“It was very preventable”: Boise greenbelt murder suspect was acquitted of separate knife assault just months prior

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — As Ross Allen Wardlaw of Boise faces first-degree murder charges for the deadly July 6 stabbing of Jordan Harbst on the Boise Greenbelt, a voice from his past is speaking out. Hannah French, who says she survived a violent encounter with Wardlaw less than a year ago, says the recent tragedy could have been prevented.

A History of Violence

French, a Fremont County native, claims Wardlaw attempted to stab her less than a year ago while she was working at the Interfaith Sanctuary in Boise.

According to court documents, Wardlaw was charged with aggravated battery and aggravated assault in June 2025. Those charges stemmed from allegations that Wardlaw broke a man's nose at the shelter. French says she was speaking to the gentleman who had been punched in the face when Wardlaw chased her with a knife. 

In addition to the assault and battery charges, prosecutors argued Wardlaw was a persistent violator, as evidenced in the litany of his criminal charges in his court records

However, a jury found Wardlaw not guilty in that case this past May. He was released from custody less than two months before the fatal attack on the Greenbelt.

"Housing Status is Not a Reason People Commit Murder"

French expressed profound grief over Harbst's death, emphasizing that the tragedy highlights a breakdown in how the justice and healthcare systems handle severe mental illness.

“My heart was broken for the individual, the victim," French said. "It's just very unfortunate that in order to possibly get Ross Wardlaw help with his mental health and things like that, an individual had to be murdered."

French also says the problem is not Wardlaw's homelessness but rather an unaddressed mental health crisis. She suggests he should have been remanded to a psychiatric facility rather than released.

"I think it's important, besides the fact that the system failed this 25-year-old victim, to understand that people don't commit crimes because they're unhoused; they commit crimes because there are internal factors at play," French said. "Housing status is not a reason that people commit murder. Being unhoused shouldn't rope you into this stereotype because of one individual."

Community Support Pours in for Harbst's family

In the aftermath of Harbst's death, a verified GoFundMe for Harbst's family has already raised more than $50,000. The fundraiser identifies Jordan as the oldest in his family, survived by his younger sister and two parents.

"The loss has left the Harbst family devastated, and they are now facing the unimaginable challenge of saying goodbye to their beloved son," states the Fundraiser. For more information, click HERE.

His accused killer, Wardlaw, remains in custody and is scheduled to return to an Ada County court next Monday, July 20, for his preliminary hearing.