Man sent to prison for attempted murder of great-grandmother
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IDAHO FALLS — A judge sent an Idaho Falls man to prison on Thursday after he tried to kill his great-grandmother.
David A. Pompa, 20, will spend 10 to 30 years in prison as ordered by District Judge Joel E. Tingey. Pompa pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and robbery after stabbing his great-grandmother in March 2020 at her Idaho Falls home. Pompa was facing up to life in prison until signing the plea agreement, which guaranteed 10 to 30 years behind bars.
The registered sex offender went into the home of his great-grandmother, grabbed her by the forehead and stabbed her in the neck, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Pompa then left her home on the 2000 block of Twin Pines Lane and took off to Oregon in her pickup truck.
“My last years are lived in fear,” the victim said in a statement read in court. “I cannot sleep at night because of flashbacks of that horrible attack. I believe David will always be a threat to his family.”
At the sentencing hearing, defense attorney John Thomas described Pompa’s childhood as dysfunctional. Pompa’s parents lost custody of him and he went to live with his great-grandmother at a young age. Eventually, his great-grandmother lost custody of Pompa after allegations of physical abuse.
“This is a very complex situation between Mr. Pompa and his caregivers,” Thomas said. “But at the end of the day, we know that Mr. Pompa eventually, hopefully, will be reintegrated into society and move on.”
Bonneville County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Alayne H. Bean said she is aware of Pompa’s mental health history. However, she said there must be a punishment because no one can undo what he did to his great-grandmother.
“This is someone who has made it know through his actions that the court needs to protect society from,” Bean said.
Before Tingey handed down the sentence, Pompa said he feels remorseful for what he did and wishes he could take back what he did. Pompa explained he was not in the “right state of mind” but still feels people make their own choices.
“My grandmother only wanted the best for me,” Pompa said. “She supported me through a lot of my life, a lot of my childhood when my parents have failed to do so, and I, at the end of the day, let her down.”
At the time of the stabbing, Pompa had been at his grandmother’s home after he offered to help him. Pompa had asked to come to her home to arrange a visit with his father, who had just been released from prison in Oregon. While there, the grandmother told Pompa to take a shower and clean up while she watched television. Without warning, Pompa then attacked her.
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Court documents indicate 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.
Pompa made more phone calls and told one person he would stack furniture in front of the door so nobody would find the woman’s body for months, according to court documents.
Pompa had used methamphetamine and alcohol at the time of the attempted murder, Thomas said.
Once Pompa left, the great-grandmother mustered enough strength to get to a neighbor’s house and call 911. The great-grandmother told investigators that Pompa likely attempted to kill her since she hadn’t been sympathetic to his girlfriend the week before.
Authorities arrested Pompa in Oregon and he’s been in the Bonneville County Jail. He will now go to an Idaho Department of Correction Prison to serve his sentence.