Idaho Falls man admits to attempted murder of great-grandmother
Published at
IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls man who allegedly stabbed his great-grandmother and hoped nobody would find her body pleaded guilty on Monday.
David Anthony Pompa, 20, pleaded guilty to felony attempted first-degree murder and felony robbery, according to the signed plea agreement obtained by EastIdahoNews.com. In exchange for the plea, Pompa will be sentenced to spend 10 to 30 years in prison.
“I attempted to murder my grandmother,” Pompa said during his change of plea hearing. “I took my grandmother’s truck when I took off from the crime scene.”
Pompa was facing up to life in prison on the robbery charge and up to 15 years on the attempted murder charge.
The plea agreement is binding, meaning if District Judge Joel E. Tingy does not agree to follow the sentencing recommendation, Pompa can withdrawal his guilty plea and take the case before a jury.
Pompa, a registered sex offender, is accused of grabbing his great-grandmother by the forehead and stabbing her in the neck on March 9, according to court documents. Pompa then left her home on the 2000 block of Twin Pines Lane and took off to Oregon in her pickup.
On the evening of the attack, Pompa called his great-grandmother and wanted to arrange a visit with his father who had recently been released from jail in Oregon. Once at the home, his grandmother told Pompa to take a shower and clean up while she watched television.
Without any warning, Pompa allegedly attacked his great-grandma. As she got up and told Pompa to leave, he reportedly said he wouldn’t until she had died.
Court documents indicate that Pompa then called a friend to say if his great-grandmother did not die soon, he would have to keep stabbing her. That is when she played dead, going limp on the floor.
RELATED | Man accused of stabbing woman arrested in Oregon for attempted homicide
Pompa made more calls and told one person he would stack furniture in front of the door so nobody would find his grandmother’s body for a couple of months, according to court documents.
The great-grandmother told investigators that Pompa likely attempted to kill her since she hadn’t been sympathetic to his girlfriend the week before.
Once Pompa left, the great-grandmother mustered enough strength to get to a neighbor’s house and call 911.
Authorities arrested Pompa in Oregon.
Sentencing for Pompa is scheduled for Dec. 3 at the Bonneville County Courthouse.