Officer says marks on Mercedes show David Harris run over at least twice (Clara Harris murder trial)

Houston Chronicle ^ | February 10, 2003 | By ALAN TURNER

[MeekOneGOP]

HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Local & State

Feb. 10, 2003, 3:58PM

Officer says marks on Mercedes show David Harris run over at least twice

By ALAN TURNER
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

EXTRA

Clara Harris is accused of running over her husband after catching him with his former receptionist at a hotel.

• From the arrest to the trial

Video:
Private investigator catches incident on tape
(Video courtesy of KHOU, Ch. 11. Video requires Real Player)

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The trial:
• The indictment
• What we know about them
• The experts: Why they're split over jurors
Preparing for the trial: Video report from Jan. 19.

The testimony:
• Day 1: Hotel employees tell what they saw
• Day 2: Grainy videotape reveals little
• Day 3: Clara Harris told private eye husband "a good man"
• Day 4: Defendant's sobs halt trial twice
• Day 5: Expert says her car hit him only once
• Day 6: Defense side tries to makes its case
• Day 7: Physical evidence vs. eyewitnesses
• Day 8: Mistress says David Harris said he had open marriage
• Day 9: Clara Harris takes the stand
• Day 10: Defendant tells of marriage's disintegration
• Day 11: She doesn't remember hitting her husband

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From the Chronicle's archives:
• The story of Clara and David Harris: They epitomized success and happiness, but underneath the facade... - Jan. 19
• The wife: Mother of twins kept to herself - Aug. 4
• The mistress: Mistress not a stranger to the spotlight - Aug. 4
• The married couple: Victim wanted to end marriage - July 27

An HPD accident investigator testified today that blood and marks on the undercarriage of Clara Harris' Mercedes-Benz show that she ran over her husband at least twice.

After the defense rested its case today, prosecutors called Officer Rolando Saenz to the stand to rebut claims by the defense's expert witness that the 4,000-pound car hit David Harris only once and never actually rolled over him.

The Houston Police Department officer, an acccident investigator for 22 years, backed eyewitnesses' claims that the murder defendant ran over her husband on July 24, then circled around and ran him down again. Some, including her teen-age stepdaughter, have testified he was run over several times after finding him at a Clear Lake hotel with his mistress.

Saenz said that in addition to previously discussed blood stains on the car's undercarriage, there was a second rub mark from the front right to the back left of the car, indicating the car passed over David Harris' body more than once.

In addition, the officer said the defense's accident reconstructionist, Steve Irwin, erred by not taking into consideration some tire marks shown in photos from the crime scene.

Irwin also had testified that Clara Harris' S-body Mercedes was not capable of making a circle tighter than 40 feet in diameter. Saenz, however, said the circle calculated by Irwin placed the circle's center at the car's center but should have placed the circle's center under the driver's side tire, Saenz said.

Saenz said Irwin also failed to take into account how steering action by the driver might affect the size of the circle.

Saenz was the prosecutors' first rebuttal witness.

Clara Harris' lawyers had rested their case after her mother-in-law testified that the woman who drove over her son is still "like a daughter."

Mildred Harris testified that David and Clara Harris' marriage was "a match made in heaven" and that the two were ideal for each other.

"I love her very much," she said.

Mildred Harris was one of three members of David Harris' family to take the stand this morning as defense witnesses.

Despite the grisley details that have emerged during the trial about their son's death, both Mildred and Gerald Harris Sr. have shown their support by accompanying their daughter-in-law to court and sometimes holding her hand.

She and her husband, Gerald Harris, and their other son, Gerald Harris Jr., painted a picture of a blissful marriage only slightly marred by "controversy."

"David loved her very much," Mildred Harris testified under questioning from defense attorney George Parnham. "In 10 years, I never heard him say a negative thing about her."

On cross-examination, prosecutor Mia Magness asked questions that might suggest to jurors that the retired school principal and his wife had maintained good relations with their daughter-in-law in order to continue seeing their twin 4-year-old grandsons, who remain in Clara Harris' custody.

Mildred Harris grew impatient with the line of questioning.

"I don't know what you want me to say, but there was no problem in seeing those grandkids," she said.

On the stand earlier in the day, Gerald Harris Sr. said his orthodontist son had seemed to be working things out with his wife after his affair came to light just days before his death.

"My impression was that they were doing very well early on," the elder Harris said. "They had some controversy, had some difficulties. We had a lot of conversations with them, and they seemed to be making progress."

His other son, Gerald Harris Jr. -- a psychology professor at the University of Houston -- drew aggressive questioning from Magness on cross-examination after describing Clara Harris as "peaceful and law-abiding."

