Richard Tanner Ozment appeared at his mother's Texas home looking "very sweaty" on the day he had bludgeoned and slashed Michaela Brooker with a machete, set her on fire, and crushed her skull with a concrete block before fleeing as authorities launched a 10-hour manhunt that ended with his discovery hiding in an underwater stock tank.
Background
The murder occurred in September 2024 at a residence on Old China Spring Road in China Spring, a sparsely populated census-designated place roughly 12 miles west of Waco. Ozment, then 36, attacked the 38-year-old victim with brutal efficiency using multiple weapons over an extended period, according to charging documents.
When Ozment's mother arrived home that day, she found her son standing outside the residence and described his appearance as "very sweaty." She told McLennan County Sheriff's deputies she attempted to walk around him, but he blocked her path. After pushing past him, she spotted a human foot lying on the ground behind an RV.
She moved toward the vehicle and discovered Brooker grievously wounded and dying from extensive injuries primarily to her head.
"What have you done?" the mother asked.
Ozment replied: "She tried to stab me."
The defendant's mother ran inside and barricaded herself while his father called 911 — even as Ozment pleaded with her not to contact authorities. Firefighters arriving first encountered a man fleeing on foot before tending to Brooker, who had suffered catastrophic trauma from the machete attack, burns, and blunt force blows to her head.
The Investigation
Brooker was airlifted to Baylor Scott & White Center in Temple, where she eventually succumbed to her injuries. McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens detailed the sequence of violence: Ozment slashed Brooker multiple times with a machete, ignited the fire that consumed parts of her body, and delivered the fatal blow by striking her head with a concrete block.
Following the attack, Ozment fled into the rural Texas landscape as law enforcement descended on the scene. A massive manhunt ensued involving sheriff's deputies on horseback, K-9 units, and aerial resources searching the rugged terrain surrounding the crime scene.
The search concluded approximately 10 hours later when authorities discovered Ozment submerged in an underwater stock tank located roughly 100 yards from where Brooker lay dying.
McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara addressed reporters after 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."
The Verdict
On Wednesday, a jury in McLennan County convicted Ozment, now 37, of one count of first-degree murder after hearing testimony about the gruesome attack. Jurors deliberated for approximately 20 minutes before returning their verdict — an unusually swift resolution for a homicide case involving such violent circumstances.
The same jury sentenced him to life in prison without possibility of parole later that same day, according to the McLennan County District Attorney's Office.
Authorities initially described the killing as domestic in nature. Prosecutors declined to speculate on motive after Ozment was formally indicted, though Court TV reported the defense would pursue a self-defense argument at trial — a claim jurors soundly rejected.
Key Takeaways
- Michaela Brooker, 38, died after being attacked with a machete, set on fire, and struck in the head with a concrete block in China Spring, Texas
- Ozment's mother discovered her son's victim after finding a human foot behind an RV at her residence
- A jury deliberated just 20 minutes before convicting Ozment of first-degree murder
- The defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole on the same day as his conviction
- Authorities found Ozment hiding in an underwater stock tank roughly 100 yards from the crime scene after a 10-hour manhunt
What's Next
The case appears concluded with Ozment's automatic appeal rights intact. Brooker, remembered for her "vibrant, free-spirited nature" and passion for music according to her obituary, was raised in Clifton, Texas, where community members continue to process the senseless violence that claimed her life.
No further court dates remain scheduled as the conviction and sentencing phase has concluded.