A Tarrant County jury yesterday found 33-year-old Robert Kelly guilty of murder, and a judge handed him a 30-year prison sentence for the June 6, 2024 shooting death of 38-year-old Marquis Holliman at an Arlington apartment complex.
The verdict and sentence were announced in a post by the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office. In that post, prosecutors thanked the Arlington Police Department for its work on the case and for its “commitment to keeping our community safe,” and confirmed that Kelly was convicted of murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
How Detectives Built the Case
Arlington officers were dispatched around 10:03 p.m. on June 6, 2024, after reports of gunfire at an apartment complex in the 2100 block of Cypress Club Drive. They found Holliman unresponsive on a sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the Arlington Police Department. That same release urged anyone with information to contact Detective Evans at (817) 459-5325 or Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County at (817) 469-8477.
Investigators later received anonymous Crime Stoppers tips pointing to a local alias, “Mike Mike.” Follow-up work identified that person as Robert Kelly. U.S. Marshals arrested Kelly in Shreveport, Louisiana, in November 2024, and he was held while awaiting extradition to Texas, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Evidence Prosecutors Relied On
Police said officers recovered spent shell casings at the scene and later found ammunition near Kelly’s belongings that matched the make and model of those casings. Multiple witnesses placed Kelly at the complex, including one who told detectives they saw him with a firearm just moments before the shooting, according to the city’s release.
Sentence and Prosecution
The District Attorney’s Office said Assistant District Attorneys Dillan Passmore and Lucas Allan prosecuted the case, with investigator Clint Leach and victim coordinators Angela Stevens and Laura Medina assisting, according to the office’s Facebook post. Prosecutors framed the 30-year sentence as the culmination of an extended investigation and again credited Arlington police for their role in the case.
Next Steps and Community Impact
With sentencing complete, the case now moves into its post-conviction phase, and any future filings or appeals will be reflected in Tarrant County court records. The arrest, trial and sentence all rested heavily on witness accounts and tips that ultimately led to Kelly’s detention in Louisiana, a timeline described in local reporting and in the city’s news release. Officials are still urging anyone with additional information to come forward, The Dallas Morning News reported.
