"It's sad because they are very good mothers. (AP), Be sure to follow Ms. Sherrill's testimony was peppered by objections, most of them sustained, by prosecutor Mia Magness. They are the casualties here. Hanson testified about comforting the orthodontist's teenage daughter, Lindsey, after she witnessed Bridges provocatively bending over in her father's presence. She is being held at the Brazoria County Jail while a custody dispute over her 4-year-old twin boys is settled. The incident at a Nassau Bay hotel climaxed a loud and heated encounter that began when Clara Harris confronted her husband and Bridges in the hotel lobby. "I understand there were documents that were taken that be-longed to Ms. Bridges. All the other office workers were nice, but they'd be physically ill by the time they left for the day. Gives a whole new meaning to "oral prophylaxis," huh? Gail Bridges was with David Harris on the night he was run over and killed by his wife Dr. Clara Harris, also a dentist. Earlier Monday, a witness described a fight between Clara Harris and Ms. Bridges in the hotel lobby minutes before David Harris' death. "She was really, really hurt. Bridges, fighting back tears but calmly fielding questions, said she did not see David Harris struck by his wife's car. Now he started saying he'd call her back or leaving her on hold.". 2003 The Associated Press. Clara Harris was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the 2002 murder of David Harris, whom she ran over after finding him with his mistress at a hotel. She testified that she returned on July 16 to Lake Jackson Dental Care, where David Harris only spent a day or two a week, because she couldn't stomach witnessing an obvious affair bloom. }, First published on February 5, 2003 / 9:00 PM. Harris, who had been looking for her husband on the night of his death, found him with his mistress in the hotel's lobby as they exited an elevator. Steve treated her like a princess.". Baker is presiding over two custody hearings stemming from the murder, but because of the intense media interest, decided to close the hearings to the public in the best interests of the children. She objected that the question was "overly broad and vague.". Most Facebook users can now claim settlement money. 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. On July 16, Sherrill told jurors, she finally shared her suspicions with Clara Harris. "Clara was shattered. David Harris' first wife and mother of his kids, including the girl who was in the car with Clara when the murder occured, filed in federal court to freeze David's estate so Clara can't benefit from the proceeds of her wrongdoing. The recent burglary of the dentist office is the latest twist in a story that has all the makings of a cable-television special. HOUSTON - A woman who once worked for a Houston-area orthodontist testified Monday that his affair with a fellow employee poisoned the office environment and led her in July to warn the doctor's wife, a dentist accused of running him down with her Mercedes-Benz a week later. Did he have other girlfriends on retainer? In a lightning-fast barrage of questions, Magness asked whether the witness had seen how Harris looked and behaved when angry. Officials with the medical examiner's office concluded Harris was run over at least twice. "He told me, 'I would love you when you get your boobs to just be around the house waiting for me,'" Clara Harris said. "That wasn't Dr. Clara at all. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use. display: block; 3330 Whitehall Dr, Dallas. } The case attracted tremendous media attention and swept up numerous people, including the mistress, Gail Bridges, and her best friend and purported lesbian lover, Julie Knight. She was standing inside her driver's side door when she said she saw Clara Harris churning through the parking lot in the Mercedes. According to his daughter's story, the "10-year-old daughter had to call 911 to get police help to break up a fight between Julie Knight and Gail (Bridges) at Gail's house.". Unfortunately, a lot of people think it is. Police would not confirm it was Bridges' file that had been stolen; neither would employees of Space Center Orthodontics. He never picked up the report and the case was closed.". Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Lived In Athens AL, Huntsville AL, Tanner AL, Toney AL. Clara Harris, the former Houston dentist who rammed and killed her husband with her car, will be released from prison. Clara Harris' defense attorneys say it was an accident, but prosecutors say it was intentional. "I know there are many people in the Clear Lake area that believe that my ex-wife and Julie Knight had a romantic relationship, even as I assume my ex-wife and Julie Knight will deny those allegations," Steve Bridges said in his petition last week seeking custody of the children. Davenport said Bridges has been traumatized by David Harris' death and suffered a concussion in the incident. 1 employee killed, 2 injured at Tennessee Volkswagen plant "Julie and Gail were having horrible rumors spread about them being lesbians," she said. "It scared me to death," he told jurors. Clara Harris, 45, said her 44-year-old husband compared the two women July 18 as the couple sat in an airport sports bar, she taking notes on napkins. