IDAHO — The Idaho House of Representatives expressed its outrage with the City of Boise after a 25-year-old man was murdered on the Boise Greenbelt.
In a press release sent one week after the murder, Speaker Mike Moyle & House Judiciary and Rules Committee Chairman Bruce Skaug articulated their frustration with the city and how this tragedy could have been avoided.
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House leaders cite S1141a, a law that requires Idaho cities to enforce a ban on public camping and sleeping.
“The law was written to protect citizens from mentally unstable people who camp in public places. If the City of Boise had followed the law, that young man would likely be alive. My heart goes out to the victim's family," said Skaug, who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Codi Galloway.
The press release says the murder suspect, 41-year-old Ross Wardlaw, "was also reported to be unlawfully camping regularly in the area where the attack occurred."
Leaders say that S1141a is clear, and that they are looking to understand why the ban is not being enforced on the Greenbelt and surrounding parks.
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Skaug says Harbst's family should consider hiring a wrongful death attorney to take action against the city.
Both Moyle and Skaug have requested that potential legal options against the City of Boise be reviewed.
