Suspected Minnesota political assassin pleads not guilty

MINNEAPOLIS (CN) — Suspected Minnesota political assassin Vance Boelter pleaded not guilty Thursday to his federal charges related to stalking, murder and attempted murder of Minnesota Democrats.

Boelter, 58, of Green Isle, Minnesota, was arrested earlier this year following a statewide manhunt. He faces a six-count indictment for the killings of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as stalking and shooting charges related to Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and daughter, Hope, who all survived but were hospitalized.

Federal prosecutors noted that the government will produce hundreds of thousands of pages of discovery and requested the court designate the case as complex, meaning Boelter’s right to a speedy trial will be adjusted to account for the time needed to process evidence.

Boelter also faces state murder and attempted murder charges. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office plans to seek first-degree murder charges against Boelter, but that will require a grand jury proceeding.

Boelter is accused of dressing as a law enforcement officer and driving a vehicle made to look like a police SUV, while he attacked Democratic lawmakers in the Twin Cities.

No future court dates are currently scheduled for Boelter, but a scheduling order is expected shortly.

Two of Boelter’s federal charges could result in his execution if convicted, though Attorney General Pam Bondi would need to approve the decision to seek the death penalty.

Local and state law enforcement have come under fire recently for their response to the assassination. Initially heralded for the largest manhunt in the state’s history, a report from the Minnesota Star Tribune highlights failures from law enforcement, including officers waiting more than an hour to enter the Hortmans’ home after firing on Boelter when they witnessed Mark Hortman being shot in the residence’s doorway.

Security surveillance footage shows Melissa Hortman being shot and killed as she tried to flee up her home’s stairs after her husband was killed, according to the Department of Justice.

Several law enforcement agencies were unaware of the potential threat from Boelter for several hours after the attacks, and residents in North Minneapolis were left without warning after it was discovered that Boelter was in the area. One officer is also alleged to have made contact with Boelter while he was in his mock police car but let him drive off after he did not respond to her.

The assassination has led to disinformation from right-wing influencers attempting to link the shootings to liberals, despite Boelter being an anti-abortion Trump supporter.

Adding to the disinformation dumpster fire are Boelter’s writings after law enforcement found a letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, which claims that the U.S. military trained Boelter around the world and that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, asked him to kill two Democratic senators.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson has made clear that he believes Boelter acted alone. While he left no “manifesto” explaining his actions, he did have a list of Democrats and their families that he researched and observed before last month’s assassinations, Thompson told reporters earlier this year, calling Boelter’s actions an act of “political extremism.”