A Texas jury convicted Richard Tanner Ozment of first-degree murder and sentenced him to life in prison on Wednesday for the killing of Michaela Brooker.
The McLennan County jury deliberated for just 20 minutes before rejecting Ozment's self-defense claim. Prosecutors said the 37-year-old used a machete, fire and a concrete block to attack the 38-year-old victim in September 2024 at a home on Old China Spring Road.
Ozment's mother discovered the dying woman behind an RV and confronted her son, who replied that Brooker had tried to stab him. Firefighters found Brooker with severe head injuries before she was airlifted to a hospital in Temple, where she later died.
Sheriff Parnell McNamara described the attack as one of the most horrific seen in a long time. Ozment was captured after a 10-hour manhunt while hiding in a stock tank near the scene.