Additional Coverage:
- Accused Minnesota lawmaker slayer asks for special accommodations during court appearance (foxnews.com)
Champlin, MN — A man accused of a double homicide involving a former Minnesota House Speaker and a state senator appeared in court Thursday.
Vance Luther Boelter, 57, faces federal charges including two counts of stalking, two counts of murder, and two counts of firearm-related crimes. He is also facing state charges of second-degree murder.
During the hearing, Boelter requested better accommodations in his jail cell, specifically asking for a light that wasn’t on 24/7 and a pencil for note-taking. The judge indicated these requests would be handled by the jail.
Boelter is accused of fatally shooting former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in Brooklyn Park, and shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in their Champlin home. The attacks, occurring in the early morning hours of June 14, allegedly involved Boelter impersonating a police officer, driving an SUV equipped with flashing emergency lights and a license plate reading “police.”
Wearing jail attire, Boelter waived his right to preliminary and detention hearings. He expressed anticipation for the court proceedings and the public revelation of the facts surrounding the June 14th events.
While the next court date is pending, the case is expected to go before a grand jury for indictment within 30 days of Boelter’s June 15th arrest. U.S.
Attorney Joseph H. Thompson has stated that Boelter’s primary motive appears to have been “to go out and murder people.”