Houston serial rapist who attacked at least four women sentenced to 99 years in prison
“We know there are more victims who were too afraid to come forward, so we are glad the jury sent a clear message that this man should never be free again."
HOUSTON — He was a violent predator who raped at least three Houston-area women and an underage girl in 2021 not long after being paroled after serving seven years in another rape case.
Now, Morris “Mack” Holton III is going back to prison and this time, he'll be there for decades.
Editor's note: The video above originally aired in 2021 when Holton was arrested.
A Harris County jury sentenced Holton to 99 years in prison this week after hearing from some of the women Holton attacked. Prosecutors said who took photos of each victim as “trophies.”
“This man is a true predator who planned, plotted and schemed to rob and rape women, and this prison sentence ensures that he will be behind bars for decades,” District Attorney Kim Ogg said. “We are so very proud of the victims who came forward in this case and in similar cases. It’s hard to do, but it’s so important.”
The 39-year-old must serve at least 30 years in prison before he'll be eligible for parole.
“We know there are more victims who were too afraid to come forward, so we are glad the jury sent a clear message that this man should never be free again,” Assistant District Attorney Steven Denman said.
The victims
We first told you about Holton after he was arrested on June 4, 2021, by Fort Bend deputies, DPS and US Marshals. He was charged with sexual assault of a child, child trafficking, three counts of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of aggravated kidnapping.
Investigators said Holton had raped three women in less than a month.
Investigators said Holton contacted the victims -- two social media video creators and a massage therapist -- from online ads and posed as a customer.
“The suspect’s MO is that he would locate the victims online via several social media platforms or personal ads,” said Detective J.E. Garza with HPD’s Special Victims Division. “On two cases, the suspect made contact with the victims with the pretext to collaborate with them."
Garza said after Holton gained their trust, he'd insist on meeting the women in person and that's when the attacks happened.
Teardrop tattoo, gold tooth
March 17, 2021: A 30-year-old massage therapist reported a customer she met online handcuffed her with zip ties, then sexually assaulted and robbed her at gunpoint. She said he stole her ATM card and withdrew money before returning and sexually assaulting her again.
Garza said their first big break in the case happened because Holton unknowingly contacted the same woman on Instagram a month later. During a video chat, she recognized his gold tooth and teardrop tattoo and called police. Investigators linked the Instagram account to Holton. They weren't able to link him to the phone number used which was 346-577-2891.
March 29, 2021: A 31-year-old social media video creator reported a similar sexual assault by a customer who used the phone number 346-577-2891, court documents show. Police used surveillance video from the hotel where it happened and determined the suspect was driving a black Cadillac.
In May, the victim identified Holton in a photo lineup.
April 4, 2021: Another content creator told police she tried to fight back when she was being restrained by a man she met online, but the suspect pistol-whipped her. Garza said the man unsuccessfully tried to sexually assault the victim before leaving.
The victims said their attacker had a teardrop tattoo and a gold tooth, called himself “Carlos" and called from the phone number 346-577-2891.
The description and a composite sketch led them to Holton. DNA from Holton's 2011 rape case matched the four 2021 cases.
He was arrested after leaving a meeting with his parole officer. Garza said they were surprised to find a 16-year-old reported runaway inside his black Cadillac. They questioned the girl and learned that Holton had repeatedly raped her. He took video of himself assaulting the underage teen, which was later used as evidence against him.
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Help for sexual or domestic assault victims
One in four women will experience sexual or domestic violence in their lifetime. If you or someone you know is a victim, here are some discreet ways to reach out for help.
The Houston Area Women’s Center has 24-hour hotlines:
- Sexual assault: 713-528-7273
- Domestic violence: 713-528-2121
RAINN: National hotline to report sexual assault
- 800-656-HOPE (4673)
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