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Mother notices son is sweaty — then she makes grisly discovery on her property that makes her cry out, 'What have you done?'
Authorities caught a registered sex offender from Texas on Saturday after an intense and massive manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies. As it turns out, the suspect's parents tipped off authorities after his mother made a horrifying discovery on her property. The mother told deputies with the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office that she walked out of her home and noticed her son standing looking “very sweaty,” as reported by KWTX-TV. '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 woman said she attempted to walk around her son — 36-year-old Richard Tanner Ozment — but he stood in her way. The mother claimed she had to push him out of her way.But that was far from the worst of it.The affidavit states that the woman spotted a human foot behind a recreational vehicle on her property in China Springs. As the mother walked to the area behind the RV, she reportedly discovered a severely wounded woman.According to court documents, the mother asked Ozment, “What have you done?” He reportedly replied, “She tried to stab me.”The mother frantically ran inside her home, and Ozment’s father called 911. China Spring firefighters were the first to arrive at the grisly crime scene and noticed a man running away from the home.First responders treated 38-year-old Michaela Brooker, who was suffering from “extensive injuries, mainly, to her head,” according to the affidavit. Brooker was airlifted to a hospital where she was pronounced dead as a result of her injuries.McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said Ozment used a machete-like weapon to kill Brooker.By the time police arrived, Ozment had fled the crime scene. Law enforcement assembled a major manhunt to track down Ozment, which included the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT Team, the Waco Police Department’s K9 unit and drone support, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Game Wardens, and Texas Department of Criminal Justice Tracking K9.Roughly 10 hours later, deputies riding on horseback and accompanied by K9s tracked down Ozment. He reportedly was hiding in a stock tank about a football field away from the bloody crime scene.McNamara said he believed Brooker’s murder arose from a “domestic disturbance” but did not reveal the exact relationship between the victim and Ozment.Ozment was charged with murder and is being held at the McLennan County Jail on a $1 million bond. “This is one of the most horrific, brutal, and senseless attacks that we have seen in a long time,” McNamara said, “It never should have happened. 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.”A Waco Tribune-Herald article published in March 2015 reported that Ozment, then 26 years old, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to burglarizing five area churches and two homes.The outlet noted, "The charges against Ozment were enhanced to first-degree felonies because of a juvenile adjudication for aggravated sexual assault in 2004 and a felony terroristic threat conviction in 2007."In 2013, Ozment was arrested after complaints that he was taking pictures outside China Spring Elementary School. While in custody, authorities discovered Ozment was not in compliance with sex offender registration requirements.Like Blaze News? Circumvent the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
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