A Texas mother confronted her ‘very sweaty’ son when he turned up at her door after allegedly killing a woman with a machete-like weapon.
The unidentified mother told McLennan County sheriff’s deputies that she walked out of her house in rural China Spring on Saturday and spotted her son, 36-year-old Richard Tanner Ozment, standing outside ‘very sweaty,’ KWTX reports.
She said she tried to walk around her son, but he stood in her way, so she ultimately pushed him so that she could get by.
That is when, the woman said, she spotted a human foot behind an RV on her property. As she got closer, she said, she found a badly injured woman, who was later identified as 38-year-old Michaela Brooker.
‘What have you done?’ the mother asked her son, according to court documents, to which he replied: ‘She [the murder victim] tried to stab me.’
Richard Tanner Ozment, 36, has been arrested for allegedly killing a woman with a machete-like weapon on September 21
The victim was identified as 38-year-old Michaela Brooker, a mother of one
At that point, police say the mother ran back inside her home and Ozment’s father called 911.
China Spring firefighters were the first to arrive on the scene, where they noticed a man running away from the home, KWTX reports.
When sheriff’s deputies arrived later, they cleared the area but could not locate Ozment.
Meanwhile, first responders tended to Brooker, a mother-of-one, who was suffering ‘extensive injuries, mainly to her head,’ arrest records show.
She was airlifted to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Finally, about 10 hours later, deputies riding on horseback, along with K9s, located Ozment hiding in a stock tank near the crime scene.
Authorities say Ozment fled the scene shortly after his parents called 911
Sheriff’s deputies later found him hiding in a stock tank near the crime scene
Sheriff Parnell McNamara said at a news conference that Brooker’s death arose from a ‘domestic disturbance’ but would not elaborate on the exact relationship between the suspect and the victim.
‘This is one of the most horrific, brutal and senseless attacks that we have seen in a long time,’ he shared. ‘It never should have happened.
‘This guy who we believe committed this horrible and brutal murder was sentenced to 40 years,’ he added. ‘He served approximately 10 years, was paroled out and then committed this horrible crime.
‘He never should have gotten out, but he did.’
The sheriff was referring to Ozment’s arrest at the age of 25 in 2014 for taking photos outside China Spring Elementary School.
He was charged with failing to register as a sex offender, and admitted at the time he participated in several burglaries at local churches.
Ozment was sentenced to 40 years behind bars, but was released on parole after serving 10.
He had previously been arrested and convicted of aggravated sexual assault at the age of 16, and three years later, Ozment was arrested on a felony terroristic threat charge.
Ozment has a lengthy criminal history going back to the age of 16
Ozment is now being held at the McLennan County Jail on a $1million bond for murder – but will be held without bond due to a probation violation charge.
Meanwhile, Brooker’s friends are raising money for her family.
The online fundraiser describes Brooker as a ‘cherished mother, daughter and friend.’
‘In this incredibly difficult time, we are asking for your support to help cover the unexpected expenses and ensure her family can grieve without worrying about bills, food, gas and support for her child,’ it reads.
‘Every donation will go directly towards these costs, allowing us to focus on celebrating her life and mourning our loss.’
As of Wednesday evening, the GoFundMe had raised over $6,000 for the family.
