What We Know About the Odessa Man Who Admitted to Murdering His Own Mother

The City of Odessa recently witnessed a shocking act of matricide. Officers arrived at the scene of the crime where a son admitted to shooting his mother in the head during a heated argument. The murderer was previously arrested over 24 times throughout the past 28 years.

Here is all we know about the harrowing crime so far.

Matricide in Odessa

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.

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.

Ector County Sheriff's Office

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. Witness accounts revealed that as the argument continued to heat up, Johnson eventually took out his firearm and intentionally shot his mother in the head.

He Admitted to Killing His Mother

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's Criminal History

Luke 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.