Fred Tokars knew his wife was ready to divorce him and he feared she'd expose all of his dirty secrets, so he hired one of his clients to make sure she didn't. 30 people named Lindsey Harris found in Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, Saginaw-Bay City-Midland and 3 other cities. Her first outburst, on Tuesday, occurred when a medical examiner gave details of the crushing injuries her husband had suffered. '', ''David loved Clara very much,'' she told the jury. Yes, the twins acknowledged, they had lost their father, but at the same time they had lost their mother, whom they loved deeply. Her sons went to live with another couple who had been close friends with Clara and David. The worst was yet to come, however. Raised by her widowed mother, she grew into an ambitious adult who studied dentistry in her home country before making her way to the United States in the late 1980s. David Harris was run over shortly afterward. She ultimately destroyed her own life & lost everything because of the nasty bastard she was married to. A Federal Judge in Amarillo Could Effectively Ban the Abortion Pill. 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. They said they had come to the prison every month for the last fifteen years, without fail, to visit their mother. When the car stopped, David Harris, 44, was dead. What followed was a gruesome murder and a controversial legal saga. Harris found her husband and Bridges in the hotel lobby. Not to mention destroying so many other lives. She thought her car was going to stop on the high sidewalk, she said, but instead it kept going. Accompanying her was Davids sixteen-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, Lindsey, who was visiting from Ohio, where she lived with her mother. The defense had a setback when the judge ruled that their computer simulation was inadmissible because it was dramatized. While David Harris daughter Lindsey spent the school year in Ohio with her mother, the teenager lived in Houston with her dad and stepmom over the summers. Anyone can read what you share. Harris defense attorney George Parnham urged her not to take the stand for fear she would incriminate herself. Lindsey Harris, along with her mother (David's first wife), quickly filed suit against Clara Harris in hopes of claiming David's insurance proceeds and inheriting his portion of the estate. She stomped on the accelerator and went for him.''. ''I don't approve of that kind of behavior,'' said the surviving son, also named Gerald, a professor of psychology at the University of Houston who is no stranger to Houston courtrooms. Bridges responded, "The affair was wrong. ''They had tricked her. If she did, there was a risk the prosecution would get her police statement admitted, with her potentially incriminating comments about wanting to hurt her husband. She said Clara Harris finally stopped the car, ran to her husband and said: ''I'm so sorry. (Photo By Carlos Antonio Rios/Chronicle) Clara Harris Clara and David Harris Clara and David Harris 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. 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. Gail Bridges stood watching, too stunned to move. 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. The man was a bully and terrible husband, he broke her spirit, soul and eventually her mind. 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. She said she became upset, she got into her car and drove toward Bridges' black Lincoln Navigator, but did not remember running over her husband. "This is Dr. David Harris and he's fing this woman right here!" His body then fell to the ground and the Mercedes ran over him once. Dr Lyndsey Harris is a Criminologist with extensive qualitative research experience. His slut of a receptionist was complicate in his demise but of course I'm sure she lives her life guilt-free. 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.. Leave them blank to get signed up. "This was an unfortunate tragedy and it did not have to end this way," Bridges said. 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 said that she had tried to get out of the car, but that her stepmother was driving too fast. Days earlier, David had admitted to Clara that he and Gail had been having an affair, and he had promised Clara that he would end it. On the other side of the aisle, with a majority made up of women especially those whose husbands or exes had cheated on themthere are those who insisted it was a crime of passion and David got what he deserved. In the heat of the moment, she went on to say, she didnt even know she had run over David. 