The man accused of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses is expected to appear in federal court June 27, where he will face a half dozen criminal charges and possibly the death penalty.
After what police have called the largest manhunt in state history, Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested and accused of killing state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Both lawmakers are members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and officials have called the killings a targeted “political assassination.”
According to a 20-page affidavit filed in federal court, Boelter planned extensively for the June 14 attack and wanted to “kill, injure, harass and intimidate” more than 45 Minnesota state and federal officials. Prosecutors say he also intended to target several other Midwestern lawmakers.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,” Joseph Thompson, the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, said. “Boelter stalked his victims like prey.”
Boelter faces six federal charges, including multiple counts of murder and stalking, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. His appearance in court in St. Paul for a combined detention and preliminary hearing comes as Hortman, her husband and their dog are set to lie in state at the Minnesota State Capitol.
What happened in Minnesota shootings?
Before the attacks, Boelter compiled a list of mostly Democratic state lawmakers and their addresses, disguised his SUV to look like a police squad car, and purchased a silicone mask and a cache of weapons, according to the affidavit.
Boelter disguised himself as a law enforcement officer and went to the Hoffmans’ home in Champlin, about 20 miles northwest of Minneapolis, around 2 a.m. on June 14, prosecutors say. Boelter opened fire on the couple in what Thompson called a “chilling” attack captured on video.
‘Stuff of nightmares’: How investigators say attacks on Minn. lawmakers unfolded
Boelter then traveled to two other unnamed lawmakers’ homes before going to the Hortmans’ house and killing them, according to the affidavit. He allegedly exchanged gunfire with police outside the Hortmans’ home before escaping into a wooded area.
Authorities eventually tracked Boelter to an area near his family home in Green Isle, Minnesota, about an hour southwest of the Twin Cities. The next day, at 9:10 p.m., Boelter crawled out of a wooded area and surrendered to law enforcement.
Who is Vance Boelter? Suspect in Minnesota shootings
Boelter’s wife told investigators he was a doomsday “prepper” who set aside passports, guns and hordes of cash in the event of a catastrophe, according to a recently unsealed complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota.
At various times, Boelter has claimed to work in the food service industry. In other moments, he’s claimed he runs large firms involved with “security situations” overseas, including Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Who is Vance Luther Boelter? What to know about the man wanted in the ‘assassination’ of a Minnesota lawmaker
Court documents say Boelter worked at Red Lion, a “security company and fishing outfit in Congo, Africa.”
David Carlson, 59, told Reuters that Boelter worked for an eye donation center near the house they have been sharing in Minneapolis for more than a year.
Suspect will also face state charges
Boelter is also facing two counts of second-degree intentional murder and two counts of second-degree attempted intentional murder in Minnesota state court.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said she plans to obtain a grand jury indictment and upgrade the charges to first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
Contributing: Michael Loria, Eduardo Cuevas and Jonathan Limehouse, Christopher Cann, Terry Collins and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Suspected Minnesota assassin to appear in federal court
