China Spring man charged with killing woman with machete in September

WACO, Texas (KWTX) – A parolee from China Spring who authorities say killed a woman with a machete and a concrete block during a domestic disturbance in September was charged as a habitual offender Thursday.

A McLennan County grand jury indicted Richard Tanner Ozment, 36, on a murder charge in the Sept. 21 death of Michaela Brooker, 38, behind her parents’ home in the 15400 block of Old China Spring Road.

Ozment, who had a juvenile conviction for aggravated sexual assault and multiple burglary and terroristic threats as an adult, was charged as a habitual offender; This increases the minimum sentence if convicted of murder from five to 25 years. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The indictment alleges that Özment killed Brooker by “chopping and/or cutting him with a knife, machete, or other sharp object, and/or striking him with a brick, concrete, or other hard, blunt object.”

When deputies from the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office arrived, they found no sign of Ozment, but discovered Brooker lying in the back of a trailer on the property, suffering from serious head injuries. Deputies and officers from other agencies searched the area with dogs for about 10 hours and found Ozment hiding under some tree branches in a stock tank about 100 feet from the scene.

According to arrest records, as Özment’s mother was leaving her home, she saw her son, whom she described as “very sweaty,” standing in front of the trailer behind the house.

He said he tried to go around Özment but he stood in front of him. He pushed her away and reported seeing a woman’s foot in the back of the trailer. He then found the critically injured Brooker and asked his son, “What did you do?”, the arrest affidavit alleges. he asked. Ozment reportedly replied, “He tried to stab me,” according to the affidavit.

Özment remains in jail on $1 million bail and alleged parole violations.