ST. PAUL, Minn. (CN) - A suspected political assassin told a federal judge Thursday that he wanted the truth to come out during a detention hearing in Minnesota after he waived some of his rights.
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's lawyer, Manvir Atwal, told U.S. Magistrate Judge John Docherty that Boelter would waive his right to a preliminary and detention hearings, which are a right for all federal defendants to make the government prove that at least one charge against a defendant is likely true and for the defendant to argue why they should be released.
Atwal said Boelter conceded because federal prosecutors agreed to give the defense some evidence now, as opposed to a later date as required by court rules.
In response to Docherty asking Boelter about waiving his hearing rights, Boelter said that he was waiving them to move along the process where "the truth can come out" and that "Minnesotans want to know what's going on."
Federal prosecutors, led by Department of Justice Harry Jacobs, did not oppose Boelter's waiver of his rights.
Atwal also told Docherty that Boelter would like to stay in federal custody due to the $5 million bail set in Hennepin County, where Boelter is facing state murder and attempted murder charges for the same incidents.
Boelter requested that Docherty order that he stay in a cell where the lights can be turned off and provide him with a pencil. Docherty said that those requests are not within his control but that he was "sure matters will be taken care of with what you need."
Boelter's hearing, which was initially supposed to happen last month, was delayed due to Boelter being held on suicide watch in a cell with lights on 24 hours a day. He was also forced to wear a green smock, which does not allow for underwear to be worn. Boelter appeared in a yellow prison outfit Thursday and is reportedly no longer on suicide watch.
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 June press conference shortly after Boelter was arrested, 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.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office plans to seek first-degree murder charges against Boelter, but that will require a grand jury proceeding.
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 and their dog, who was shot and later euthanized, were ordered by Walz to lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol last month. Hortman is the first woman to lie in state in Minnesota. About 1,600 people attended.
Former President Joe Biden and his former vice president, Kamala Harris, attended the Hortmans' funeral. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance did not attend.
Boelter's alleged political assassinations occurred in the early morning hours of June 14, according to police.
Video surveillance showed a Ford SUV with police-style lights, later found to be registered to Boelter, parked in the driveway of the Hoffmans' residence, where a man wearing a mask, blue shirt and tactical vest with a badge approached the door carrying 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 and a 9mm handgun, which were purchased by Boelter, according to authorities.
There is some confusion about a purported "manifesto" written by Boelter and found by law enforcement, 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 Pam 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 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 Democratic 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
