Suspect in Hortman Murders Indicted on Six Charges
Federal prosecutors have unsealed a six-count indictment against Vance Boelter, the alleged assassin accused of targeting Minnesota lawmakers.
Boelter faces six federal charges including murder and stalking after the fatal shooting of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, on June 14.
He’s also accused of shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and the attempted shooting of their daughter, Hope.
Prosecutors believe he acted alone and characterized it as “political extremism.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said investigators found a handgun used in the shooting in a pond near the home before triggering the state’s largest ever manhunt.
Investigators also found a hand-written note in Boelter’s abandoned car for the director of the FBI. In it, he admitted to the shootings and claimed he’d secretly served oversees in military operations. He also claimed that Gov. Tim Walz had ordered him to assassinate U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith.
Thompson said it’s not clear if the letter is a delusion excusing his crimes or an attempt at misdirection.
However, according to Thompson, “there’s little evidence showing why he turned to political violence.”
Boelter could potentially face the death penalty for his crimes. That decision will lie with the U.S. Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the victims.
“I feel relief today in knowing that he perpetrator of these heinous acts will be charged to the fullest extent of the law,” said Hope Hoffman. “Though I was not shot physically I will now forever coexist with the PTSD of watching my parents be nearly shot dead in front of me and seeing my life flash before my eyes with a gun in my face.”
