Cause of death revealed for 2 moms found in freezer in cow pasture; 5 members of 'God's Misfits' group charged with murder



Two Kansas mothers were found dead inside a chest freezer in a cow pasture in rural Oklahoma in April.

Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, went on a road trip to Oklahoma earlier this year. However, they went missing March 30 after driving to the Oklahoma panhandle to pick up Butler's children — ages 6 and 8. They didn't make it that far.

The group's initial plan was to 'throw an anvil through Butler's windshield while driving, making it look like an accident because anvils regularly fall off work vehicles.'

Authorities found their car abandoned near the Oklahoma-Kansas border.

Law enforcement suspected foul play after allegedly finding "evidence of a severe injury" and several puddles of blood near the abandoned vehicle in the desolate Oklahoma panhandle.

On April 13, investigators discovered Butler and Kelley's remains inside a chest freezer that had been buried in a cow pasture, according to affidavits. The freezer reportedly was inside a hole filled with dirt and concrete.

The Daily Mail reported that the mothers were found dead in "pools of blood" inside the freezer.

Investigators discovered that the farming property had ties to the grandmother of one of the women's children, court documents say.

The property owner told authorities that 43-year-old Tad Bert Cullum — who reportedly rented time on the cow pasture for cattle grazing — asked him on March 28 "if he could cut a tree down, remove a stump, [and] bury some concrete" in an area below the dam where a concrete pile had been sitting above ground. The property owner said Cullum completed the project in the next day or two.

Cullum was the boyfriend of 54-year-old Tifany Adams — the paternal grandmother of Butler's children.

Court records revealed that Adams' son — Wrangler Rickman — had been in a custody battle with Butler over their children. The couple also allegedly were going through a divorce. At the time, Rickman reportedly was in an Oklahoma rehabilitation center.

The Daily Mail reported that Butler had court-mandated, supervised visits every Saturday with her children, and Kelley was one of four people listed to supervise the visits.

The outlet added that Butler filed a petition in court March 20 that would grant her more time with her children, with her goal being receiving full custody.

“Adams hated and despised Butler and wanted her dead,” court documents said.

In April, Callum, Adams, 31-year-old Paul Grice, 44-year-old Cora Twombly, and 50-year-old Cole Twombly were arrested in connection with the deaths of the two mothers.

All five suspects are facing two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree.

The filing said Adams allegedly purchased three burner phones, stun devices, yellow straps found around the freezer, and the pants that Cullum wore and buried with the victims.

CNN reported that Cora Twombly told her 16-year-old daughter that she was going on a “mission" with Cole Twombly, the girl's stepfather. The teen said her mother and stepfather told her they would "not have to worry about [Butler] again," according to Fox News.

The group's initial plan was to "throw an anvil through Butler's windshield while driving, making it look like an accident because anvils regularly fall off work vehicles," Cora Twombly allegedly told her daughter.

'God’s Misfits is about spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, not about hate and murder.'

Citing court documents, KSNT-TV reported that the Twomblys "served as lookouts on the day of the murder."

Court documents accuse Grice of stabbing Butler to death while Cullum allegedly killed Kelley — the wife of a pastor.

Grice severely cut his hand in the process of killing Butler, the documents state.

Grice reportedly tossed a stun device and the murder weapon into the grave, along with the clothing he was wearing when he killed Butler. Investigators said the clothing recovered from the grave contained DNA evidence from Grice and Butler.

A preliminary autopsy report was released this week that revealed the cause of death of the two mothers.

The report from the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Butler and Kelley were killed from multiple sharp-force trauma, which could be caused by a knife, glass, or anything with a cutting edge.

The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is expected to release the full report on Nov. 15.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said the five suspects were members of a group called God’s Misfits — reportedly a self-proclaimed anti-government group with a religious affiliation.

In April, the supposed founder of God's Misfits distanced himself from the suspects.

“Someway, people think they are part of us. Nothing could be more wrong,” the founder posted on Facebook. “God’s Misfits is about spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, not about hate and murder.”

The preliminary hearings are scheduled to begin Dec. 17.

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'Distressed' 911 caller told police he fell off a cliff during a bear attack. Now he's wanted for murder.



A Tennessee man called police saying he'd fallen off a cliff while a bear was chasing him. However, law enforcement is now saying the 911 caller murdered a hiker and then attempted to stage the victim's death as a bear attack.

