Posted on 07/30/2002 5:20:17 AM PDT by buffyt
It was a case of mistaken identity, but it still landed a Clear Lake dentist and accused killer back in court Monday.
Clara Harris, the dentist accused of murder for repeatedly driving over her husband, sits in a courtroom with her lawyer, George Parnham.
Clara Harris, 44, accused of repeatedly running over her husband with a car and killing him, remained free on bond after her attorney convinced prosecutors she did not go to the home of her husband's mistress in violation of the court's order.
Prosecutor Mia Magness withdrew a motion to revoke bond after concluding Clara Harris did not violate conditions of her bond, which stated she was not to approach the home of Gail Bridges.
In separate court action Monday, Bridges' ex-husband, Steve Bridges, requested that a Galveston County court change the divorce decree to give him exclusive custody of the couple's three children.
Steve Bridges said he temporarily took the children to Louisiana and is asking for the change because he is scheduled to return his 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son to Gail Bridges on Wednesday. Their 12-year-old son is to return to his mother on Friday.
"It is not in the best interest of my children to return to their mother's residence or to her possession at this time. My children will be exposed to emotional harm and stress and possible physical harm if they are returned to their mother," the father said in the petition.
Earlier Monday, defense attorney George Parnham told state District Judge Carol Davies that Harris was with him at his office at the time of the alleged contact, about 5:45 p.m. Friday.
Magness acknowledged that witnesses she interviewed Monday confirmed that Harris could not have been at Bridges' house in a Clear Lake-area subdivision.
Bridges' friend Julie Knight told Houston police that the defendant and a man had pounded on the door of Bridges' home. Knight, who was at the home, said she saw Harris being driven away in a green sport utility vehicle.
Officer I.H. Franco said in a court document filed Saturday that he saw a vehicle of that description leaving the area as he arrived.
Davies, repeating warnings from Harris' arraignment Friday, told the dentist her $30,000 bond would be revoked if she tried to contact Bridges or go within 200 feet of the woman's home or business.
A bail schedule used by district court judges specifies $30,000 for defendants charged with murder.
Bridges, 38, was with David Lynn Harris, 44, on Wednesday night before he was struck by his wife's Mercedes-Benz and then run over several times in a hotel parking lot on NASA Road 1 near the Johnson Space Center.
Clara Harris reportedly was enraged that her husband, an orthodontist, was having an affair with Bridges. A source close to the case has told the Chronicle that David Harris recently had told his wife their marriage was over and that he was involved with Bridges.
Parnham, who also represented Andrea Yates, the Clear Lake mother who drowned her five children, said he wasn't convinced anyone had knocked on Bridges' door.
Prosecutor Dan Rizzo said the district attorney's office was not apologetic about its action in asking for the bond revocation or in later withdrawing the request.
In Steve Bridges' petition filed in Galveston, he said when the couple divorced in December 2000, they were appointed joint managing conservators. Their 12-year-old son lives with him in League City, and the other two children live with Gail Bridges in the Clear Lake City area.
In his petition, Bridges noted that while his ex-wife worked at David Harris' orthodontist office, she and the children socialized with the Harris family.
"Both Gail and I are very concerned because Mrs. Harris knows our children. Gail has told me she feels that her life is in danger," the petition said.
Bridges said his ex-wife believes Clara Harris was "initially aiming for her with her Mercedes and she indeed struck the Navigator (owned by Gail Bridges) before she struck Dr. Harris."
Bridges said his ex-wife is upset over media attention and noted that one reporter called about allegations of an affair between his ex-wife and Julie Knight.
When Gail Bridges filed for divorce in April 1999, she cited discord and conflict of personalities. He countersued, claiming cruel treatment and accusing her of having an affair with Knight.
In Bridges' petition filed Monday, he said Knight owns a home near his ex-wife's and is currently staying with Gail Bridges. He also said the relationship between the two women has been sometimes violent, citing a 911 call his daughter made a few months ago asking police to break up a fight between the two women.
