Jonathan Harms: Boise Kill List Case Verdict and Sentencing

Jonathan Daniel Harms, a 43-year-old Boise resident, was found guilty in April 2026 on 62 criminal counts for his role in the Boise kill list case, in which he and his wife Jolene Lynn Harms mass-distributed a 277-page manifesto that prosecutors said named roughly 20 people it wanted killed. An Ada County jury convicted him of stalking in the first degree, witness intimidation, and criminal threats. He faces more than 200 years in prison.¹

What Was in the Manifesto

On July 10, 2025, the Harmses emailed the 277-page document to thousands of recipients and posted it across multiple social media platforms. Prosecutors described it as a manifesto that explicitly and graphically called for the killing of specific people, punctuated by the command: “Go. Hunt. Kill.”¹ It contained the names, addresses, and personal information of about 20 people, including members of Table Rock Church, law enforcement officers, judges, bankers, and private citizens, along with information about their families.²

Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Robert Bleazard said the couple’s actions were fueled by “deep religious conviction.” Jonathan Harms referred to himself as the “crown prince of heaven,” and the couple claimed to be witnesses described in the Book of Revelation.² Many of those named were members of Table Rock Church, a Boise congregation that had excommunicated the Harmses.

How the Case Began

The Boise Police Department opened an investigation into Jonathan Harms in May 2025 after reports of escalating behavior toward Table Rock Church members. That investigation led to Harms being placed on a mental health hold.³ A current and a former church leader had already obtained civil protection orders against the couple. Harms emailed the manifesto directly to the protected parties anyway on July 10, writing that they would “confirm that this is a kill list.”

Two days later, Boise Police served search and arrest warrants at the couple’s home on East Highland Valley Drive. Officers recovered firearms and a “substantial amount” of ammunition.³ Jonathan Harms was initially charged with two felony counts of stalking in the first degree.⁴

Continued Distribution and Expanded Charges

Although all 20 named victims had secured civil protection orders, the Harmses kept going. They sent certified mailings to victims in August and September 2025 and repeatedly reposted the manifesto on social media.¹ While Jonathan Harms was incarcerated, officers monitored conversations in which he and Jolene continued to discuss the manifesto.²

By late September 2025, prosecutors had filed a new case with more than 100 criminal charges against each defendant. The charges against each included 20 counts of stalking in the first degree, 20 counts of witness intimidation in a criminal case, and 20 misdemeanor counts of witness intimidation in a civil case.³ A judge set bail at $15 million for each defendant and issued no-contact orders protecting the 20 victims.

The Trial and Verdict

The joint trial ran more than two weeks at the Ada County Courthouse before Judge Cynthia Yee-Wallace and concluded on April 23, 2026. Both defendants represented themselves.²

Prosecutors introduced the manifesto itself, records of its mass distribution, the certified mailings sent in violation of protection orders, and recorded jail conversations between the couple about the manifesto. All 20 protected victims testified. They described being afraid to stay in their homes, keeping their children indoors, and warning friends and family away from their houses.¹

The jury found Jonathan Harms guilty on 62 counts and Jolene Harms guilty on 60. Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said after the verdict: “This case involved repeated, deliberate, malicious threats by the defendants that had more than 20 victims fearing for their lives. The jury’s verdict reflects the seriousness of that conduct and the impact it had on the victims involved.”¹

Sentencing and Prison Exposure

Judge Yee-Wallace revoked the defendants’ bail after the verdict and ordered psychological evaluations for both. Jonathan Harms remains in the Ada County Jail. Under Idaho law, first-degree stalking is a felony carrying one to five years in prison per count, and his cumulative potential sentence exceeds 200 years.⁵ Sentencing is set for July 20, 2026.²

1
Ada County Prosecutor’s Office. Boise Couple Found Guilty in Mass Distribution of Kill List Manifesto
2
Idaho Statesman. Boise Couple Found Guilty After Distributing Kill List
3
Idaho Statesman. Boise Couple Faces More Than 100 Criminal Charges Over Kill List
4
City of Boise. Boise Police Arrest Suspect on Felony Stalking Charges
5
Idaho News. Boise Couple Faces 200 Years in Prison After Distributing Kill List