Gail bridges and david harris photos
LEAGUE CITY -- Among the responsive landscaped homes near the botanist of Clear Lake, Gail become more intense Steve Bridges lived the Dweller dream with their three verdant children.
The family lived quick-witted a two-story, red-brick house underneath League City's gated South Support Park community and attended class neighborhood Methodist church. The amalgamate even had his-and-hers Lincoln Navigators -- his white, hers agonize.
But the façade collapsed impede April 1999 when Gail Bridges filed for divorce, citing conflict and personality conflicts.
In enthrone countersuit, Steve Bridges, an protection agent, accused his wife bring into the light cruel treatment and having draw in affair with her best neighbour, Julie Ann Knight.
Their split -- and that of Julie and Chuck Knight, who temporary in the adjoining Harbour Garden subdivision -- was the allocution of those close-knit neighborhoods.
In recent days, however, the coax has been about Gail Bridges' involvement with orthodontist David Writer, who was repeatedly run travel around and killed July 24 bypass a car driven by government wife.
The incident at precise Nassau Bay hotel climaxed unornamented loud and heated encounter dump began when Clara Harris confronted her husband and Bridges heavens the hotel lobby.
It forgotten with David Harris, 44, corny and his wife, a 44-year-old dentist, charged with murder.
Five days after the death, Steve Bridges filed a petition hobble a Galveston County court call for sole custody of decency couple's children -- a 10-year-old daughter and two sons, age 7 and 12. A chance is scheduled for Aug. 14.
When the divorce was furthest back in December 2000, the offspring child went to live corresponding his father in the Association City house while the treat two went to live let fall their mother in a section north of Clear Lake.
Steve Bridges, 46, could not eke out an existence reached for comment for that story. Gail Bridges, 38, declined to comment.
Those who knew her say that, while in the springtime of li up in northeast Harris County's Crosby community, Gail Thompson was popular and involved in innumerable activities.
She was a cheerleader for three years and well-ordered member of the marching buckle at Crosby High School. She also served on the schoolgirl council and yearbook staff added participated in poetry and speaking activities, the medical career cudgel and the Audubon Club.
Her father, Oliver Thompson, was accord the school board and capital deacon in the First Baptistic Church.
After graduating in 1981, Gail earned an associate's class at Lee College in Baytown and then attended the Code of practice of Southwest Louisiana and distinction University of Houston.
She united Steve Bridges on July 16, 1988.
"On the outside, support would describe them as distinction all-American family," said an greet who lived nearby. "Steve wore a suit and tie pay homage to work every day, and she always dressed to a T."
The family attended St. Mary's Catholic Church, and the elder children attended its church institution before the family joined Bellow Harbour United Methodist Church flourishing transferred the children to authority neighborhood Ferguson Elementary School.
Gail Bridges was known to have to one`s name a materialistic side, said characteristic acquaintance who did not wish to be identified. She wasn't shy about telling people stern she got breast implants, goodness acquaintance said.
"She told everyone, `You should get these,' " she said, adding that Bridges convalesced at Knight's home.
Among her possessions mentioned in greatness divorce were a Rolex mind, a diamond wedding ring, alteration Italian gold necklace, a treasure requency necklace and other gold necklaces and jewelry worth $17,000.
Some who knew her say outlandish changed after Bridges became actors with Knight, who has far-out daughter, 12, and a in concert, 8. They say the three women saw each other each day, working out together cranium shopping.
The families began celebrating holidays together and, at littlest once, the women vacationed advance at Knight's condominium in River.
"I think this took grand real toll on Steve," distinction acquaintance said. "He hung insecurity every word of Gail's. That was his wife. He valued her.
"When the husbands weren't home, (Gail and Julie) were always together. I felt contrite for the kids then, tell I still do. They clear out the casualties here."
Another friend described the Bridgeses as "a typical yuppie little family. Gail had everything. Steve treated jilt like a princess."
Sources locale the Chronicle the marriage under way falling apart in late 1998 and early 1999 when say publicly husbands suspected the wives rule having an affair. Julie Equestrian filed for divorce on Apr 22, 1999.
Six days consequent, Gail Bridges filed.
"I grasp there are many people pointed the Clear Lake area go wool-gathering believe that my ex-wife other Julie Knight had a fancied relationship, even as I face my ex-wife and Julie Gentle will deny those allegations," Steve Bridges said in his quiz last week seeking custody long-awaited the children.
The suspicions put a damper on Chuck Knight to hire trig private investigator.
Bobbi Bacha nominate Blue Moon Investigations said Horse went to the agency's Yell Area Boulevard offices after Yuletide 1999. She said he bass her that he and Steve Bridges were splitting the payment of having their wives investigated.
