashlea door. >> when you went into that apartment, how was it? >> it was very disturbing. >> a woman's lifeless body was lying face down on the floor. >> we waited until she got turned over, we got a look at her face. she was identified by some of the tattoos. >> and then they know, the victim had her name tattooed on her ribcage. ashlea harris. outside, her friends were totally in the dark. >> we were asking if we could talk to ashlea, where she was at. they were just saying she was unavailable right now. >> ashlea's boss, chris, had arrived and was trying to get some answers. >> first couple of hours, we just assumed that she was being taken care of. >> and while they waited for information, investigators were realizing that this was no accident. >> it was obviously she had been beaten, due to the amount of blood that we had found. and then we observed her arms were bound behind her back. and her ankles were bound. >> it looked like ashlea had been fighting back against a truly vicious attack. >> she had been beaten, and possibly tortured. we later discovered that her neck had been severed. >> not only that, the fire looked suspicious. so, veteran arson investigator, wallace heard, was called to the scene. >> there was fire damage on the bed. and also, i notice that there was some fire damage to the victim. and i saw what looked like a bottle of alcohol. >> fire on the victims. so someone set a fire to her? >> it looked like there was some burn marks to her. >> there were several points of origin, and that's an indicator of some none setting fire. >> rubbing alcohol, supported there, put it there? >> yes sir. >> chris, standing in the crowd outside, watched his worst fears in front of ashlea's apartment. >> i think it hit me like a sack of bricks. once i saw them start taping it off for the crime scene. and when the coroner pulled up. my heart broke. i lost it. >> and then, the detectives looking very stern. came outside to ask some pointed questions. did someone know something? see something? >> at that point, they start, the police start shuffling us into the office. and they tell us, even if we tried to leave we could be arrested. >> they didn't tell you something very bad happened in there? >> yeah. >> one person not in the crowd that morning, was ashlea's girlfriend, april. about 1 pm, april got a text from one of ashlea's neighbors. >> hey have you checked on your girl? there was a fire in her apartment. and immediately, i thought, of nalah, ashlea's dog. >> april assumed that she wasn't home. and then she got a message from another friend, saying, quickly, call me. >> i called her and said, where is ashlea, and where is natale? >> she said nautilus fine. i said wears ashlea? she said, ashlea is gone. and, it didn't register. >> gone? what do you mean gone? >> yeah. i said, well, is ashlea, okay? she said no, april, she is dead. and, i was sitting on my bed and i threw my phone on the ground. like, that is not real. >> when reality settled in, april, and all of ashlea's friends, and family, and even the police had to wonder. who would do such a thing? to such a good, sweet person? ashlea harris had no enemies, did she? >> was someone stalking ashlea harris? coming up! >> i saw a vehicle parked there. >> but someone had seen it before! >> i said -- >> when dateline continues! especially for those sudden gush moments. when your keys are in the door and your body's like, “it's happening”! if you're worried about your protection, it's not the right protection. always discreet protects like no other. with double leak guards that help prevent gushes escaping from the sides. and a rapid dry core that locks in your heaviest gush quickly for up to zero leaks. and it contours, to everybody. now this, is protection! always discreet- the protection we deserve! every parent knows when it's time to go into protect mode. adding lysol laundry sanitizer kills 99.9% of illness-causing bacteria detergents leave behind. clean is good. sanitized is better. 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(vo) black friday starts now. turn any iphone in any condition into a new iphone 15 pro with titanium and ipad and apple watch se - all on us. that's up to $1700 in value. it's holiday every day, with verizon. >> ashley's mother and stepfather were out of town when the news came. first, they heard about the fire. monica prayed actually was not hurt. ashley's father tommy harris called. >> i saw him getting off the phone. i saw him wiping his tears. i knew that my prayer wasn't answered. >> he couldn't reach ashley sister so he left a message. >> not two minutes later my husband called me. he said, where are you? i need to come to you. i said, what is wrong with my mom? what happened to my mom? it's not your mom. it's actually. i mean, it just came like a blow. >> back in fort worth, police were still