ST. PAUL, Minn. (CN) - A suspected assassin's preliminary hearing has been delayed due to concerns about the conditions of his detention in jail while he awaits trial.

Vance Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Minnesota, is facing federal murder and stalking charges for the assassination of a top Minnesota Democrat and her husband, as well as the attempted murder of another Minnesota lawmaker and his wife.

Boelter, dressed in a green anti-suicide smock and flanked by a U.S. Marshal, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Docherty.

His lawyer, Manvir Atwal, of the federal public defender's office, told Docherty that she is unable to properly communicate with Boelter for a litany of reasons, including sleep deprivation due to his status on suicide watch. 

The lights are kept on at all times in his cell, Atwal said in court, adding that Boelter is only given a mat and no pillow to sleep on. Adding to the issue, according to Atwal, is a neighboring inmate who continues to smear feces on the wall, the smell of which permeates into Boelter's cell. 

Atwal seeks to have Boelter placed in segregation as opposed to suicide watch and for him to wear everyday jail attire that's "more dignified," than the full-length smock, which does not allow for the wearing of undergarments. 

Boelter told Docherty that he had not really slept in 12 to 14 days and that he appreciated the motion to delay his hearing, which is outside of the 14-day requirement for a preliminary hearing. 

"I've never been suicidal and I'm not suicidal now," Boelter told the judge. 

Prosecutors did not object to the continuance and Docherty granted the request, setting Boelter's next hearing for July 3. 

Prosecutors say Boelter impersonated a police officer as he hunted for pro-life Democrats around the Twin Cities' suburbs. Joseph Thompson, acting Department of Justice attorney for the District of Minnesota, called the killings "chilling," and the stuff of "nightmares."

"Boelter stalked his victims like prey," Thompson said in a press conference earlier this month, adding that the attack was preplanned.

Boelter is accused of murdering former state House Democratic-Farmer-Labor leader Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark and the couple's dog. He is also charged with shooting State Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette.

Boelter was also charged by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office this weekend with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder for the shootings. He was being held on $5 million bail for those charges.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office plans to seek first-degree murder charges against Boelter, but that will require a grand jury proceeding.

"Melissa and Mark Hortman were parents, neighbors, and friends. Their loss is felt deeply by the people who knew and loved them. Our thoughts and support are with State Senator Hoffman and his family," Hennepin County attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement.

Boelter was arrested following an extensive manhunt after his rampage across Minnesota suburbs, according to authorities. 

Both Democrats and Republicans widely condemned the act. 

"This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way we deal with our political differences," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said in a press conference following the shooting. "Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country. And each and every one of us can do it. Talk to a neighbor before arguing. Debate an issue. Shake hands. Find common ground."

Hortman, her husband Mark and their dog, who was shot and later euthanized, will lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol today. Hortman is the first woman to lie in state in Minnesota. Hundreds are expected to attend. 

Law enforcement initially responded to a shooting at a Champlin residence where they found Hoffman and his wife had been shot. Champlin is about 30 minutes north of Minneapolis.

Video surveillance showed a Ford SUV with police-style lights, later found to be registered to Boelter, parked in the driveway of the residence where a man wearing a mask, blue shirt and tactical vest with a badge approached the door with a flashlight and yellow-gripped gun.

When the Hoffmans tried to force Boelter out of his home after realizing that he was not a police officer, he shot Hoffman and then his wife.

Boelter then went to a nearby state politician's house where police had also been dispatched, according to authorities. An officer claims she saw Boelter at the residence but he did not respond to her and eventually left.

Law enforcement then went to check on Hortman's house, a few miles away from Hoffman's residence.

According to the criminal complaint, police saw Boelter shoot Hortman's husband through the open door of the couple's home. The gunman fled inside the residence and escaped the area on foot after exchanging gunfire with police. 

Inside his vehicle, police found at least three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9mm handgun and a list of names and addresses of other pubic officials. 

Boelter purchased four of the firearms recovered by police and a person who knew Boelter identified him as the man on the Champlin residence video footage, according to authorities.

There is some confusion about a purported "manifesto" written by Boelter, with local police using the term to describe documents that contained the names of prominent pro-choice individuals in Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. However, the DOJ has downplayed those reports, stating that they have not seen any Unabomber-type writings that suggest a motive.

"The horrific, targeted murders of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, as well as the shooting of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, have shocked the nation and united us in grief," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a press release.

The assassination prompted several police departments to warn residents to call 911 if a lone police officer shows up at their door. 

The manhunt happened against the backdrop of one of the largest American protests ever in response to President Donald Trump's tightening grip on Democrat-run cities across the country. The Trump administration has deployed federal paramilitary forces across the nation, along with the National Guard and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles. In addition, his administration has detained Democrat lawmakers for attempting to investigate forced disappearances of legal residents. Recently, Republican politicians and influencers have called for the deportation of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani after he won the Democratic primary in New York earlier this month. 

While Trump said the shooting was "horrific," he called Walz a "terrible governor" who was "grossly incompetent" in an interview with ABC. He has yet to call Walz about the attack. 

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.

Source: Courthouse News Service