Magness ran through a litany of actions by Clara Harris leading up to the night of the murder, including trespassing at Bridges' home, vandalizing her car and then attacking Bridges in the lobby of the Nassau Bay Hilton Inn.

Gerald Harris Jr. kept saying he'd "have to know more" about each incident but stuck to his opinion that Clara Harris was law-abiding.

[MeekOneGOP]

Stay tuned for the next episode of...'As the World Turns'…

AP 2-7-2003
Defendant Clara Harris reacts as she
testifies about her husband's affair.

Associated Press photos 2-10-2003 Defense lawyers for murder defendant Clara Harris, right, rested their case today after her mother-in-law, Mildred Harris, left, testified that the woman who drove over her son with a Mercedes-Benz is still "like a daughter." Prosecutors, however, immediately called an Houston police officer to the stand to rebut her lawyers' claims that David Harris was hit only once.

[DoughtyOne]

If my brother's wife were to kill him, I might not sing praises of him on the witness stand, but I'll be damned if I'd sing praises of the person who ran him down as many as three times. What the hell are these people thinking?

We are constantly told that men shouldn't touch women in anger. Now you have someone actually trying to make the case that he did wrong things, and so she isn't to be blamed for running him down, turning around an running him down again, and by some report turning around and running him down again.

I know how this case would turn out if it were a man who had run over his wife and brutally killed her. I just hope this case turns out the same way.

Fry this bi-ch, despite what the diceased's loving family says.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Officer says marks on Mercedes show David Harris run over at least twice

But she says she is 'doubly sorry.'

Doesn't that help?

[DoughtyOne]

The deceased's mom at the trial of his killer.  Isn't this a solemn event in her mind? There be no levity in my demeanor at the trial of someone who killed my son. This is a remarkable photo.

[DoughtyOne]

 

And aren't these the perfect images of someone remorseful with regard to the outcome of their "accidental" actions?

These must be the photos of an old Twilight Zone episode.  They sure don't bear resemblance of a reality I'd contemplate in conjunction with this case.

[KellyAdmirer]

This case has been bizarre from the beginning with the, what was it, $30k bail for mowing a guy down. The picture of the mother-in-law grinning like she just won the lottery at the trial of the undisputed murderess just confounds me.

[DoughtyOne]

Well, actually no. ;)

[Blue Screen of Death]

Let's see.... he was screwing around and he dented her Mercedes. Sounds like justified homocide (hetrocide?) in Texas to me.

[MeekOneGOP]

My opinion, worthy of the '2 cents' variety, is that she will be found guilty. Death penalty isn't in play, though.

Check out the link in the box in my article post. Here it is...

http://playlist.yahoo.com/makestream.dll?id=3665389

[MeekOneGOP]

Just fyi. I posted the update from the previous thread...

[NovemberCharlie]

I know how this case would turn out if it were a man who had run over his wife and brutally killed her

Apparently there was a case here in Texas a few years ago in which a man who killed his wife after catching her cheating got off with probation.

Reason article

[MeekOneGOP]

This case has been bizarre from the beginning with the, what was it, $30k bail for mowing a guy down. The picture of the mother-in-law grinning like she just won the lottery at the trial of the undisputed murderess just confounds me.

It sure has. I am (belatedly) starting a ping list for this story until final sentencing.

To anyone that might want on let me know...

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for the link. Yep, looks like an accident to me. (NOT) I still think she should fry. Good gravy, if this isn't premeditated what would be?

[dennisw]

 

 

 

 

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you for that link. Amazing. Look, you may hate your spouse folks, but don't beat the carp out of them or kill them. Leave them. I am amazed what juries are doing these days.

[DoughtyOne]

Seems to me that if the wife gets off, the daughter of the deceased should just run her down. Hey, how bad could it be?

[MeekOneGOP]

You're welcomed.

'Crime of passion' I guess. She sure would have been better off if she'd used that car to drive to divorce court instead. And so would he...and if he were alive today, the 'dearly departed' would agree, I'm sure.

He was no poster boy/candidate for 'husband of the year', no doubt. But she killed him, this is Texas, and she should pay, imho. There are 9 women on the jury. Some say that's an advantage for her, but I'm not so sure. We shall see...

[MeekOneGOP]

Great pics, FRiend. Thanks !...

[DoughtyOne]

The guy may not have been a great husband, but it is also possible this was a maniplative ice-maiden gold-digger.

It will be interesting to see how this comes out.

[MeekOneGOP]

Wow. Thanks for that link. Interesting and very pertinent...