A man called 911 dispatch at 11:34 p.m. Oct. 18 to inform authorities that he was "injured and partially in water," according to a news release from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

A manhunt is under way for Hamlett, and police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

The "distressed hiker" told police he had fallen off a cliff while running away from a bear. The hiker told law enforcement that his name was Brandon Andrade. The call was pinged in the area of the Charles Hall Bridge on the Cherohala Skyway in Tellico Plains — a small mountain town in east Tennessee.

When first responders arrived, they searched the area and discovered a bloody corpse at the bottom of a cliff. The dead man had Brandon Andrade's identification.

But law enforcement determined that the victim was not Andrade. Investigators said the ID had been stolen and used multiple times.

Detectives with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Monroe County Violent Crimes Unit identified Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, 45, as the suspect who had been using Andrade's stolen identification.

“Mr. Hamlett had used a false name when speaking with law enforcement in Knox County, TN after the distressed hiker call. Before his real identity had been verified, Mr. Hamlett is believed to have fled from his Tennessee residence,” the sheriff's office said.

Investigators said the man who was found dead at the bottom of the cliff was murdered. Police did not identify him; they referred to him as John Doe.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Hamlett for first-degree murder. A manhunt is under way for Hamlett, and police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

Hamlett is 5'7" tall, weighs 170 pounds, and has brown hair and blue eyes.

Authorities said if you see Hamlett, call 911 or Monroe County Dispatch at 423-442-4357.

Apparently, this isn't the first time Hamlett has been accused of an incident like this.

In 2009, Hamlett was accused of holding a man at gunpoint, trying to hit him with a baseball bat, and attempting to bury him alive, according to AL.com. He was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping before pleading to a lesser offense of felony assault. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his crimes in 2012. In that case, Hamlett used the alias Joshua Jones. Hamlett also was wanted in Alabama on a parole violation.

As Blaze News reported earlier this month, a Montana father was so brutally mangled to death while camping that his friends thought he was mauled in a bear attack. However, detectives said the "loving" dad was not killed by a bear – but rather he was the victim of a grisly homicide.

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Loving dad mangled to death in tent so gruesomely that friends thought a bear did it. But it's being called a homicide.



Friends discovered a Montana father brutally mangled to death in his tent. In fact, the victim was so gruesomely mutilated that friends thought a bear mauled him. However, police say the "loving" dad was not killed by a bear; they're calling it a homicide.

On Saturday morning, friends of Dustin Kjersem went looking for him after he failed to meet up with them Friday and hadn't been seen since Thursday afternoon. Friends found the 35-year-old father in his tent at a makeshift campsite that morning in Big Sky, one hour southwest of Bozeman, Montana.

'This incident was a vicious attack, and detectives are working hard to develop and track down leads. A suspect has not been arrested at this time.'

Kjersem's friends immediately contacted police and said he was killed in a bear attack.

Members of the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office; Big Sky Fire Department; Montana Highway Patrol; and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks were dispatched to the spot where the body was discovered.

A Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks agent with "expertise in bear attacks" noted that there were not "any signs of bear activity at the scene," which "prompted investigators to treat the case as a homicide."

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release, "Evidence gathered through an autopsy further indicated that this was a homicide."

"This incident was a vicious attack, and detectives are working hard to develop and track down leads," police stated. "A suspect has not been arrested at this time."

Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said, "People have asked me if there's a threat to this community, and the answer is we don't know. We don't have enough information to know at this time."

Springer warned, "We do know that someone was out there who killed someone in a very heinous way, so if you're out in the woods you need to be paying attention, you need to remain vigilant."

CBS News reported that Kjersem had sustained "multiple chop wounds," including to his skull, an autopsy revealed.

Authorities noted that there is no cellphone service in the crime scene area, which has made the investigation more difficult.

Kjersem's sister — Jillian Price — said of her brother, “He was a loving, helpful ... father who in no way deserved this.”

“I asked our community to please find out who did this,” she added. “There is someone in our valley that is capable of truly heinous things.”

Kjersem had been driving a black 2013 Ford F-150 pickup truck with a black topper and a silver aluminum ladder rack.

Sheriff Springer said, "He was brutally killed at his campsite, and we need your help."

