Court appearance delayed for Idaho Falls double shooting suspect

IDAHO FALLS (KIFI) - The preliminary hearing for Lance Broncho, charged with first-degree murder following a robbery-turned-double-shooting, has been delayed.

Bonneville County prosecuting attorney Randy Neal was expected to call witnesses in court Friday to establish probable cause. Now that won’t happen until April 23rd.

Neal told Local News 8 the defense requested more time to prepare. He added that delays like this in a case like this are pretty typical.

“There isn’t a person that we arrest that hasn’t been arrested before,” Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson asserted.

In April 2021, Broncho, 23, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for stabbing and carjacking a man in Fort Hall. He was released early. In November, he was arrested in Idaho Falls after allegedly beating a man with a baseball bat.

That affidavit alleges Broncho broke into Eric Leask’s house, located at the intersection of 4th St. and Lee Ave., just before 9 p.m. on March 9th. He was wearing a mask and using a sledgehammer. He then took out a handgun and shouted, “Give me everything!”

"It was a case of mistaken identity,” Johnson said. “The suspect, we believe, was targeting a specific house, believing that they could steal something from that specific house. They just got the wrong house.”

Broncho’s aunt, Brandi Johnson (of no relation to the police chief), relayed his version of events to Local News 8.

“They didn’t realize where they were, but they didn’t stop, either,” she said. “And because [Leask] shot one shot next to him, they popped off. They’re young cats, dude. They were beyond wasted.”

“They were pretty messed up,” she added. “And the people told them to stop and they didn’t. Shots got fired both ways.”

Leask and his fiancee’s adult son, Ormead Smith, allegedly fought with Broncho until he opened fire “several times,” the affidavit reads. Smith was shot in the hand and leg, while Leask was hit in the upper chest.

Broncho was also shot in the hand at some point during the struggle. Leask later died at the hospital.

An officer responding to the shooting told Local News 8 they arrived on-scene around 9:15 p.m. However, police did not find Broncho there. He had allegedly fled one mile away to the Teton Mesa Apartments on Lomax St. Police tracked him down around 11 p.m.

"And our officers engaged with Mr. Broncho there,” said Idaho Falls Police spokesperson Jessica Clements.

Local News 8 asked Clements to explain what “engaged with him” meant.

“We were able to contact him by phone and indicated that he needed to come out and meet with officers,” she explained, “and he ultimately refused to do so.”

Johnson believes Broncho barricaded himself inside a top-floor apartment because he had outstanding warrants.

“He was staying somewhere over there or whatever,” she said. “He’s on the run, so he’s not staying anywhere.”

"From there, the Idaho Falls Police Department activated our SWAT team,” Clements said.

SWAT spent two hours surrounding the apartment and observing it with two drones. They released tear gas into the apartment around 1 a.m.

“And he ultimately surrendered and came out and was taken into custody by police officers,” Clements added.

The affidavit says a bloody pistol missing a magazine, matching a magazine found at the crime scene, was found in the apartment where Broncho barricaded himself. A pistol belonging to Smith was also found in the apartment.

An SUV belonging to Broncho’s friend was parked at the apartment complex, the affidavit adds. Police found Smith’s wallet and the case to Smith’s pistol inside.

Police believe Broncho did not know the victim. However, while in jail, his mom told him his sister worked with Leask.

“Then you know what?” Broncho later said on a supervised video call from jail. “Guess who I killed? A family friend of mine. They’re my family friend, they’re my sister’s friend. It just gets weirder and weirder.”

Neal has charged Broncho with five felonies:

      First-degree murder

      Aggravated battery

      Robbery

      Burglary

      Unlawful possession of a firearm

“If you intend to commit certain crimes and it results in death, then that alone, without premeditation, will qualify it for a first-degree murder,” Neal explained.

“So in Idaho, if it's an aggravated battery on a child, if it's a robbery, it's a burglary, it's a kidnapping, those are the kinds of cases,” he continued. “If you're intending to commit that act, and a death results, that can put it into first-degree murder."

The big question, of course, is if Neal will pursue the death penalty for Broncho.

“Obviously, this early, as facts are still being developed, we’re not looking at that decision,” he said. “It’s in the back of our minds, but we’re not looking at that decision yet.”

Local News 8 asked if the decision to pursue the death penalty weighs heavily on Neal.

“Well, what weighs heavier on me is that we have victims here that there should be justice for,” he said.