On a tragic Saturday night in Idaho Falls, Idaho, the life of 51-year-old Eric Charles Leask, a White male, was cut short in a violent home invasion. On March 9, 2024, a man broke into the residence on the 100 block of 4th Street, leading to a fatal confrontation. A 911 call was made around 9 p.m. reporting a burglary in progress and that two people had been shot. When Idaho Falls Police officers arrived, they found Leask and another man, Ormead Smith, 22, with gunshot wounds.
Both men were rushed to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where Leask was pronounced deceased.
The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Lance Broncho, fled the scene. Investigators tracked him to the Teton Mesa Apartments on Lomax Street. Broncho barricaded himself inside an apartment, resulting in a standoff with the IFPD SWAT Team. After he refused to surrender, authorities deployed CS gas into the residence. Shortly after 1 a.m., Broncho, who had sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his hand during the initial incident, surrendered and was taken into custody.
The investigation revealed that Broncho had broken into the home, which was occupied by Leask, his partner of 22 years, and her son. Awakened by the forced entry, Leask and the son confronted Broncho. During the struggle, Broncho opened fire, striking Leask in the shoulder and chest area and shooting the son in the leg and hand. He then stole a firearm from the residence before fleeing. It was later reported that Broncho might have targeted the wrong house in a search for drugs.
Lance Broncho was charged with a slate of felonies, including first-degree murder, aggravated battery, robbery, burglary, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He had a prior criminal history, including a federal conviction for assault. In August, Broncho entered into a plea agreement, pleading guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated battery. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the remaining charges and took the death penalty off the table. On October 7, 2024, a judge sentenced Broncho to 35 years to life in prison for the murder of Eric Leask. He received a concurrent sentence of 10 to 15 years for the aggravated battery of the second victim.