Capt. Nathan Kamerman said, "Think of the whole canyon. If you saw something weird in the canyon area, or in town with his truck, please reach out to us."

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information on the case or anyone who was in the Moose Creek area around the time of Kjersem's death to contact the GCSO Detectives Division at 406-582-2121 or by email at detectives@gallatin.mt.gov.

You can view a video report here about the incident.

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Pastor granted bond after 2 years in jail for allegedly shooting his wife's lover dead outside busy restaurant



A Baptist pastor in Missouri’s Ozarks has been granted bond after spending two years in jail for allegedly shooting his wife's lover outside of a busy restaurant in broad daylight.

Matthew Dedmon — a 49-year-old pastor from Springfield — drove his truck to the Ozark Courthouse Square Historic District and spotted his wife, according to KYTV-TV. He reportedly noticed that she was with 57-year-old Joe Newburn, whom Dedmon believed was having an affair with his wife.

However, Judge Johnson on Oct. 1 reversed her own decision and went from no bond to $30,000.

“The evidence is that defendant possessed a loaded gun on the square in Ozark outside a busy restaurant, and that gun was discharged three to four times, resulting in the victim’s death. This put everyone on the square in grave danger. There was evidence that this conduct was out of character for defendant, which causes concern about defendant’s decision-making and judgment,” Judge Laura Johnson wrote in September 2022.

The Ozark Police Department said in a statement: "The victim was pronounced deceased upon arrival at Cox South Hospital in Springfield."

Dedmon was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

“The seriousness of the charge increases the risk that defendant will not appear," Judge Johnson ruled. "For these reasons, the court will detain defendant without bond.”

However, Judge Johnson on Oct. 1 reversed her own decision and went from no bond to $30,000. Dedmon — a pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Rogersville — was released on the condition that he wear a GPS monitoring device and remain on house arrest.

“Defendant may leave his home only for court appearances and emergency medical attention,” Johnson declared.

A defense filing from before the latest ruling reveals that Dedmon's attorneys argued that their client should be granted bond.

As of Wednesday, Christian County Jail records did not indicate Dedmon had been released.

Dedmon’s murder trial is scheduled to begin March 3.

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Cops ruled woman's death a suicide until her mother's persistence triggered murder confession: 'I knew it was foul play'



A heartbroken mother refused to accept the initial ruling that her daughter's death was a suicide because she believed it was something far more sinister.

April Holt — a 29-year-old mother of two — was found by police almost lifeless at her apartment in Antioch, Tennessee, on July 31, 2023. Officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department said they found Holt in the bathroom with a plastic bag duct-taped tightly around her neck.

'And I'm curled up in a ball on a bench next to him, just hysterically crying and just calling out to God to save my child. Even though I knew in my gut that she was gone.'

Holt left behind a 12-year-old daughter, an 8-year-old son, and her husband – 33-year-old Donovan Holt.

The case was later closed after an autopsy officially ruled Holt’s death a suicide.

However, Holt's mother believed her daughter's death was not by her own doing.

Jamie Dickerson, Holt's mother, said April embodied positivity, and it was apparent in her TikTok with 200,000 followers. April previously had taught middle schoolers at Believers Faith Fellowship and recently had opened her own lash studio in Nashville.

Dickerson recalled how she invited her daughter to the movies just before her death.

“We were going to go see the Barbie movie,” Dickerson told WSMV-TV. “She said, ‘Donovan has to work, I can’t go to the movie, but I’ll meet you at church at the Blast classroom tomorrow.’”

Dickerson never got a chance to respond to her daughter.

The next day, she received the call that would wreck her world.

“The phone rang, and it was Donovan, and he was upset — kind of like a panic upset,” Dickerson explained. “He was like, ‘We found April. She wasn’t breathing, and she’s in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.’”

Dickerson told Fox News, "So I jumped in my car, but even right when I got the first phone call, I was like, 'Something's not right. April's in perfectly good health.' An hour and a half ago or so, she texted me perfectly fine. So something's not right. Like I thought maybe she had passed out. Maybe she hit her head because she passed out. I didn't know. I mean, like, why would she just not be breathing? I didn't know anything about it."

"From that second on, when I got into the room at the hospital, he was just like rocking, like pacing," Dickerson continued. "And I'm curled up in a ball on a bench next to him, just hysterically crying and just calling out to God to save my child. Even though I knew in my gut that she was gone."

