A registered sex offender in Texas was apprehended Saturday following a brutal murder with a machete knife and a massive manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Texas sex offender turned in by parents
The suspect, 36-year-old Richard Tanner Ozment, was captured after his own parents tipped off authorities, leading to a manhunt that spanned several hours and ended in a dramatic arrest.
The chain of events unfolded after Ozment’s mother made a shocking and gruesome discovery on her property in China Spring, Texas.
According to an affidavit and reports from KWTX-TV, the mother encountered her son, Richard, standing outside her home looking “very sweaty” and behaving suspiciously.
When she attempted to walk past him, Ozment blocked her path, forcing her to push him aside.
What she discovered next was straight out of a horror movie.
After pushing past her son, Ozment’s mother noticed a human foot protruding from behind a recreational vehicle parked on the property.
Alarmed, she moved closer and discovered the severely wounded body of a woman lying behind the RV. In a moment of horror, she turned to her son and asked, “What have you done?”
Ozment allegedly replied, “She tried to stab me.”
Panicked, his mother ran into her house, and Ozment’s father immediately called 911 to report the grisly scene.
Texas sex offender allegedly kills victim with machete knife
Authorities say the victim, identified as 38-year-old Michaela Brooker, was found suffering from extensive injuries, primarily to her head.
Emergency responders from the China Spring Fire Department were the first to arrive on the scene and attempted to treat Brooker.
However, her injuries proved fatal, and she was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The McLennan County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Parnell McNamara, confirmed that the weapon used in the attack was a machete knife like instrument.
Sheriff McNamara described the killing as one of the most “horrific, brutal, and senseless” acts of violence his office has encountered in recent memory.
Law enforcement officials believe that the murder of Michaela Brooker stemmed from a domestic disturbance, although the exact nature of the relationship between Ozment and his alleged victim has not been disclosed.
Authorities go on hours-long manhunt for machete knife killer
By the time law enforcement arrived at the scene, Ozment had fled. A massive manhunt was launched, with multiple law enforcement agencies coordinating efforts to track down the suspect.
The McLennan County Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT Team, the Waco Police Department’s K9 unit, and drone support from the Texas Department of Public Safety all participated in the manhunt. Texas Game Wardens and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Tracking K9 units also assisted in the search.
Authorities searched for nearly 10 hours before they successfully located Ozment. Deputies on horseback, accompanied by K9 units, tracked him to a stock tank about 100 yards away from the crime scene.
Ozment was arrested without further incident and charged with murder. He is currently being held at the McLennan County Jail on a $1 million bond.
Texas sex offender has a long rap sheet
Ozment’s criminal record includes a disturbing mix of violent and sexually related crimes.
In 2004, Ozment was adjudicated as a juvenile for aggravated sexual assault, and in 2007, he was convicted of making terroristic threats.
Ozment was arrested in 2013 after complaints surfaced that he was taking pictures outside China Spring Elementary School.
During that investigation, authorities discovered he had failed to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
In 2015, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to a string of burglaries involving five area churches and two homes. His sentences were enhanced due to his prior convictions.
“It never should have happened,” McNamara said about Ozment’s latest crime. “This guy who we believe committed this horrible and brutal murder was sentenced to 40 years.”
“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 added.
