A federal grand jury has indicted the man suspected of killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband Mark.
Vance Luther Boelter, 57, is facing charges of murder, stalking, and firearms offenses for the political assassination of Hortman. Prosecutors already charged Boelter with six federal counts related to the murder but the federal grand jury indictment is needed to proceed to trial.
“This political assassination, the likes of which have never occurred here in the state of Minnesota, has shook our state at a foundational level,” said acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joseph Thompson.
Boelter could face the death penalty for federal murder charges brought against him. In addition, Boelter has been hit with state level charges for murder and attempted murder. Attorney General Pam Bondi will decide whether to pursue the death penalty against Boelter. President Trump signed an executive order on day one of his term restoring the use of capital punishment for “the most heinous crimes” against American citizens.
“The horrific, targeted murders of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, as well as the shooting of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, have shocked the nation and united us in grief,” Bondi said when the federal charges were initially brought.
“These horrific acts of violence will not go unanswered: the Department of Justice will prosecute this suspect to the fullest extent of the law and if convicted deliver severe consequences for his alleged crimes.”
Thompson revealed that Boelter wrote a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel confessing to the crimes and making a series of outlandish claims about conducting missions with the U.S. military. Boelter also claimed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) spoke to him about killing the state’s two Democratic senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. Thompson agreed with a reporter when asked if Boelter’s claims amounted to fantasy.
In June, Boelter impersonated a police officer, disguised himself with a mask and body armor, and went to the home of Minnesota state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette with the intention of murdering them. Boelter repeatedly shot the Hoffmans, severely wounding them, before fleeing and driving to the homes of other elected officials to attempt to kill them. Boelter ended up at the Hortman household and repeatedly shot them, killing both Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband.
Investigators later searched Boelter’s vehicle and found a list with dozens of Minnesota political officials and several firearms. Federal authorities have said Boelter’s actions were pre-planned and deliberately targeted Minnesota political officials.
Boelter possessed fliers of anti-Trump “No Kings” protests and was appointed by Walz to serve on his Workforce Development Board. He is believed to be a Christian conservative and operated a private security company, Praetorian Guard Services.
Over the weekend, Boelter told the New York Post his actions had nothing to do with President Trump or his personal pro-life views, but stopped short of declaring his motive.
“You are fishing and I can’t talk about my case…I’ll say it didn’t involve either the Trump stuff or pro life,” Boelter wrote from a jail cell northwest of Minneapolis.
Authorities arrested Boelter in a rural part of Minnesota two days after the shooting spree, ending a large manhunt involving state and local law enforcement. His gruesome actions were condemned by Democrats and Republicans alike, and became the latest instance of high profile political violence to make national headlines.