April Holt died at the Southern Hills Hospital that same day.

Once authorities ruled Holt's death a suicide, Dickerson launched her own investigation.

“They closed April’s case. DA and everyone agreed to close it," Dickerson said. "I got up, marched out of that room and said, ‘I’m not done, I’m going to keep investigating.’”

Dickerson would spend hours each day trying to determine who killed her daughter, but she had one suspect in mind.

Dickerson recalled that April said two weeks before her death, "I'm getting a divorce."

The mother said of her son-in-law, "He had an obsession with April. So the weird part is, is like you see these movies, and they love somebody so much that they're willing to do literally anything. I think that was him because she'd left him before, and he would sleep outside of her apartment. He would sleep in her car if it was unlocked."

"And it's heartbreaking. It's absolutely heartbreaking. And so I'm just, I'm not shocked," she said. "I think that when she said that this time she was very serious."

A few weeks after her daughter's death, Dickerson's grandson told her he witnessed a fight between his parents on the same day April died, according to the Independent.

The outlet also reported that Donovan pawned his wedding ring the week prior to his wife's death.

Dickerson told WZTV, "She had bruises on her wrists, her neck, her ankles, her thighs, and none of it was taken as evidence."

The mother filed complaints and eventually convinced the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department to investigate their own investigation. In the 47-page report, detectives said there were “two hits” of Donovan Holt’s fingerprints on the duct tape roll.

Despite the new evidence, Dickerson claimed police told her, "They said they still didn't have enough evidence to convict him."

Dickerson said when she saw that key piece of evidence, she confronted Donovan Holt.

“I told him he had a choice,” she said. “He could tell me what happened, or I was going to go to the cold case department.”

Dickerson said Donovan admitted that he strangled April, dragged her into the shower, and taped a bag over her face to make it appear that she had committed suicide.

Dickerson reportedly recorded the conversation — and then she notified police.

Last month, Donovan was arrested in San Antonio, Texas.

Nashville Police said in a news release that Donovan confessed to detectives with the MNPD's Cold Case Unit in July that he had strangled his wife.

On Sept. 19, a grand jury indicted Donovan Holt for reckless homicide, evidence tampering, and false reporting.

Holt was extradited back to Nashville where he is being held on $75,000 bond in Davidson County Jail awaiting his Oct. 23 arraignment.

"The person you were supposed to love, you killed, and then you put a trash bag over her head and ate lunch? Like she wasn't in the other room dead? And then you sent your son in there to be traumatized for the rest of his life. It's just bizarre," Dickerson said.

Despite her daughter's murder, Dickerson is praying that Donovon Holt's "heart gets right."

"As a Christian woman, I pray that his heart gets right. That's what I would want for him. I know it's what April would want. And even after killing my daughter, that is what I'd want for him," Dickerson said. "And I would want anybody to be able to have everlasting life."

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Two friends go out partying at night, then handyman makes grisly discovery when asked to clean up a mess the next morning



Defense attorney Colin Astarita told reporters he believes his client, 43-year-old Jeremy Allen, is a longtime acquaintance of 43-year-old Christopher Hahn. Astarita said the pair had been back in touch with each other only recently, according to Newsday.

On Friday night, the two allegedly went drinking together at a bar after first planning to attend a 12-step meeting together.

'The video is brutal and heinous to watch.'

"The two of them became very intoxicated," Astarita said. "At some point, there was an altercation that grew more violent."

On Saturday morning, Allen reportedly texted his handyman and asked him to help clean up his house on Long Island.

While the handyman was on the property, Allen's dog pulled at a tarp on the back patio revealing the feet of a lifeless body.

When the handyman saw the body, Allen allegedly told the handyman, "Now you can’t leave. Now you have to help clean up the house."

Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Elena Tomaro told Southampton Town Justice Adam Grossman during the hearing, "The handyman left the house in the quiet Oakville Estates neighborhood south of Sunrise Highway, saying he needed to get bleach."

Instead of getting bleach, the handyman called the police.

Beginning at midnight, Tomaro said Allen beat Hahn with a baseball bat for as long as six hours before he pulled out “a large knife” and stabbed his friend “in the head and neck.”

Prosecutors said Allen dragged Hahn's "defenseless and helpless body" onto the patio.

