Man charged with murder takes back guilty plea; prosecutor files for death penalty
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IDAHO FALLS — A man charged with murder has withdrawn his guilty plea, and the state has refiled for the death penalty following new felony charges.
Lance Broncho, 23, was recently charged with three counts of felony assault or battery upon certain personnel and felony introducing major contraband to a correctional facility.
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Broncho was charged in March with felony first-degree murder of 51-year-old Eric Leask, felony aggravated battery with the use of a deadly weapon, felony robbery, felony burglary, felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two felony enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.
In the murder case, a plea agreement was signed in June, and the prosecution agreed to recommend life in prison and take the death penalty off the table.
Following the new felony charges, Broncho withdrew his guilty plea on July 11, and Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal says the state has refiled with intent to pursue the death penalty against Broncho.
Broncho also waived his right to a speedy trial on July 22.
Jail incident
Court records say on July 6, Broncho was in the day area of his jail dorm while deputies searched his cell.
Deputies reportedly found medications and an “improvised tattoo device.”
Police records say the device was made out of “a dark color tube extended from the bottom of (a jail-issued shampoo bottle) to the cap, and the cap had what looked to be some sort of wire or curved sharp object jutting from the cap.”
Deputies later confirmed that Broncho was legally given the medications by the medical staff.
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After asking Broncho to stand and be escorted out of the dorm, he reportedly “struck (a deputy) in the head with his hands.”
Broncho was then “physically restrained,” according to court documents, before being handcuffed and brought out of the dorm.
After being brought to a separate area, broncho allegedly attempted to “headbutt” two deputies, missed, and was taken down to the floor again, where he allegedly suffered a lip injury that later required stitches.
On July 10, a deputy asked Broncho if they could interview him about the incident, but he declined, saying “he was having a bad day.”
The same deputy spoke with the deputy who had been hit in the head, who reported that no pictures were taken of his injuries, as he only had a small mark on his ear.
On July 11, the deputy learned that a jail deputy had found a letter in Broncho’s cell reading:
“I socked up (three Bonneville County Jail deputies) lol then on my way to special housing i head butted (the deputy) then they jumped my happy ass haha all bad I went into a full blown seizer bc i hit my head so hard my teeth broke & went through my bottom lip but real talk they can be disrespecting me like they do next time ima smoke 1 lol.”
According to police reports, the rest of the letter explained a “conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the jail.”
Broncho was given a bond of $25,000 for this case, but is already being held without a bond in a separate case, where he is accused of murder.
He is expected to appear in court for a status conference for the murder case on Aug. 1, and appear for a preliminary hearing on the assault charges on Aug. 2.
Broncho could face up to 20 years in prison for the assault charges, and is facing life in prison or the death penalty in the murder case.
Murder case background
According to court documents, an Idaho Falls Police detective was called around 9 p.m. on March 9 to investigate a shooting on the 100 block of 4th Street.
A woman who lived at the home said she and Leask woke up to an “unknown suspect breaking in their front door.”
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Broncho reportedly started fighting with the woman’s son, and Leask jumped in to defend him.
The woman said Broncho had a gun and “face tattoos near his eyes.” She told the detective she saw him shoot the gun multiple times.
In an interview with detectives, the son said he was playing video games in his bedroom when he heard a knock at the door and “loud banging.”
Broncho entered the house and saw the son in the living room. The son said Broncho was wearing “a mask and dark clothing,” was armed with a handgun, and yelled, “Give me everything!”
Both Leask and the son tried to “overpower” Broncho, but he was able to shoot the gun “several times,” hitting the son in the leg and hand and Leask in the shoulder/chest area.
According to the son, he gave a “cased 9 mm FN firearm to (Broncho) to get him to leave.” Broncho then ran from the home, but the residents told the detective they believed Broncho was also injured.
Both Leask and the son were transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center by Idaho Falls ambulance.
Leask later died from his injuries. The son was discharged.
At the time of the home invasion, Broncho was on federal supervised release and had an active felony warrant.
Recorded jail calls
In May, EastIdahoNews.com obtained jail phone and video call recordings, where Broncho reportedly talked to multiple people, including his mother, about the alleged murder.
In a video call recording, Broncho told two unidentified friends, “Guess who (?) killed? A family friend of mine,” says Broncho. “They’re my family friend. They’re my sister’s friend. It just get’s weirder and weirder.”
Watch the video call here.
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In a separate phone call recording, Broncho reportedly finds out that Leask died after the alleged break-in.
“Are you aware that you killed an innocent man?” Broncho’s mother asks in the audio call. Listen to the phone call here.