Richard Tanner Ozment, 37, was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after a McLennan County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the September 2024 killing of 38-year-old Michaela Brooker near Waco, Texas.
Background
The violence unfolded at a residence on Old China Spring Road in China Spring, a sparsely populated census-designated place roughly 12 miles west of Waco. According to investigators, Ozment attacked Brooker with multiple weapons before the victim was airlifted to Baylor Scott & White Center in Temple, where she later died from her injuries.
After the attack, Ozment appeared at his mother's home nearby. She told deputies he looked "very sweaty" as she tried to walk around him outside the house. When she pushed past, she noticed a human foot lying on the ground behind an RV and moved toward the vehicle, discovering Brooker grievously wounded.
The defendant's mother asked him, "What have you done?" according to a criminal complaint obtained by KWTX and KCEN. Ozment responded: "She tried to stab me."
His mother ran inside and barricaded herself while his father called 911 as Ozment pleaded with her not to contact police. Firefighters arrived first and found a man fleeing on foot before tending to Brooker, who suffered extensive injuries primarily to her head.
The Investigation
Ozment eluded authorities for approximately 10 hours until McLennan County Sheriff's Office deputies on horseback and K-9 units discovered him hiding in an underwater stock tank located 100 yards from the crime scene. Investigators determined Ozment had slashed Brooker multiple times with a machete, set her on fire, and struck her head with a concrete block.
McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens confirmed the sequence of violence during interviews with KCEN. Authorities initially described the killing as domestic in nature but declined to speculate on motive after the formal indictment. The defense argued at trial that Ozment acted in self-defense — a claim jurors rejected decisively, reaching their verdict after just 20 minutes of deliberation.
McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara addressed the case at a press conference following Ozment's arrest: "This is one of the most horrific, brutal and senseless attacks that we have seen in a long time. It never should have happened."
Key Takeaways
- Richard Tanner Ozment convicted of first-degree murder for killing Michaela Brooker, 38
- Attack occurred September 2024 on Old China Spring Road in China Spring, Texas
- Prosecutors say Ozment used machete, fire and concrete block against the victim
- Jurors deliberated only 20 minutes before returning guilty verdict
- Defendant sentenced to life in prison same day as conviction
- Ozment captured after 10-hour manhunt hiding in underwater stock tank near crime scene
What's Next
Ozment will serve his life sentence in a Texas correctional facility. The McLennan County District Attorney's Office successfully prosecuted the case without speculation on the specific motive behind the attack, which authorities characterized as domestic violence.