Minnesota Man Charged in Lawmakers' Murder Plans Not Guilty Plea

Vance Boelter, 57, plans to plead not guilty to federal charges including murder, stalking, and firearms violations for the June 14 shootings that killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded state Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Boelter was indicted by a grand jury and is scheduled for arraignment on September 12, with a trial date initially set for November 3, though his attorney considers that timeline unlikely due to the case's complexity and volume of evidence. Prosecutors released a handwritten letter Boelter wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel confessing to the shootings but not explaining his motive, with Boelter claiming in the letter to have received off-the-books military training and overseas missions. The acting U.S. attorney labeled the killings a "political assassination" and the shootings of the Hoffmans as an "attempted assassination," with a decision on seeking the death penalty pending and expected to take several months. Boelter's defense attorney, Manny Atwal, noted the charges were not surprising and emphasized the need to review discovery material before formulating a defense strategy. Boelter has also complained about jail conditions and lack of sleep, although local authorities have disputed these claims.