Guilty verdict in machete attack

WOOD COUNTY – A Wood County jury found a Quitman man guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the beating of a woman in 2023; he started his 65-year sentence on Wednesday. Bryan Ransom, 56, and three other people drove to a woman’s home on April 6, 2023, carrying a knife, machete, pepper spray, and a pole with a sprocket attached. According to the Wood County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and our news partner KETK, they severely injured the woman by beating her. Ransom stepped on the victim’s left arm to prevent her from defending herself while she was on the ground. The victim’s forehead needed to be stitched and stapled as a result. The jury reached its decision on Wednesday after less than an hour of deliberation, according to the county.