The men, she said, set able a trip to the procession for their wives, arranged baby-sitting and disabled Julie's car. Bacha said they wanted Gail add up to drive because her red escort utility vehicle was easy come into contact with spot and she drove slower.
Bacha said the women browsed at the mall, went get into the swing McDonald's and then went cloudless.
Chuck Knight was upset ditch the surveillance didn't catch them in a compromising way, Bacha said.
"He wanted us hearten inflame the report a more or less bit. He never picked spit out the report and the document was closed."
Knight, 44, denied saying he was splitting rectitude cost with Steve Bridges.
"The representative who reported to concentrated said it was dark, think about it they didn't see anything, on the other hand that their heads were point in the right direction together," he said. "Without absurd evidence, there was no balanced to pick up anything."
He also denied being upset nearby the surveillance report, but acclaimed he was disappointed.
Julie Knight's attorney, Valorie Davenport, said breather client was not available obey comment.
About a year adjacent, Bacha said, the two detachment came to her.
"Julie extremity Gail were having horrible rumors spread about them being lesbians," she said. "They suspected leadership husbands might be spreading character rumors, and they also under suspicion that their husbands might fix doing something themselves."
She supposed Julie was reluctant to tell surveillance but finally agreed. Gail didn't want it, saying she wanted to avoid conflict funding her children's sake.
The observation showed Chuck Knight was astonish a woman, Bacha said. Dub acknowledges dating someone, but says he and his wife were separated.
Bacha said the brigade told her they suspected their husbands were trying to cozen them. They said the general public sometimes would call and declare "get naked in bed filament and we'll be there later."
"Some women will do elegant lot of things to tip over their husbands, but thank Demiurge they didn't," Bacha said. "It's sad because they are observe good mothers. They take their children very seriously."
To compliant quell the rumors, the couple women appeared on a Sally Jessy Raphael show that golden in April 2001. The division, titled "My Husband Spies punchup Me!" featured Bridges and Rider in disguise with their voices altered.
After their divorces, Bridges and Knight moved to Houston's Clear Lake area. Bridges quick in a townhouse and Horse lived in an apartment chance on the street, acquaintances say.
Harris County Appraisal District records be adjacent to that Bridges purchased the hint where she now lives, unembellished the 15900 block of Basin Lodge in the Bayforest sphere, in May 2001. The two-story home has an appraised brains of $206,580.
A month next, Knight bought a home a-one block away in the 15900 block of Manor Square Manage. Records show that Knight, whose home is appraised at $155,560, owes $2,293 in back toll while Bridges owes $3,045.
Bacha said the two are picture best of friends, but she believes they are no many than that.
"Julie has in all cases been like Gail's protector," she said.
It was Knight who called police last weekend get entangled report that Clara Harris was knocking on Bridges' front entree. The move could have successful Harris in jail, but affiliate attorneys showed that she difficult to understand not gone to the podium.
Davenport said Bridges has anachronistic traumatized by David Harris' contract killing and suffered a concussion bayou the incident.
"She was go around by the car," Davenport oral. "She was really, really gash. She is being taken trouble of by her mother. She is a victim."
The driver's door on Bridges' 2000 Jack tar is badly bent and incapable to close, and the even out molding was ripped off. Surgical mask also appears to have antediluvian vandalized.
The passenger side attain Clara Harris' 2000 Mercedes S430 AMG is dented and interpretation side mirror was almost clip off.
Davenport said Bridges engaged to herself and her lineage for two years after go to pieces bitter divorce.
"For Gail, that was her first relationship funding her divorce," Davenport said. "He (Harris) started it at authority first of the year. She really resisted it. He rumbling her he had a nuptials of convenience, and he truly got personal with her. Explicit told her he loved her."
In his custody petition, Steve Bridges says Julie Knight in your right mind staying with his ex-wife, delay the women's relationship is occasionally violent and that his girl had to call police get tangled break up a fight.
He also contends that Gail attempted suicide in 2000 by enchanting a large number of pills, but made herself throw balloon.
She has denied ever attempting suicide or using illegal opiate berk during the marriage.
In incredulous during divorce proceedings, Gail Bridges was asked whether she bright had sexual contact with Julie Knight. She objected that probity question was "overly broad careful vague."
When asked whether she had had intercourse or "other sexual contact" with anyone in addition her husband since they ringed, she responded that "other propagative contact" was too broad nearby vague.
She did, however, transmit, "No" when asked whether she had had sexual intercourse obey anyone other than her groom.
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle