Vance Boelter indicted in political assassinations, full confession letter released

Federal authorities announced a six-count indictment on Tuesday against Vance Boelter in connection to his “planned campaign of stalking and violence” that “shook Minnesota to its core” last month.

With it, they released disturbing new details of Boelter’s alleged crimes, including his full confession letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel.

Boelter is accused of murdering Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 14, and shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. He is also accused of attempting to shoot the Hoffmans’ daughter, Hope.

“Vance Boelter planned and carried out a night of terror that shook Minnesota to its core,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said Tuesday. “He carried out targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen in Minnesota. We grieve with the Hortman family and continue to pray for the recovery of the Hoffmans. Today, a grand jury indicted Boelter with the most serious of federal charges for these heinous political assassinations. Let me be clear: Boelter will see justice.”

Boelter could face the death penalty for the murders of Mark and Melissa Hortman.

“This indictment includes a notice of special findings. These special findings are the first step towards seeking the death penalty against the defendant Vance Boelter. The ultimate decision as to whether to seek the death penalty will not come for several months,” Thompson said during a press conference.

Full confession letter released 

A search warrant written by an FBI agent was also released, which included a confession letter found in a vehicle Boelter abandoned near his home in Green Isle while he was on the run.

In it, he claims to have been “trained by U.S. Military people off the books” and says that Gov. Tim Walz wanted him to kill U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.

“I told Tim I wanted nothing to do with it and if he didn’t call off that plan I would go public. He said he would call it hurt my family if I did (sic) play ball,” Boelter writes, saying that Walz wants to be a senator and doesn’t trust Smith to retire as planned.

He then claims that Walz set up a meeting “with me and Mel” and “they had some people waiting to kill me.”

“I was able to get away by God’s mercy,” Boelter continues, saying he “went back” and shot two unnamed individuals.

“If you think I’m making this up just get on the phone and tell Tim you have a few questions for him,” the letter says. “Tim is probably crapping bricks right now because I’m still at large and he knows what I can do, and that I know about where all the buried skeletons are. So I will be shot on sight you can bet on that.”

Boelter then offers to turn himself in, but only if he can be held at a military prison or on a military ship because “these guys have their guns everywhere and can get to anybody.”

“I am willing to spill all the beans. I just want my family safe. They had nothing to do with this and are totally innocent. This was a one person job,” the letter concludes.

Thompson described the letter as a “delusion” that “certainly seems designed to excuse his crimes.”

New details in search warrant 

The search warrant explains how Boelter took “deliberate steps to research his victims and prepare” for his rampage. For instance, he had a description of the Hortmans’ home in one of his notebooks, suggesting that he had “conducted extensive research about Melissa Hortman, her home, and her family,” according to the warrant application.

Additionally, security cameras at the Hortman residence captured a man who appeared to be “casing the home or planning an exit strategy” the night before the shootings.

Boelter — who worked for various food companies and funeral homes before launching an unsuccessful private security company — compelled his victims to open their doors by disguising himself as a police officer, authorities allege.

He arrived at the Hoffman residence in Champlin around 2 a.m., shouting repeatedly, “This is the police. Open the door,” according to the warrant. When they did, Boelter told the Hoffmans that a shooting had been reported inside the house.

At some point in the exchange, Yvette Hoffman said she realized that Boelter, who was shining a flashlight at them, was wearing a mask. Sen. Hoffman tried to push Boelter away from the front door and was shot repeatedly. Yvette Hoffman then attempted to shut the door but she was also shot repeatedly. Boelter then fled in his SUV.

Around 2:06 a.m., the Hoffmans’ daughter, Hope, called 911 to report that her parents had been shot. She told police that Boelter shot at her too and bullets narrowly missed her.

Boelter traveled to the homes of two other lawmakers before arriving at the Hortmans’ residence around 3:30 a.m. Upon learning of the shooting at Sen. Hoffman’s home, police went to Rep. Hortman’s home to conduct a safety check and observed a black Ford Explorer SUV parked outside. It had police-style lights and resembled a squad car.

Security footage allegedly shows Boelter, in a silicone mask and brown wig, ringing the doorbell and shouting, “police, welfare check.” Mark Hortman answered the door and was told there had been reports of shots fired.

“Good God, I was asleep,” Mark Hortman reportedly responded before asking Boelter for his name and badge number.

“We can’t see you,” Mark Hortman told Boelter, who was shining a flashlight toward him.

Brooklyn Park police arrived at the home around this time. According to the search warrant, Boelter fired a volley of gunshots and entered the Hortmans’ home as police fired at Boelter.

“As law enforcement later discovered, Boelter, having moved past the fallen Mr. Hortman and into the home, shot Representative Hortman several times at close range, killing her as she attempted to flee up the stairs,” the warrant states. The Hortmans’ golden retriever, Gilbert, was also shot and killed.

Boelter is facing murder charges in state court in addition to the federal charges.

 

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