MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Vance Boelter, a 58-year-old man from Green Isle, Minnesota, is expected to plead not guilty when he is arraigned in federal court on Thursday, as confirmed by his attorney. Boelter has been charged with multiple serious offenses, including the killing of Melissa Hortman, the highest-ranking Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, as well as the wounding of state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Boelter was indicted on July 15 on six counts, including murder, stalking, and firearms violations. The murder charges he faces may carry the potential for the federal death penalty, although prosecutors have indicated that a decision regarding that option may take several months.
During the announcement of the indictment, prosecutors unveiled a handwritten letter allegedly authored by Boelter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel. In this letter, he confesses to the shootings that occurred on June 14 but fails to clarify the reasons behind targeting the Hortman couple and the Hoffmans, who survived the attack. Boelter's federal public defender, Manny Atwal, noted that the severity of the charges was anticipated but has refrained from discussing defense strategies or the case's specifics.
The upcoming hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster will also function as a case management conference. Judge Foster is expected to establish a revised schedule, including potential deadlines and a trial date. Prosecutors have requested that the case be classified as "complex," stating that the standard requirements for a speedy trial should be waived due to the extensive nature of evidence to be reviewed by both sides. They described the investigation as stemming from the largest manhunt in Minnesota's history, involving a considerable amount of evidence gathered from various law enforcement agencies at local, state, and federal levels.
The evidence in the case is anticipated to be substantial, comprising potentially thousands of hours of video footage, tens of thousands of pages related to grand jury subpoenas, and data from multiple electronic devices that were seized during the inquiry. The motives behind Boelter's actions remain unclear; however, friends have characterized him as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views who has faced difficulties in securing employment. Reports indicate that he compiled extensive lists of politicians, predominantly Democrats, from Minnesota and beyond.
In a series of obscure notes sent to The New York Times via an electronic messaging system from jail, Boelter implied that his actions were partially inspired by the Christian mandate to love one's neighbor. He stated, "Because I love my neighbors prior to June 14th, I conducted a 2-year-long undercover investigation." In earlier messages published by the New York Post, he claimed that the shootings were unrelated to his opposition to abortion or his support for former President Donald Trump but declined to elaborate further on his motivations.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, Joe Thompson, acknowledged the lack of clear evidence regarding Boelter's shift toward political violence and extremism, emphasizing that prosecutors consider the killing of Melissa Hortman to be a "political assassination." Prosecutors allege that Boelter disguised himself as a police officer and drove a fake squad car to the Hoffmans' residence in Champlin, Minnesota, where he shot the senator nine times and his wife eight times. Following this attack, he proceeded to the Hortman home in Brooklyn Park, where he fatally shot both Melissa and Mark Hortman. Their dog, gravely injured in the incident, had to be euthanized. Boelter subsequently surrendered to authorities the following night.
