On July 9, Ronald Brandyburg was sentenced to life in prison by 506th Judicial

District Court Judge Gary W. Chaney after the judge heard evidence and arguments of Assistant Criminal District Attorney John Brennan and Criminal Division Chief Richard Magness, as well as Brandyburg’s attorneys.


Brandyburg had previously been convicted by a Waller County jury on April 18, 2026. After

four days of evidence, the jury returned with a guilty verdict following 24 minutes of deliberation.

Brandyburg was convicted of the 2020 murder of January 14, 2020, murder of Brookshire

resident Clifford Richard.


Brandyburg was convicted of killing Richard using a box cutter to cut Richard's neck. The

jury heard from three eyewitnesses to the murder, a paramedic who treated and transported

Richard, a medical examiner from Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, a former

Brookshire Police Department officer, Texas Ranger Jeffrey Wolf and Dr. Michael Arambula.


Defense sought to offer mental health evidence which was ultimately deemed irrelevant to the

murder as it did not affect the defendant's ability to know right from wrong, the distrct attorney’s office said. During closing arguments at the jury trial, then Assistant Criminal District Attorney Darian

Etienne stated that the Defendant's flat affect while he killed Richard was not a sign Brandyburg

wasn't aware of what he was doing as defense argued, but rather an indication of his dangerousness. Brandyburg, after cutting Richard the first time, allegedly came back and said, "You ain't dead yet?"


Brandyburg then cut Richard's neck a second time. Richard died enroute to the ER.

At the jury trial The State of Texas was represented by then Assistant Criminal District

Attorneys Darian Etienne and Bennett Dodson, both of whom have since become judges. This

was ACDA Brennan’s first case since joining the Waller County Criminal District Attorney’s

Office.


The Criminal District Attorney’s Office would like to thank Harris County Institute of

Forensic Sciences, Brookshire Police Department, Waller County EMS, Waller County Sheriff’s

Office and the Texas Rangers for their dedication to this investigation and these victims, officials said in a statement.


“The road to justice is sometimes long, but my office will continue to fight for victims of senseless violence,” Waller County Criminal District Attorney Sean Whittmore said. “Waller

County Criminal District Attorney's Office is here to seek justice, and we will seek it no matter

how long it takes. There is no mitigating what Ronald Brandyburg did, [and] there is nothing that can bring Clifford Richard back. Life in Prison was the only acceptable sentence.”