rounding up people gathered outside ashley's apartment. not among them was april. april had not seen actually for a few days. their romance had hit a bit of a bump. >> that night, we talked briefly about me coming over after i got off work. i went home. >> someone else was there. her name was alexis torres. >> alexis torres was the last person to see ashley alive and was the last person to leave her apartment. >> this is certainly someone he would want to talk to. >> yes, sir. >> alexis said she and ashley had gone to an early thanksgiving dinner with friends. >> you had thanksgiving dinner and that was -- >> around 12. >> even around for the afternoon. >> yes. >> actually had to work that night. >> her shift was supposed to be from 7 pm until 3 am. alexis agreed to come over during the time that she was working to take care of ashley 's dog. >> alexis told the police that she went back one more time after ashley got home from work. >> a long did you stay? >> i stayed for an hour. >> that would make it four a. m.. if alexis was telling the truth, the police said the beginnings of a timeline. before they could check her story or anyone else is, for that matter, a neighbor gave them more to work with, an ex cop named steve lee had noticed something about 6:30 that morning. >> you're out here having a cigarette. what did you see? >> a vehicle parked there that i had never seen before. >> what was the vehicle? >> it was a black infinity. >> to the observant ex cop, that seemed worth noting. >> did it stay there for a long time? >> it was there when i left for work that about 7:40. >> detectives also talked to a neighbor who lived directly below actually. he had heard noises, heavy breathing coming from ashley's apartment just before eight a. m.. >> a few minutes later, the fire alarms started going off. water started coming down into his apartment. >> that is one of the neighbors saw a black infinity g 35 driving away. armed with this new information, they went back to alexis torres. >> i asked her if she knew anyone who drove an infinity g 35. i never gave her a color. i simply asked her about the car. >> alexis said no. >> everyone asking the questions, i walked outside and sat down on the brick and i believe it was chris that was there. >> that would be ashley's boss at american eagle. alexis told him that police were asking about the infinity sit in. chris made a beeline for detective city oh. >> i know whose call car y'all are asking about. >> i want to make you aware that i have a former employee that drove the infinity g35. >> her name was carter. that business like assistant manager who worked with ashley. >> what color is the g35 that she drove? he mentions that it's a black one. >> what was it like to hear that? >> it beats hearing the color red or white. >> by the way, chris told detective cedillo, carter left american eagle because she was fired. cedillo filed that away and sorted through the crime scene and talk to witnesses. did you get any sleep? >> no, sir, i didn't. >> the story about carter and her black infiniti was bugging him. >> where do i go from here? >> what color is the g35 that she drove? he mentions that it's a black one. >> what was it like to hear that? >> it beats hearing the color red or white. >> by the way, chris told detective cedillo, carter left american eagle because she was fired. cedillo filed that away and sorted through the crime scene and talk to witnesses. did you get any sleep? >> no, sir, i didn't. >> the story about carter and her black infiniti was bugging him. >> where do i go from here? >> he tossed and turned on i thinking about that. something inside him said no. >> i'm not going to be able to get any sleep. i might as will get back out there and see what i could find. >> wouldn't be his first wild goose chase. he had carter's address so he drove over there. what do you know? >> i saw a black infiniti backed in right in front of the apartment. >> he didn't knock on her door. >> i was going to go ahead and sit here and watch the vehicle to see if it moved. >> for more than four hours, he sat in his car, cold but patient. at about 8 am saturday, he saw the lights of the infiniti flash as if someone was unlocking it remotely. >> i see the male entered the driver seat. i then to see a female enter the passenger side of the black infinity. >> they drove off. the detective followed. after a few minutes, to be infiniti pulled into, of all places, the human mall. >> they're going back to the place where ashley worked were the american eagle was. >> yes, sir. >> what would they be doing their? >> that was the million dollar question. >> i asked him, what are you doing here at the mall? he said he dropped his girlfriend off to pick up some -- >> a routine errand or something else? when dateline continues. 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