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. Its free. I wrote a long article about her, titled Suburban Madness, for Texas Monthly. A symbol of her American success story, the luxury car soon became a murder weapon. She changed so many times to appease him, but it was never good enough. She cried. She told Parnham that a week earlier her husband, 44-year-old orthodontist David Harris, had revealed he was having an affair with his receptionist, 39-year-old Gail Bridges. "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 and husband David were both respected dental practitioners in Houston, Texas, with a shared office in the shadow of NASAs Johnson Space Center. But shes a wonderful woman. When Lindsey learned that her father and Bridges were meeting at a steakhouse on July 24, I figured he was breaking up with her, Lindsey said. One said she "snapped," and Hirschhorn latched onto the word, telling Parnham to use it to counter what the prosecutor would want the jury to think: "intentional.". On the evening of July 24, 2002, Harris received a devastating call from the investigator. Her behavior was erratic and her speech loud and angry as she demanded to know which room her husband and his mistress were in. During jury selection, they aimed for married women who seemed likely to have the kind of self-esteem problems Harris had had with her weight and appearance. In short time, the Harrises were showing signs of success, with an expensive home and high-dollar import vehicles. They seemed like the perfect family but on July 24, 2002, Harris fatally ran over her husband with her car. Bridges says before Clara Harris was pulled off of her, Harris attacked her -- she pulled her hair, punched her head and face, and bit her. 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. Around Houston, she became a pop culture reference. Clara Harris is serving a 20-year sentence for murder in the case, which drew national attention. 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. Then she did another 180 and ran over him a third time. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. "His last words to me were, 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry' and then he lost his life shortly after that.". Clara Harris is serving a 20-year sentence for murder in the case, which drew national attention. What Colombia plans for their descendants, Messy storms roll eastward after slamming Texas, Louisiana, Ukrainians dig up more bodies from makeshift graves in once-occupied towns, New crew from U.S, Russia and UAE arrives at space station, Two Americans arrested on charges of selling tech to Russia. The Shocking Story Of Clara Harris, The Woman Who Killed Her Cheating Husband With Her Mercedes. After confronting him in a hotel lobby in Houston, Texas, she got into her Mercedes-Benz and waited. Join Facebook to connect with Lynsey Harris and others you may know. ''She started pulling her shirt off. "Did you see the car coming towards you?" 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. 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. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? March 6, 2003 -- From the moment he took on the case, defense attorney George Parnham knew that defending Clara Harris would be uphill work. 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 -. The romance blossomed so rapidly that the couple got married on Feb. 14, 1992, less than a year after their first date. Dr. Harris pushed Ms. Bridges out of the way before he was hit, his daughter said. The hotel's attorney, Ervin Apffel Jr., confirmed that the lawsuit had been settled but declined to comment further. I'm sure she suspected his infidelity, but could never prove it - hence hiring a PI. ''What David did outside his marriage was a tragic mistake, and what Clara did was a tragic mistake,'' he said. David had been married once before and had a daughter named Lindsey, and Harris loved the young girl like her own. In 2007, Clara was brought back to Houston for a civil trial to defend herself in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Davids parents. View the profiles of professionals named "David Harris" on LinkedIn. It seemed that life was perfect and complete for the Harris family. 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. What more could anyone want? ''We could talk to each other because we both loved David,'' she said in testimony that began with her smiling broadly at the jury. Lindsey Harris filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her stepmother and was awarded about $2. Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, A $150,000 executive protection dog? Gerald Harris, a former school principal who later directed the transportation division of a school district before he retired, said his son was a good husband and a good father to their young twin boys. Mock Jurors Find Harris Account Convincing. The same day his twin daughters were born, Billy Gibbs would commit a crime so horrific he would die in the electric chair two years later. David Harris is on Facebook. Then she went inside looking for David. Its time to forgive her and let her move on.. Clara, who had been tipped off to Davids whereabouts by a private investigator she had hired, went berserk. Mayor: HISD has two optionsclose school or be taken over, Meet the Astros prospect tearing up Spring Training, Report: Houston ranked No. Bridges told Garza that her life has never been the same since that night. As the defense rested its case, Parnham was concerned about the damaging police statement and some of the testimony, but he was confident the jury would accept Irwin's testimony that Harris only hit her husband once. David Harris was a narcissist who bullied his wife into believing she wasn't good enough. Most women in her shoes would've snapped. "I thought we were in good shape," he told Primetime later. I have followed the story since the beginning, and I my feelings are still the same. David Harris, a suburban Houston orthodontist, died July 24 after Clara Harris car struck him. The tragedy took place at the parking lot of the Hilton Hotel at Nassau Bay last year. His close buddies call him, "Val." Leona Candy Stevens lying in court to liberate her husband Charles Manson, rich teenager Ethan Couch being released from prison despite murdering four people. Illustrations by Lindsey C. Harris My art work is imaginative in origin, illustrative and narrative in nature, and often depicts images from myths, stories, dreams and personifications of ideas with psychological and emotional content. Its daily. 