HOUSTON – A Houston man has been sentenced to 80 years in prison after being caught on camera carjacking an elderly couple and committing a murder on the same day.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg described the man’s actions as intentional and deliberate.
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Michael Coates, 21, was convicted of murder for the shooting of 29-year-old Marcus Mercado on Feb. 11, 2023.
According to authorities, the altercation occurred near a convenience store on the 9800 block of Meadowglen Lane where Coates was known to sell drugs.
Witnesses reported that Mercado approached Coates, leading to an argument. Coates then pulled out a pistol and shot Mercado three times.
Surveillance footage showed Coates approaching the Mercado’s body on the ground and then shot him three more times in the head.
Following the murder, Coates was seen on video about two hours later in west Houston carjacking a 75-year-old woman outside her garage. When her 77-year-old husband came to her aid, Coates pointed the gun at him and demanded their car keys.
The couple complied, and Coates drove away in their vehicle, which was later found abandoned.
Three days after the murder, Coates committed another armed robbery, stealing a man’s wallet, car keys, and backpack containing a laptop.
Investigators tracked the laptop to Coates’ apartment on the 3200 block of Gessner, where they found a Glock 9mm pistol identified as the murder weapon.
Coates was arrested on March 22, 2023, with the help of the public after police released the video of the carjacking.
During his trial, jurors were informed of his other crimes, leading to their decision on his punishment.
Assistant District Attorneys Nancy Ta and Bryan Honeycutt prosecuted the case. Ta emphasized the jury’s recognition that Coates’ claim of self-defense was a false excuse for murder, noting the impact on all the victims and their families.
Coates will be eligible for parole after serving at least 30 years of his sentence.