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Gail Thompson. Clara Harris had told jurors during 1 hours of testimony Wednesday that David Harris said Bridges, who was also his receptionist, was more submissive to his desires. Several items were stolen, including two 27-inch television sets, two Nintendo game systems and a computer. "Steve wore a suit and tie to work every day, and she always dressed to a T.". Sherrill testified about how Bridges, accompanying Harris and office workers to lunch at a nearby restaurant, bolted to join their boss on the front seat of his truck. Clara Harris said she was stunned by her husband's remark about holding his lover. "He wasn't in love," she testified. She said her paycheck grew as her relationship with David Harris grew closer. Knight acknowledges dating someone, but says he and his wife were separated. Gail Bridges. But she acknowledged to Munoz that she "did feel guilty.". Harris was released at about 8:20 a.m. Friday. GATESVILLE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM)- Clara Harris, the Texas woman who ran over her cheating husband with her Mercedes-Benz after she caught him with his mistress, is now a free woman. Julie Knight's attorney, Valorie Davenport, said her client was not available for comment. Prosecutors say Harris, 45, intentionally killed her 44-year-old husband July 24 in a suburban Houston hotel parking lot following a scuffle in the lobby with Bridges. Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae lorem. It also appears to have been vandalized. Shouldn't that be, "A rit of fealous jage"? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Harris County Appraisal District records show that Bridges purchased the home where she now lives, in the 15900 block of Lake Lodge in the Bayforest subdivision, in May 2001. Harris already knew about the affair when she hired Blue Moon Investigations, a private detective agency, in July 2002. David Harris was dead at the scene; Clara was arrested for murder. 1 employee killed, 2 injured at Tennessee Volkswagen plant. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. "It was quality time. Here's how. 1," Hanson said. Gail Alison Bridges, age 29. They didn't say anything for fear of losing their jobs.". Not everyone is going to act like a saint, but we need to have a better understanding of high-risk behavioral impact on individuals and our culture. Get a 42-inch oscillating fan for 15% off with this deal. The first impact sent David Harris flying 25 feet. There was a lot of hugging and kissing.". The family attended St. Mary's Catholic Church, and the older children attended its church school before the family joined Bay Harbour United Methodist Church and transferred the children to the neighborhood Ferguson Elementary School. Facebook gives people the power to. "He was the love of her life, and it was very obvious," she said. Then came questions about the defendant handling anger. Adultery is wrong - not b/c every major religion frowns on it - but b/c there is a price to pay - even if the price is not as drastic as the Harris case. Gail Bridges, 67. A week later, Clara Harris tracked down her husband and Bridges at the hotel. In July 2002, the mother of two made headlines when she hit her 44-year-old husband David with her silver Mercedes-Benz and ran over him three times before stopping directly on top of his body. The testimony came at Clara Harris' murder trial. Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton, The Edge, Bono, Tania Len, Amy Grant, and Gladys Knight, First Lady Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, Vice President. February 7, 2003 / 8:04 PM Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. She wasn't shy about telling people after she got breast implants, the acquaintance said. A videotape of Harris' death was reportedly taped by the private investigator, but was seized by police and is in the hands of prosecutors. The family lived in a two-story, red-brick house in League City's gated South Shore Park community and attended the neighborhood Methodist church. Moments later, the veteran lawyer swooned in a hallway and was taken to a hospital from what his associates said was the combined effects of stress and the flu. } "You told police that the defendant was punching Bridges, ripping her clothing and wouldn't let go," Magness said in cross-examination. The fight was a prelude to the incident that cost David Harris his life. On July 24, 2002, Clara Harris, 60, killed her husband, 44-year-old orthodontist David Harris, after she found him with his alleged mistress, Gail Bridges, authorities said. Legal Statement. "For Gail, this was her first relationship after her divorce," Davenport said. "When the husbands weren't home, (Gail and Julie) were always together. LEAGUE CITY -- Among the nicely landscaped homes near the banks of Clear Lake, Gail and Steve Bridges lived the American dream with their three young children. The fight was a prelude to the incident that cost David Harris his life. They say the two women saw each other every day, working out together and shopping. Should we brace ourselves for more scandal? It ended with David Harris, 44, dead and his wife, a 44-year-old dentist, charged with murder. 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. She said her paycheck grew as her relationship with David Harris grew closer. She reportedly ran him over again after the initial impact, delivering five fatal blows to his upper body, according to reports filed by the coroner. Bobbi Bacha of Blue Moon Investigations said Knight went to the agency's Bay Area Boulevard offices after Christmas 1999. All Rights Reserved. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. David Harris admitted to the affair on July 17. Here's how. 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. / AP. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. It came at the end of a three-week trial that bared the most intimate details of the marriage of Clara Harris and Dr. David Harris, 44, and of his affair with Gail Bridges, 39, a receptionist in . Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. "You didn't consider your dates with David overtime, did you?" Monday, the third day of defense testimony, also was Harris' 45th birthday. All Rights Reserved. Defense attorney George Parnham has said it was an accident when Clara Harris fatally injured her husband. Steve Bridges filed for custody claiming, in court documents, that he did not want the children to be returned to "a physically and emotionally injured mother who is besieged by the media clamoring for kinky details of their mother's sex life.". When will people realize that engaging in high-risk behavior has consequences? Chuck Knight was upset that the surveillance didn't catch them in a compromising way, Bacha said. Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14. Johnson said Clara Harris wants her twin sons to be cared for by her former neighbors, Pat and Ana Jones. She was standing inside her driver's side door when she said she saw Clara Harris churning through the parking lot in the Mercedes. Knight seeks unspecified damages and attorney's fees. February 5, 2003 / 9:00 PM On Friday she came out of hiding, seeking custody of their two. Parnham - who was thrust into the spotlight in 2001 by defending Andrea Yates, the Clear Lake mother who drowned her five children - said he plans to focus on Harris' mental state during the trial, but is not planning an insanity defense. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the If she is convicted, her lawyers are prepared to lodge a "sudden passion" argument that could result in a sentence far lower than the life maximum under Texas law. Other than that 15 or 20 seconds of her life, she is someone people should look up to. Julie Knight filed for divorce on April 22, 1999. Her case is best known for grabbing international headlines due to the wild twists and turns that came out during the trial, including the unleashed brutality described when David died. When he landed, it was approximately 30 feet from where he had been standing only seconds before. management. Bridges took jurors through the time she was hired at David Harris' orthodontic practice in August 2001, to a blossoming romance last April and finally a sexual rendezvous. Bridges, wearing all black, never appeared to glance in the defendant's direction. She testified she quit her job as a dentist that week, scheduled liposuction and breast enlargement surgeries, went to a tanning salon and joined a fitness center. The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. After Clara Harris got into her car, she drove toward the back of the parking lot where the vehicle of her husband's mistress was parked. After the incident, Harris told reporters, "It was an accident," but police arrested her on murder charges while still at the hotel. She is accused of deliberately running over her husband with her Mercedes-Benz in a fit of jealous rage after finding him at a Clear Lake City hotel with his mistress. But asked. "The boys were ecstatic. She took the stand against his advice, reports CBS News Correspondent Lee Cowan. Bridges, fighting back tears but calmly fielding questions, said she did not see David Harris struck by his wife's car. She also served on the student council and yearbook staff and participated in poetry and speech activities, the medical career club and the "On the outside, you would describe them as the all-American family," said an acquaintance who lived nearby. At a party last May attended by both Harrises and Bridges, Bridges said she didn't tell Clara Harris about the relationship. Worker says she warned wife of problems a week before man was run over. The surveillance showed Chuck Knight was seeing a woman, Bacha said. She loved her husband. The segment, titled "My Husband Spies on Me!" David Harris had been walking Bridges to her car at the time of the attack. Trending News The woman whose affair with her boss prompted his wife to run him down with her Mercedes-Benz fought back tears Tuesday as she testified she believed the marriage was "open" to other sexual partners. The enraged wife had confronted her husband and Bridges inside the lobby of the hotel just minutes before running him down with her Mercedes S-Class. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Clara Harris was sentenced to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine in 2003 for killing her husband, David Harris, who worked as an orthodontist. "You could almost feel the chemistry between them," Sherrill said. " Gail Bridges was with David Harris on the night he was run over and killed by his wife Dr. Clara Harris, also a dentist. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Office manager Cathey Davis testified that Clara Harris was madly in love with her husband. Her father, Oliver Thompson, was on the school board and a deacon in the First Baptist Church. "Sometimes men go through change of life, and maybe that's what was happening to David.". On the day of Davids death, Clara hired the private investigative firm, Blue Moon Investigations, to follow her husband. David Harris admitted to the affair on July 17. ", "You've never seen that side of the defendant?". Not down to.. Ok, that's enough. After it concludes, Clara Harris will be returned to prison in Gatesville. He later died of his injuries. Gail Bridges also sustained injuries in the confrontation. "I don't understand why I would," Bridges said, because the marriage was supposed to be open. When the divorce was final in December 2000, the eldest child went to live with his father in the League City house while the other two went to live with their mother in a neighborhood north of Clear Lake. "I pretty much consider my life is over," Clara Harris told Diane Sawyer before her conviction. #inline-recirc-item--id-92ac831c-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { It was