In the winter of 2017, the community of Burley, Idaho, was shaken by the violent death of one of its own. On the afternoon of December 13th, 58-year-old Christopher A. Fassett, a local business owner, was found deceased at his transmission shop on West Main Street. A customer, arriving to pick up their vehicle, made the grim discovery, finding Fassett under a car. Another man from across the street was alerted and upon entering the garage, he initially smelled propane, thinking the man might have succumbed to the fumes from a heater. However, a closer look revealed a much more sinister scene: Fassett was lying in a pool of blood.
Cassia County Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene around 5 p.m. and determined that the male victim had been shot twice, once in the stomach and once in the face. The investigation into the apparent homicide quickly pointed to a suspect. Investigators learned that a young man had been at the shop earlier. In a strange turn of events, this individual, 21-year-old Luis Gabriel Ponce of Burley, returned to the scene and spoke with detectives. Authorities believe he may have come back in an attempt to mislead them and cover his tracks. However, during his interview at the sheriff's office, he ultimately turned himself in and was arrested the following day before noon.
The motive for this tragic act became clearer during legal proceedings. A police detective testified that Ponce believed Fassett had between $6,000 and $7,000 at his shop and had gone there with the intention of robbing him. In a moment of compassion, Fassett had reportedly offered Ponce a job when he asked for money. Ponce's response was that he couldn't wait, and he then shot Fassett. Despite the violent act, it appeared nothing was stolen from the premises. In October 2018, Luis Gabriel Ponce pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. In exchange for his plea, charges of robbery and burglary were dismissed. Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of 28 years to life in prison for the senseless killing.
