Following an intensive two-day manhunt, Vance Luther Boelter, suspected of murdering Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday, and shooting State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in their Champlin home shortly afterward, was arrested on Sunday night. Boelter, 57, was captured in a field located near his Green Isle home in Sibley County.
Following his arrest, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office posted the following message: “The face of evil. After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody. Thanks to the dedication of multiple agencies working together along with support from the community, justice is one step closer.”
According to charging documents from the Hennepin Country district court, Boelter faces two counts of second-degree murder, “with intent — not premeditated,” for “acting with the intent to kill, caused the death[s]” of Victims 1 and 2 “using a firearm,” and two additional counts of second-degree murder, “with intent — not premeditated”, for “acting with the intent to kill, attempted to cause the death[s]” of Victims 3 and 4, “using a firearm.”
Each count carries a maximum sentence of 40 years and a minimum of 3 years.
[The full charging document can be viewed here.]
The commenter below asks a good question. How were these crimes not premeditated?
At a Sunday night press conference, Brooklyn Park Police Department Chief Mark Bruley said “There’s no question that this is the largest manhunt in the state’s history.” He added that more than 20 different SWAT teams participated in the search for Boelter.
Bureau of Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans explained that law enforcement searched for Boelter near his Sibley County home after his vehicle and cowboy hat had been located in that area.
Lieutenant Colonel Minnesota State Patrol Jeremy Geiger told reporters, “The suspect crawled to law enforcement teams and was placed under arrest at that point in time,” as per Fox News.
According to the report, the search involved officers from multiple agencies working on foot, along with aerial support from a helicopter. Additionally, authorities believe that Boelter had acted alone.
[Below are several social media posts about the moments before and after Boelter’s arrest that may be of interest.]
Update (8:25 a.m.): Police have released Boelter’s full list of potential targets which includes more than 60 Democrats and even abortion clinics.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on LinkedIn or X.
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