An Idaho couple are facing multiple charges after they reportedly published a manifesto instructing readers of it to kill judges, police officers, bankers, private citizens, and their families.
Jonathan and Jolene Harms, 43 and 39, face more than 100 counts for listing the names of dozens of people on a “kill list” posted to social media and sent to several of the victims, the Idaho Statesman reported.
In court on Friday, Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Robert Bleazard said the manifesto ordered people to “Go. Hunt. Kill.” and directed perpetrators to burn the bodies.
“The defendants have expressed deep religious conviction, which fuels much of their action,” he said.
Several of the victims are members of the Table Rock Church, a member of the Southern Baptist Convention that says it “identif(ies) as a reformed baptist church,” which had previously excommunicated the couple.
Bleazard said in court that the couple claims to be witnesses in the Book of Revelations and that Jonathan Harms calls himself “the crown prince of heaven.”
A probable cause statement said that Jonathan Harms’ “escalating behavior” toward members of the church began in May. He was briefly placed on a mental health hold, the statement said.
Bleazard said that a current and former church leader obtained protection orders against the couple after their excommunication. Although they were barred from contacting those two people, Jonathan Harms sent them a copy of the 277-page manifesto on July 10.
“It stated you will confirm that this is a kill list,” Bleazard said.
On July 12, Harms was arrested on two stalking charges. Police found a “substantial amount” of ammunition in the Harms’s home, he said.
Then, Jolene Harms was arrested on harassment charges after she sent two messages ot a police officer’s wife telling her that if her husband didn’t talk with Jonathan Harms, their “whole family was going to die.”
“Seriously, I’m going to kill your children,” she texted, according to court records.
She pleaded guilty last month on the those charges and was sentenced to unsupervised probation for year.
Jonathan Harms has pleaded not guilty and remains behind bars awaiting a jury trial that is set for January.
But new charges were filed last week against both defendants — 60 counts each including stalking in the first degree and intimidating or influencing the attendance of a witness, all between July 13 andSept. 25, KTVB reported.
Prosecutors say that while Jonathan Harms was behind bars, the couple continued to discuss the manifesto.
Several more of the victims have since obtained protection orders.
The couple was ordered held on bails of $15 million each, with a next court date set for October 6.
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[Feature image: Jolene and Jonathan Harms/Ada County Sheriff’s Office]
