A murder suspect was found hiding in a stock tank underwater after allegedly slaughtering a mother with a machete and a concrete block, McLennan County authorities said.
Richard Tanner Ozment, 36, was arrested last weekend after his mother spotted him “very sweaty” next to an injured woman’s body behind an RV on her property.
“What have you done?” the mother said to which Ozment replied that the victim “tried to stab me.”
The victim was taken to a hospital where she died. Authorities later identified her as 38-year-old Michaela Brooker.
“This is one of the most horrific, horrible, brutal, senseless attacks that we have seen in a long time,” Sheriff Parnell McNamara said. “It never should have happened.”
Ozment had been released on parole after serving 10 years of a 40-year sentence for a series of burglaries.
“This guy who we believe committed this horrible and brutal murder was sentenced to 40 years,” the sheriff said.
“He served approximately 10 years, was paroled out and then committed this horrible crime. He never should have gotten out, but he did.”