Allen's own home surveillance system reportedly caught Hahn's beating and stabbing death that Allen allegedly carried out.

"The video is brutal and heinous to watch," Tomaro said.

Southampton Town police responded to Allen’s house at 9:52 a.m. Saturday after receiving a 911 call from the handyman.

Hahn was pronounced dead at the crime scene.

Allen reportedly was arrested about an hour after Hahn's body was found.

Allen pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with Hahn's death.

In addition, Allen was arrested in May when he tried to buy a shotgun; he was unable to do so because of prior criminal convictions.

"That [effort] was thwarted by the employees of Dick’s Sporting Goods," Tomaro stated.

What's more, Allen has a pending rape case in Southampton Court involving a child under 15 years old, Tomaro said according to Newsday.

Allen reportedly had DWI offenses in 2007 and is currently on probation for a 2022 drunken-driving conviction in Ulster County, according to the prosecutor.

Astarita said he believes Hahn "injected himself into" the life of Allen, hinting that Allen may have a self-defense claim.

"He was in his own home," Astarita said, although admitting that he isn't sure of what caused the altercation between the two men.

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Report: 647K Noncitizens Convicted Or Suspected Of Homicide, Other Crimes Are Not In ICE Custody

More than 647,000 illegal immigrants convicted or suspected of sexual assault, homicide, and other heinous crimes are roaming free in the United States, federal immigration authorities confirmed on Wednesday. The revelation came in a letter sent to Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the […]

Killer who began male-to-female transition in prison after decapitating man just learned fate for fatally stabbing second man



A convicted killer who began transitioning his gender identity while in prison after his grisly decapitation murder of a victim in Oklahoma has been sentenced for the stabbing death of a second man — a New York City antiques dealer.

On Thursday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. announced the prison sentence of Alex Ray Scott for the stabbing murder of 64-year-old Kenneth Savinski in January 2020. Scott was sentenced to 22 years to life in prison.

Law enforcement said the victim had been decapitated with a chainsaw-like instrument.

Scott, from Oklahoma, pleaded guilty Sept. 9 in New York State Supreme Court to one count of murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree.

“Alex Ray Scott will serve a significant prison term for the brutal and senseless murder of Kenneth Savinski — a beloved, friendly person and respected churchgoer,” Bragg said in a statement. “Mr. Savinski’s loss not only devastated his friends and family but shocked his tight-knit community. Although we cannot bring Mr. Savinski back, I hope the resolution of this case offers his loved ones a sense of justice in their ongoing grief.”

Authorities said Scott met Savinski on a dating app, and the pair were "enjoying a night out together" on Jan. 27, 2020. At around 11:30 p.m., Scott allegedly was invited back to Savinski's Upper East Side apartment.

The next day, police discovered Savinski "unresponsive, face down, and covered in blood on his living room floor at his East 83rd Street apartment," according to the New York Post.

Prosecutors said Savinski was wounded on the head and neck, suffering a broken hyoid bone — which is in the neck and under the chin — a slit throat, and large, deep cuts across his face and forehead. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities believe Scott killed Savinski with a decorative plate, kitchen knife, and “maybe a pen.”

Scott turned himself in at the NYPD's 19th Precinct stationhouse on Jan. 30, 2020, and was arrested the next day after two of Savinski’s credit cards were found in Scott's possession.

Scott reportedly told investigators he had no memory of the gruesome attack. According to the indictment, Scott later told detectives, “I think I may have killed someone last night.”

During the investigation into Savinski's bloody murder, Scott allegedly confessed to killing another person in an unrelated case.

Scott reportedly had credit cards in his possession belonging to Robin Skocdopole, who lived in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Authorities searched Skocdopole's home, which was empty of all possessions — but there were pools of blood inside the residence, federal prosecutors stated.

Skocdopole had not been seen since August 2019.

Fox News reported Scott rented a room from Skocdopole and then told others that the landlord abruptly moved for work to Dallas.

In May 2020, Skocdopole's remains were on the edge of a creek in Broken Arrow.

Law enforcement said the victim had been decapitated with a chainsaw-like instrument.

Last May, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Oklahoma said in a press release, "The medical examiner’s report indicated two different saws were used during the dismemberment including a saw comparable to a chainsaw."