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. "I've always said I thought that video eventually would be the best thing in the world for us," he said. In the end, Galveston County probate judge Gladys Burwell ruled Davids three children would receive almost $2 million each, while Clara was allowed to retain roughly $1.2 million in assets. Clara Harris was sentenced to 20 years in prison but only served 15. Looking up, he saw a Mercedes ''bumping over an object,'' he said. 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. On February 14, 2003 (which ironically would have been David and Claras 11th anniversary), the jury found her guilty of second degree murder. Clara was first eligible for parole in 2012, but she was turned down. Her friends have told me she is worried that people she meets will realize who she is and back away. Copyright 2023 Click2Houston.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Suzie from Carson City on April 16, 2016: I'm very familiar of this extremely high-profile case. Clara and Lindsey walked into the lobby just as David and his office receptionist, Gail Bridges, were emerging from an elevator. Witnesses recalled Lindsey screaming and trying to get out of the car, but Harris sped off to run over her husband. They entered into a contract for services with Clara, which outline standard provisions of any decent agencyone of those provisions being that the client was not to interfere with the detectives investigation. Before long, however, she and David began having an affair. Inside Edition/YouTubeClara Harris leaving prison on May 11, 2018. Her devastation is understandable, but comparing to many broken-hearted women who just leave their cheating husbands, she went to an extreme. Resides in Chicago, IL. But then, to his horror, the judge read the jury's sentence: 20 years. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. Click a location below to find Lindsey more easily. Harris agreed, but she secretly hired a private investigator to follow them to dinner and ensure her husband ended the relationship. During hearings on the matter, Lindsey Harris testified she was severely traumatized from her stepmother's actions. On Jan. 5, two weeks before the trial, the defense team convened 20 people as a mock jury. Days of Our Lives (DOOL) spoilers tease that Steve Burton is all set to reprise his role as Harris Michaels, so let's talk about his first airdate back and mull over some shockers related to his character.. Burton debuted on DOOL as Harris way back in 1988, so it was a fun surprise when he brought the character to life once again last summer on Beyond Salem's second installment. Clearly, this is a woman who is extremely unlikely to reoffend. There are no words to justify David's infidelity. Clara was arrested for murder. ''She had killed him.''. Did Gail Katz run away from her tumultuous marriage or did her husband, Dr. Bob Bierenbaum, kill her then use his plane to dump her body? Witnesses recalled seeing Lindsey punch Harris in the face before both of them exited the vehicle. Garza asked Bridges. Ashok Moza, who was playing tennis at the yacht club next to the hotel on the evening David Harris died, testified that he heard squealing tires as he went to retrieve a ball. Fleeing for Your Life? Join Facebook to connect with David Harris and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Nancy Kissel was in love with a man in Vermont, but she was living the life of an expat in Hong Kong with her husband Robert Kisseluntil she killed him. When Parnham and his team watched the tape closely, they decided they could make the argument that the Mercedes hit David Harris only once, and that the subsequent passes went around his body, not over it. David Harris and Bridges entered the hotel lobby hand in hand, Lindsey said. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? She will be eligible for parole in 10 years. A police officer who witnessed the crime testified that she ran him over three times, however. Facebook gives people the power. Contact. (While the sentence for intentional murder in Texas is five years to life, murder in sudden passion carries a minimum penalty of just two years, with a maximum of twenty years.) One of the English tabloids nicknamed Clara The Driller Killer. In Houston, it was the story of the year. Clara Harris still rotting in prison is a waste of taxpayer money. Through it all, however, Clara Harris only wanted people to know the truth about what really happened the night she murdered her husband. If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745. Matthew J Guthrie Other occupants: Matthew J Guthrie The story of an angry dentist killing her husband spread like wildfire. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. ''He was really scared,'' she said, describing her father as Clara Harris's Mercedes raced toward him. 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.
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