Federal Grand Jury Indicts Minnesota Man for Political Murders

Vance Boelter was federally indicted on multiple charges including murder, stalking, and firearms offenses after fatally shooting former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and seriously wounding State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Boelter, who disguised himself as a police officer and used a fake squad car during the attacks, allegedly targeted Democratic lawmakers in a politically motivated killing spree. He left behind a car containing notebooks listing numerous Democratic officials as potential targets, along with weapons and ammunition. Prosecutors have described the case as political extremism, with investigators finding a note from Boelter claiming delusional justifications and alleging secret military service. While Minnesota abolished its state death penalty in 1911, the Trump administration is pursuing the death penalty at the federal level for eligible crimes, with a decision pending from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. The victims, including the Hoffmans and the Hortmans, are recovering or have been memorialized, while the case represents the largest manhunt in Minnesota’s history.