Knight who called police last weekend to report that Clara Harris was knocking on Bridges' front door. Clara Harris, who turned 45 on Monday, began overhauling her appearance after the warning, Ms. Sherrill said. John Tyler, who was attending a Bible study class at the hotel when the fight broke out, testified that he saw David Harris grab his wife by the face and fling her to the floor. Gail had everything. Please enter valid email address to continue. Then, prosecutors said Clara Harris crossed two grassy medians and ran over her husband three more times before she put the car in reverse and backed over his body, leaving the car parked on top of him. Mo. ", Prosecutor Mia Magness, who contends that Clara Harris committed murder in a fit of jealousy, had yet to cross-examine Harris, who faces up to life in prison if convicted. Dental public relations woman Diana Sherrill testified that the entire staff of David Harris' Space Center Orthodontics was suspicious about their boss' relationship with Gail Bridges. She said she was surprised by the reaction because she thought the affair was within the bounds of the Harris marriage. Bridges custody hearing closed to public and press. Sherrill said David Harris, who once had spent free time making business deals over a back-office telephone, now hung around the front desk flirting with Bridges. "I believe David saved my life that night because he wanted me to live," Gail Bridges, 39, said this week. First Republic Bank seized by regulators, then sold to JPMorgan Chase, Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end", Louisiana's health care deserts put women, babies at risk, doctors say, Second convoy of U.S. citizens fleeing Khartoum arrives at Port Sudan, ISIS chief killed by Turkey's intelligence agency, Erdogan says, How a tall Texan became an unlikely Australian rules football star, General Mills issues Gold Medal flour recall over salmonella concerns, Investors sue Adidas over Kanye West Yeezy deal, Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter dies in drowning accident. "I couldn't believe he could sleep holding her all night because we had never slept like that, never," Clara Harris said of her 10 years of marriage. "Without any evidence, there was no reason to pick up anything.". Includes Address (13) Phone (11) Email (6) See Results. I'd rather have a root canal than. Harris pled not guilty at her Oct. 18 arraignment. A Houston jury. General Mills issues Gold Medal flour recall over salmonella concerns Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? In cross-examination, assistant District Attorney Mia Magness suggested through questioning that the women's testimony may have been rooted in a personal dislike for Bridges. Bridges said the horror remains fresh of 44-year-old David Harris' death as his wife ran over him again and again with her silver Mercedes-Benz after discovering him with Bridges at a. Bridges spoke to News2Houston in an. Gail Bridges, who acknowledged having an affair with David Harris beginning last May, said she assumed Clara Harris knew she was having a sexual relationship with David Harris based. Defense attorney George Parnham, who had recommended that his client refrain from taking the stand, had begun asking his client about the napkin notes Wednesday when the trial broke for lunch. Most Facebook users can now claim settlement money. Clara Harris and Bridges tussled in the lobby, and then Bridges returned to her sport-utility vehicle in the parking lot, she said. Her goal was to save her marriage., Adding, Her life story should not be about this incident. Her testimony resumed Friday for the first time since her attorney fell ill around lunchtime Wednesday. "I don't know how it couldn't be on her mind," Johnson said. Woman Seeks Clemency After 1985 Conviction for Killing Husband Did Sexism Put Her Behind Bars? She really resisted it. She married Steve Bridges on July 16, 1988. John Tyler, a spokesman for the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said that Clara Harris began punching Ms. Bridges and that the women were scuffling on the floor when David Harris and others tried to separate them. While near her sons, Johnson said Clara Harris is using the opportunity to spend time with them. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { He had admitted the affair a day earlier. In the other case, Charles Knight has filed a petition with the family court in Galveston asking that he get sole custody of their 12-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son due to his ex-wife's association with Gail Bridges. The whole act was captured on camera by a private investigator whom Clara Harris hired to follow her husband. Gail Bridges and Julie Knight are both completely off their rockers. The Harrises, parents of 3-year-old twins, lived in a $560,000 home in Friendswood's affluent Polly Ranch Estates. HOUSTON The woman whose affair with her boss prompted his wife to run him down with her Mercedes-Benz fought back tears Tuesday as she testified she believed the marriage was "open" to other sexual partners. exemption for fair use of copyrighted works. Here's how. "Pay attention to Dr. David, maybe get to counseling. Plot: Based on the true crime of passion murder of a Houston dentist.The story made headlines when Clara Harris killed her cheating husband by repeatedly running over him with her car. "She was hit by the car," Davenport said. Clara Harris, a dentist who took the stand Wednesday in her murder trial, was emotional but composed as she recounted the evening of July 24, when she and her stepdaughter caught orthodontist David Harris and lover Gail Bridges at a suburban hotel where they had met for a tryst.

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