Scott was convicted of second-degree murder, and in May, was sentenced to 540 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

“Alex Scott was sentenced for the murder and dismemberment of Robin Skocdopole,” said U.S. attorney Clint Johnson. “This successful prosecution was the result of the exhaustive investigation and outstanding cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement. We will continue to work with law enforcement partners to hold violent offenders accountable.”

While in jail, Scott began a transition to a transgender individual.

Scott — a biological male who previously sported a beard — presented a feminine appearance during this week's sentencing hearing for the murder of Savinski.

The New York Post reported that Scott was also facing charges in his home state of Oklahoma for allegedly sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy.

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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.

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Husband, Brazilian au pair have affair then kill his wife and male lured to home through fetish dating site: Prosecutors



A Virginia man has been indicted in the stabbing death of his wife and the fatal shooting of a man that occurred last year. The husband also was alleged to be involved in a love triangle with the couple's Brazilian au pair — who previously was charged with the murder of a male who was in the couple's home.

Fairfax County Police Department Chief Kevin Davis and Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano announced the arrest and indictment of Brendan Banfield in connection with the 2023 double murder that occurred in Reston — which is roughly 20 miles west of Washington, D.C.

Investigators believe the husband and nanny were lovers involved in a 'sexual relationship' and devised a sordid scheme to take out the wife.

Banfield, of Reston, was charged with four counts of aggravated murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. Banfield was being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

Davis said at a Monday press conference, “I stood in the middle of a cul-de-sac street in Fairfax County and described the deaths of two persons inside of a residential home. Now, 570 days later, we know the deaths of Joseph Ryan and Christine Banfield were both, in fact, murders.”

Davis added, “This much is clear, we have evidence to now allege that Christine Banfield’s life was unlawfully taken, and Joseph Ryan’s life was unlawfully taken.”

Police who responded to the Banfield home on Feb. 24, 2023, described an "appalling scene." Brendan Banfield and the family's au pair – 23-year-old Juliana Peres Magalhaes — made the 911 call, police said.

Officers found Christine Banfield, 37, in an upstairs bedroom suffering from stab wounds to the upper body. They also discovered Joseph Ryan, 39, dead from gunshot wounds to the upper body.

Banfield's wife was rushed to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Police said two firearms and a knife were recovered from the home.

Magalhaes reportedly told investigators that she and Brendan Banfield had walked in on Ryan stabbing a naked Christine Banfield with a knife. The au pair said Brendan shot at the “intruder.”

Investigators believe that the husband and nanny were lovers involved in a “sexual relationship” and devised a sordid scheme to take out the wife.

The husband and the live-in au pair are accused of shooting Ryan, who had been "summoned to the couple’s million-dollar Herndon home through a sexual fetish online site," the New York Post reported.

Prosecutors said Ryan was lured to the Banfield home by a profile on FetLife — which described itself as the "world's largest and most popular social network for the BDSM community, kink community, and fetish community."

According to the Washington Post, Ryan went to the home for a planned rendezvous with a woman identified in a dating app as “Annastasia9.” The outlet noted that there is no evidence to suggest that Christine created the profile or knew about it. Authorities have not revealed who created the profile.

Davis stated, "We know Brendan Banfield and Juliana Magalhaes, the family au pair, were involved in a romantic relationship at the time of the murders."

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Kelsey Gill has said that Magalhaes and Brendan began a romantic affair “several months” before the murders, based on photos of them that investigators found on the nanny’s cellphone.

Magalhaes and Banfield went to a shooting range weeks before the murders, prosecutors said. Banfield bought a Glock from the range on Jan. 28, 2023, according to WTOP.

Brendan and Magalhaes reportedly continued their relationship following the deaths of Ryan and Banfield's wife.

Magalhaes was arrested in October 2023 for Ryan's murder.

At the time of her arrest, the au pair allegedly had moved into the main bedroom of the Banfield home. Authorities said there was a framed picture of her and Brendan Banfield set on the nightstand, and her clothes were hung in the closet Christine Banfield once used.

Magalhaes was charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. She was being detained at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

“Early last year, a double murder devastated two families and shocked our entire community,” Commonwealth Attorney Descano declared during a press conference. “I will ensure that my office puts forward the strongest case possible at trial, and that we continue to seek justice for the victims and their families.”

The Banfields have a 4-year-old daughter.

Brendan Banfield is expected to be arraigned later this week.

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