Man Who Threatened to Murder His Son Sentenced to Prison
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho father was sentenced to prison for making several threats to kill his son before ultimately showing up at his doorstep with an AK-47.
Dale Smith, 80, was sentenced Wednesday to four to 15 years in prison for assault with intent to commit a serious felony, changed from attempted murder, the Post Register reported .
Smith's other charges for first-degree stalking, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a bomb or destructive device were dismissed as part of an Alford plea agreement, a plea in which a defendant believes there is enough evidence to convict him if the case goes to trial but doesn't acknowledge his guilt.
Smith denies he intended to kill his son, Bryan, saying he only planned to scare him by shooting at him. He says he was frustrated Bryan prevented him from contacting his wife, Bryan's mother.
Dale Smith was outside his son's house on the night of Nov. 16, 2017, in violation of a no-contact order, according to police reports. His son called police, who found several guns and 15 pineapple grenades in Dale Smith's car, the reports say.
Police also found a letter in the car addressed to Dale Smith's wife apologizing for killing their son.
The plan to murder Bryan Smith stemmed from a family conflict that began in November 2016 when his mother, Alice Smith, was receiving medical treatment in Boise. Dale Smith wanted to remove her from treatment, but Bryan prevented him. Dale Smith physically attacked his son and was removed from the hospital by security staff.