A man has been charged with the murders of a Minnesota Democratic leader and her husband. Vance Boelter, 58, from Green Isle, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in federal court in Minneapolis on Thursday.
Boelter was indicted on July 15 on six counts, including murder, stalking, and firearms violations. The murder charges could lead to the federal death penalty, but prosecutors say a decision on that is months away.
In court, Boelter appeared in an orange jail sweatshirt and yellow pants. He stood beside his defense attorney, Manny Atwal. When asked by Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster if he was ready for arraignment, Boelter replied, “Yes, your honor.” Atwal then entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Jacobs noted that the government is reviewing a vast amount of evidence. This includes hundreds of gigabytes of data and tens of thousands of documents. Judge Foster gave prosecutors two months to share this evidence with the defense and scheduled a status conference for November 12.
Boelter’s defense team includes public defenders from Minneapolis and Las Vegas, led by Kimberly Sharkey, who heads the death penalty unit.
The case took a turn when prosecutors released a handwritten letter allegedly from Boelter. In it, he confessed to the June 14 shootings of Melissa and Mark Hortman. However, the reasons for his attacks on state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, who survived, are unclear.
Due to the complexity of the case, Judge Foster designated it as “complex,” meaning standard speedy trial rules do not apply. Prosecutors called the investigation the largest manhunt in Minnesota’s history, with evidence including thousands of hours of video footage.
Boelter’s background raises questions. Friends describe him as an evangelical Christian with conservative views who struggled to find work. Authorities say he had lists of mostly Democratic politicians in Minnesota and beyond. In messages to media, Boelter claimed his actions were motivated by a Christian commandment to love one’s neighbor, denying political motivations.
On the day of the shootings, Boelter allegedly disguised himself as a police officer and drove a fake squad car to the Hoffmans’ home. He shot the senator and his wife multiple times before going to the Hortmans’ residence in Brooklyn Park, where he killed both and severely injured their dog, which had to be euthanized. Boelter surrendered to authorities the next night.
As the case unfolds, prosecutors view the killings as politically motivated, labeling the attack on Hortman a “political assassination.” The investigation continues with many questions about Boelter’s motivations and the events leading to the tragedy.
