A shocking act of matricide occurred in Odessa when a son admitted to shooting his mother in the head during a heated argument. On June 12, Odessa Police were dispatched to a residence on the 1700 block of Rawhide Road with reports of a woman suffering from a gunshot wound.

Matricide in Odessa

When officers arrived, they found 51-year-old Luke Randal Johnson outside of the residence and began seeking answers. Johnson was reportedly in possession of a small firearm. He was later detained, and his handgun was recovered from the scene.

When the officers entered the home, they found the victim, 71-year-old Brenda Warne, with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Warne was rushed to Medical Center Hospital but was later pronounced dead. It was discovered that Johnson was Warne’s biological son and that the two had gotten into a verbal argument earlier that day.

Johnson’s Admission

Waiving his Miranda Rights, Johnson admitted to police that he did fire his weapon at his mother during the argument. After what some claim was a tense standoff where several commands were given before he finally gave in, Johnson was taken into custody and transported to the Ector County jail. He was charged with first-degree murder and is currently held on a $2 million bond.

Johnson has a long history of criminal charges, dating all the way back to May 1998 when he was arrested for public intoxication. The most recent arrest, prior to the murder charge, was in January 2025 when he was charged with criminal trespassing, resisting arrest, and making a terroristic threat.

Original reporting: News/Talk 790 KFYO (Lubbock) — read the source article.