Judge finds man not guilty by reason of insanity in Fort Worth log bludgeoning
A nude man who beat to death a stranger in Fort Worth was legally insane at the time he bludgeoned the grandfather with a piece of firewood and was on Tuesday acquitted of murder under an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant’s lawyers.
Judge Vincent Giardino found Chrisantus Omondi not guilty by reason of insanity in the January 2024 killing of Scott Jackson, whom Omondi pummeled with a log.
Antoinette McGarrahan, a clinical psychologist, appears to have concluded that severe mental disease or defect caused Omondi not to comprehend that his conduct was wrong. McGarrahan’s February 2026 insanity evaluation report was filed under seal.
The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and the defense agreed to the insanity-supported accquital. Judge Giardino ordered Omondi, who is 29, transferred from jail to the state hospital system.
Before moving to the murder indictment during a hearing on Tuesday, Judge Giardino, who presides in the 396th District Court, accepted Omondi’s guilty plea in a separate misdemeanor terroristic threat case. As Giardino discussed that plea with Omondi, the defendant addressed the jurist as a member of royalty.
“Yes, your Highness,” Omondi responded to the judge’s questions.
Jackson, who was 51, was killed in the front yard of a house in the 3900 block of Wendover Drive, in southwest Fort Worth, as he delivered firewood.
Jackson arrived in a U-Haul filled with wood and began to unload the vehicle when he and the homeowner were approached by Omondi, who was naked, police have said.
Omondi was holding a key and said, “This is my house, I have the key right here,” according to an arrest warrant affidavit written by Fort Worth Police Department Homicide Unit Detective Joey McAnally.
Jackson and the homeowner told Omondi to leave. Omondi picked up a piece of wood and struck Jackson in the head.
Omondi also hit the homeowner, who tried to block the strike with his arm, according to the affidavit.
The homeowner locked himself inside his house, called 911 and watched Omondi continue to hit Jackson and dump a wheelbarrow on him, according to the affidavit. The homeowner said he saw Omondi leave and go toward a neighbor’s yard.
Omondi came out of a house, an Airbnb where he had been a guest, and officers stunned him with a Taser.
A judge will review state hospital assessments of Omondi’s psychological status. He would be discharged from commitment, treatment and supervision if a judge ever finds that Omondi establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that he does not have a severe mental illness or is not likely to cause serious harm to another because of any severe mental illness.
Kacey DeLeon, Jackson’s daughter, cried during an off-the-court-record address to Omondi in the courtroom after the hearing.
DeLeon said that God would eventually deliver justice and that she felt like Omondi was getting a second chance.
“Just don’t take anybody else’s loved one,” DeLeon said.
Assistant District Attorney Bill Vassar represents the state in the case. Colin McLaughlin and Hilary Wright were retained to represent Omondi.
