The man who stole an 18-wheeler and deliberately drove it through the front doors of the Texas Department of Public Safety office in Brenham, killing two people in 2024, has pleaded guilty to capital murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Clenard Parker, 45, entered the plea Thursday, more than two and a half years after the attack upended a small Washington County office and left a community in mourning.
Parker stole a semi-truck from a parking lot in Chappell Hill, located about 12 miles from Brenham, and led Washington County sheriff's deputies on a chase before intentionally crashing the truck into the front entrance of the Brenham DPS building, according to Fox 26 Houston. Washington County, the county seat of which is Brenham, sits roughly 75 miles northwest of Houston. The attack happened on April 12, 2024, as detailed by Law&Crime.
Bobby Huff, 78, was pronounced dead from his injuries at the scene of the crash, and days later, 63-year-old Cheryl Turner passed away from the injuries she sustained in the crash, Fox 26 Houston reported. Turner was the daughter-in-law of another victim who had to have their leg amputated after being struck, and a customer and a staff member also suffered serious injuries, the station's report states.
Conflicting Injury Counts From the Day of the Crash
Reports from the day of the attack differ on exactly how many people were hurt. KUT reported that DPS said 14 people were injured, including one who had died, in a statement issued the same day: “DPS can confirm that 14 people were injured in today's tragic incident at the Brenham DPS Office. One is now deceased.” A later account from KTRE put the toll at two dead and 12 injured. The discrepancy between the two counts has not been resolved in subsequent reporting.
The attack came just a day after Parker was denied renewal of his commercial driver's license, with officials reporting that he made threatening remarks to staff, according to South Texas News. Investigators later determined that Parker had returned to the office to retaliate against a specific DPS employee whom he blamed for the denial, according to Washington County District Attorney Derek Estep as cited by Law&Crime. The Texas Ranger Division was tasked with leading the investigation into the crash, per the same account.
Years-Long Competency Fight Preceded the Plea
Years-Long Competency Fight Preceded the Plea The case did not move quickly toward resolution. In an April 2026 report, about seven months before the article was published, Estep said Parker had been deemed incompetent to stand trial, KTRE reported at the time. Parker spent significant time in a state hospital under a doctor's care after his arrest, according to Law&Crime's reporting. More recently, doctors gave their opinion that he had been restored to competency, according to KWHI, clearing the way for Thursday's plea. Parker's attorneys reportedly told the court that multiple physicians had declared him competent to proceed and assured the judge he understood the proceedings and consequences of entering a guilty plea.
The plea agreement, as outlined by Fox 26 Houston, includes life without parole for the murders of Huff and Turner, a life sentence for the elderly victim who survived after being struck, 20 years each for two other victims, five years for damage to the building, and two years for stealing the truck. Parker also waived his right to appeal any of the cases, the station reported. Officials have separately discussed tearing down the DPS building where the crash occurred, according to the same report.
Estep said no sentence can make the families whole, but he hoped the plea would provide some peace in the finality of a life sentence, according to Law&Crime's account of the proceedings. Huff was remembered as a loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend who enjoyed spending time with family and friends and attending reunions, holidays and birthdays, according to his obituary cited by Law&Crime. Turner, according to her own obituary, enjoyed crafting, cooking and spending time with family, especially her grandchildren.
