Clara Suarez was born in Colombia and eventually immigrated to the United States, where she established herself as a successful dentist. Known for her ambition and beauty, she was once crowned “Mrs. Colombia Houston.” Clara married David Harris, an orthodontist, in 1992 at the Nassau Bay Hilton. Together they raised twin sons, Brian and Bradley, born in 1998, along with David’s daughter Lindsey from a previous marriage.

Clara and David were respected in their community and ran a thriving dental practice. Despite appearances of stability and success, their marriage began to deteriorate when David began an affair with his former receptionist, Gail Bridges. Suspecting his infidelity, Clara hired private investigators to follow her husband and document his activities.

On July 24, 2002, Clara Harris received word from the investigators that David was at the Nassau Bay Hilton with Gail Bridges. Accompanied by her stepdaughter Lindsey, she drove to the hotel to confront them. Witnesses later testified that Clara physically attacked Bridges in the lobby, prompting hotel staff to escort Clara back to her car.

Minutes later, as David and Bridges left the hotel, Clara accelerated her Mercedes-Benz sedan and struck David in the parking lot. Lindsey Harris, seated in the passenger seat, would later testify that Clara circled around and struck her father multiple times. Although the medical examiner found only one clear tire mark on David’s body, eyewitnesses insisted she ran over him repeatedly.

The incident was partially captured on video by the private investigators Clara had hired, footage that became crucial evidence in court.

At trial, prosecutors argued Clara’s actions went beyond sudden passion into premeditation. Clara maintained she only wanted to hurt David, not kill him. She decided to testify in her own defense—a move that backfired when the prosecution used portions of her police interview where she admitted she “wanted to hurt” her husband.

The jury convicted Clara Harris of murder. Because the jury found she acted in “sudden passion,” she avoided a potential life sentence but received the maximum sentence under the finding: 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

During her incarceration, Clara worked translating textbooks into Braille. She was denied parole twice before finally being granted release. In May 2018, she was freed, and she fully completed her parole in February 2023.