A Texas man, armed with multiple firearms and dressed in tactical gear, is accused of breaking into his estranged wife’s residence, shooting a man, coercing the woman into shooting the deceased, and then forcing her to accompany him in transporting the body to another city, as per an arrest affidavit. Michael Maurice Mack, 48, is currently sought for capital murder, as announced by Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez on Saturday.
Mack and his wife were married in 2019 but have been living separately for the past 18 months. During this period, the woman alleges that Mack began stalking her. The murder victim, 53-year-old Kelvin Hinton, had started dating the woman, but he never disclosed to his family the extent of Mack’s alleged harassment.
According to the victim’s brother, Michael Lewis, Hinton never informed him about the threats he received from Mack. Lewis shared with a local ABC affiliate that he was unaware that Mack had threatened Hinton over the phone, warning him not to return to the house.
The incident occurred on Wednesday around 3:30 a.m., when Mack allegedly entered his estranged wife’s home in Katy, Texas, through a side window. The woman reported to investigators that she was awakened by Mack assaulting her with a rifle. When Hinton intervened, Mack allegedly shot him and continued to attack the woman.
The woman further reported that Mack was wearing a tactical vest and had three handguns on him. She pleaded for her life as Mack physically assaulted her, threatened to kill her, and revealed that he had been observing her and Hinton throughout the day. Mack then forced her to shoot Hinton, threatening her own life if she refused.
The woman, fearing for her life, complied with Mack’s orders. She closed her eyes as Mack guided her hand to the trigger of the handgun and forced her to shoot Hinton. She was then coerced into helping Mack dispose of Hinton’s body, with Mack threatening to kill her if she did not comply.
Mack wrapped the body in bedsheets and placed it in the trunk of his wife’s car. They then drove to a gated lot in Vidor, Texas, approximately 120 miles east of Katy. Mack eventually released the woman, telling her he would not kill her that day.
Sheriff Gonzalez reported that deputies were called to the scene of the murder, where they found evidence of foul play. They were able to locate Hinton’s body in Vidor. The woman’s account of the incident was deemed “reliable and credible” by authorities.
During the investigation, several individuals reported having conversations with Mack after the incident, during which he admitted to his involvement in the murder and tampering with a corpse. Surveillance footage from a gas station in Vidor also showed Mack. Hinton, a father of two and a grandfather, is survived by his daughters.
Mack is currently wanted on a warrant for capital murder.