Jury in Houston sentences serial rapist to 99 years in prison

HOUSTON – He was a violent sex offender who raped at least three Houston-area women and an underage girl in 2021, shortly after he was released on parole after serving just seven years in a separate rape case.

Now Morris “Mack” Holton III is going to prison again and this time he will spend decades there.

Editor’s note: The above video originally aired in 2021 when Holton was arrested.

A Harris County jury sentenced Holton to 99 years in prison this week after hearing testimony from some of the women Holton attacked. Prosecutors said they took photos of each victim as “trophies.”

“This man is a true predator who planned, schemed and plotted to rob and rape women, and this prison sentence guarantees he will spend decades behind bars,” said District Attorney Kim Ogg. “We are so proud of the victims who have come forward in this and similar cases. This is difficult, but so important.”

The 39-year-old must spend at least 30 years in prison before he can be released on parole.

“We know there are more victims who were too afraid to come forward, so we are pleased that the jury sent a clear message: This man must never be released again,” said Assistant District Attorney Steven Denman.

We first told you about Holton after he was arrested by officers from the Fort Bend Police Department, DPS and U.S. Marshals on June 4, 2021. He was charged with sexual abuse of a child, child trafficking, three counts of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of aggravated kidnapping.

According to investigators, Holton raped three women in less than a month.

Investigators said Holton contacted the victims – two social media video producers and a massage therapist – through online ads, posing as a customer.

“The suspect’s modus operandi is to find the victims online through various social media platforms or personal ads,” said Detective JE Garza of HPD’s Special Victims Division. “In two cases, the suspect made contact with the victims under the guise of working with them.”

Garza said after Holton gained their trust, he insisted on meeting the women in person, and that’s when the attacks happened.

17 March 2021: A 30-year-old massage therapist reported that a client she met online tied her up with zip ties and then sexually assaulted and robbed her at gunpoint. She said he stole her bank card and withdrew money before returning and sexually assaulting her again.

Garza said her first big break in the case came because Holton unknowingly contacted the same woman a month later via Instagram. During a video chat, she recognized his gold tooth and teardrop tattoo and called police. Investigators linked the Instagram account to Holton. However, they were unable to connect it to the phone number used, 346-577-2891.

29 March 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 the incident occurred and determined the suspect was driving a black Cadillac.

In May, the victim identified Holton from a photo lineup.

4 April 2021: Another content creator told police she tried to fight back when she was being held down by a man she met online, but the suspect hit her with a gun. 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 346-577-2891.

The description and a mugshot 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 runaway girl in his black Cadillac, who had been reported as a runaway. They questioned the girl and learned that Holton had repeatedly raped her. He recorded a video of himself assaulting the underage teen, which was later used as evidence against him.

One in four women will experience sexual or domestic violence in their lifetime. If you or someone you know is a victim of violence, here are some discreet ways to get help.

The Houston Area Women’s Center has 24-hour hotlines:

RAINN: National Sexual Assault Reporting Hotline

KHOU 11 on social media: Facebook | X |