Couple’s ‘kill list’ allegedly included Boise church members, judges. A jury has spoken
The Boise couple prosecutors charged with publishing a manifesto commanding others to hunt and kill a list of local residents was found guilty by a jury Thursday.
Jonathan Harms, 43, and Jolene Harms, 39, faced a long list of criminal charges related to stalking, witness intimidation and threats, court records show. The “kill list” included judges, law enforcement officers, bankers, private citizens and their families.
More than two weeks after the trial began, a jury found Jonathan Harms guilty on 62 counts and Jolene Harms guilty on 60. The couple represented themselves at trial.
The Harmses sent an email on July 10 to thousands of recipients that contained a 277-page document they called a “kill list,” which comprised dozens of names, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. Information was also published on social media.
“It contained a direct command of, ‘Go. Hunt. Kill.’ And included names, addresses, and personal information of the victims,” the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office said in a Thursday news release.
Many of those on the list were members of Table Rock Church, which had excommunicated the couple. The Harmses claim to be witnesses in the Book of Revelations, according to Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Robert Bleazard, and Jonathan Harms refers to himself as the crown prince of heaven.
“The defendants have expressed deep religious conviction, which fuels much of their action,” Bleazard previously said.
Victims testify in court
Twenty victims secured civil protection orders that barred the Harmses from contacting them. Jonathan and Jolene Harms ignored those court orders by sending mail to the victims in August and September, and continued to post their list on social media repeatedly, the prosecutor’s office said.
“During testimony, all 20 of the protected victims detailed the psychological and emotional harm this caused them and their families — some saying they were afraid to be home or allow their children to play in the yard, and warning family and friends not to visit,” the prosecution said.
An investigation into Jonathan Harms’ “escalating behavior” toward members of Table Rock Church began in May and led to his being placed on a mental health hold, according to a declaration of probable cause by the Boise Police Department. He was initially arrested on felony counts of stalking in the first degree. Officers found firearms and a “substantial amount” of ammunition in the couple’s home, according to Bleazard.
“The jury’s verdict reflects the seriousness of that conduct and the impact it had on the victims involved,” Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said in a statement after the trial. “Protections for victims exist for a reason, and violations of them will be prosecuted.”
While Jonathan Harms was incarcerated, officers monitored his conversations with his wife as they continued to discuss the manifesto, according to the prosecution.
Jolene Harms was first arrested on suspicion of telephone harassment after she sent two “threatening” text messages to a police officer’s wife during the investigation, according to an affidavit of probable cause. She told the wife that if her husband didn’t talk to Jonathan Harms, their “whole family was going to die” and their children would be “slaughtered,” the affidavit said.
“Seriously, I’m going to kill your children,” she texted, according to court records.
The Harmses remain in the Ada County Jail as they await their sentencing hearing on July 20. They could receive more than 200 years in prison combined.