In January, according to court records, Knight filed a lawsuit against Charles Knight, her ex-husband; Steve Bridges; State Farm Lloyd's of Texas; Natasha Warren, a former League City neighbor; and Laurie Wells, who she said is engaged to her ex-husband. She alleged the group placed recording or microphone devices in her then-League City home and at Gail Bridges' home "for the express purposes of intercepting and/or attempting to intercept communication between the plaintiffs and any other party with whom they were communicating."
Julie Knight said she learned of the recordings in May 1999 and moved out of the house.
Steve Bridges says in his petition filed Monday that Knight's lawsuit is "absolutely groundless."
In June 2001, a Galveston County grand jury indicted Steve Bridges and Charles Knight on charges of unlawful interruption of oral or electronic communication. Charges against Bridges were later dropped because of insufficient evidence, prosecutor Mo Ibrahim said Monday.
The Chronicle also has learned that Gail Bridges and Julie Knight appeared on a Sally Jessy Raphael show in April 2001. The segment, titled, "My Husband Spies on Me!," featured Bridges and Knight in disguise and with their voices altered.
Knight talked about hiring Blue Moon Investigations to do surveillance on her now ex-husband, whom she suspected was having an affair. It was then that Knight learned that her ex had earlier hired the same private detective agency to monitor her and Bridges. It's also the agency Clara Harris had hired to monitor her husband's activities.
"He was alleging that she and I were having a bisexual affair," Knight said of her ex-husband. She said the allegation of the two women being involved in a bisexual relationship was "totally preposterous."
Chronicle reporter Kevin Moran contributed to this story.
Dentist remains free on bond in slaying
Staff and wire reports
The Facts
Published July 30, 2002 HOUSTON — A Houston-area dentist accused of running over and killing her husband last week remained free on bond Monday after an arrest warrant was reissued for her over the weekend based on a police report she had violated her bond.
During a brief court hearing Monday, prosecutors withdrew their request to have Clara Harris’ bond revoked.
On Saturday, police received a report that Harris, 44, and a man were knocking on the door of a woman whom Harris suspected of having an affair with her orthodontist husband, David Lynn Harris, also 44.
Clara Harris’ defense attorney told prosecutors Monday that Harris was with him at the time the report was made to police. Prosecutors said witnesses confirmed Harris was with the attorney.
Harris is accused of running over her husband three times and then parking her Mercedes Benz on top of his body at a Houston-area hotel last Wednesday. Police said Harris suspected David Harris was having an affair.
Prosecutor Mia Magness withdrew the motion to revoke bond after it was determined the report at the woman’s home could have been based on mistaken identity.
‘‘What I think happened was an overzealous member of the media went to her residence,’’ Magness said.
State District Judge Carol Davies set Harris’ bail at $30,000 Friday and said it would be revoked if she tried to contact the woman who was at the hotel with her husband Wednesday night or went within 200 feet of her home or business.
Clara and David Harris operated a downtown Lake Jackson dental practice at 113 Circle Way, but David Harris also practiced in Clear Lake.
er...from the article: "A source close to the case has told the Chronicle that David Harris recently had told his wife their marriage was over and that he was involved with Bridges. "
No reason to go postal, but it wasn't all in her mind. In fact if this is true, then its a good indication that the murder was premeditated. She could get the death penalty.
As an aside...these people are nuts. They should all be locked up for their own protection.
When a person finds their world crashing down about them, and there is nothing they can do to stop it, it is very difficult to maintain control and rationality. I know.
And some women just NEED to wear a burka and shut the heck up. Yeah, right.
Spoken like a true Liberal Lesbian Man-hater. Let me guess; you admire Hilary for standing by her man, too.
He's obviously not a nice guy but he didn't kill anyone. Perhaps I am odd but I think killers are a different class of evil than adulterers.
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