Aurora Man Sentenced To 72 Years In Prison For Beating Grandfather To Death Over Dinner

Arapahoe District Judge Phillip Douglass sentenced a man, Jason Vanbommel, 34, in Aurora, Colorado to 72 years in prison for the fatal beating of his 84-year-old grandfather, according to the Denver Post. On December 29, 2015, Jason’s grandmother was preparing dinner at her home when he suddenly flew into a rage.

Jason began arguing with his grandmother about the way she was preparing the shrimp that she had planned to serve for dinner. It was not immediately made clear why Jason was unhappy with the shrimp, but his grandfather, Frans Vanbommel, interjected when he began throwing items across the room and yelling profanities. Frans told his grandson that he needed to respect his grandmother.

When Jason’s behavior became uncontrollable, Frans grabbed his phone to call 911 but he was interrupted with a full-strength blow to the head. After several punches, Frans fell to the floor—that’s when Phillips began kicking his grandfather in the torso, fracturing his ribs, before fleeing the scene.

Jason’s grandmother immediately called 911. When emergency medical services arrived at the scene, Frans was transported to an area hospital where he died from his injuries on January 6, 2015, days after the brutal beating.

Aurora man who beat his grandfather to death over what to have for dinner sentenced to 72 years in prison. https://t.co/rgabvTguYC pic.twitter.com/7PTnuWMlFu

— DA Office of 18th (@DA18th) June 16, 2017

Following Fran’s untimely death, Jason was arrested on a slew of charges, including first-degree assault on an at-risk adult. A jury found Jason guilty of the charges on April 13 after he was determined to be a habitual offender, which rendered him eligible for further penalties.

District Attorney George H. Brauchler called the case “egregious.” He went on to say that it is unfortunate that senior citizens often fall victim to people that are the closest to them. It was reported that Jason did not show any emotion during his trial. It was only after learning his sentence that Jason began to show spite, according to the judge.

Douglass stated that Jason will be going where he belongs, prison. He told him that the crime was senseless. The only thing his grandfather wanted him to do was to respect his grandmother, and Jason ended up killing him as a result.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Sugioka told the court that the Vonbommel family was an American story. After overcoming adversity, the family was able to make a home for themselves in this country.

[Featured Image by Ozgurdonmaz/iStock]