The suspect went to four elected officials « with the intention of killing them » – Liberation
The press conference was expected. In the aftermath of the arrest of Vance Boelter, 57, after Two days of man huntingthe Federal Prosecutor of Minnesota returned to the course of the alleged murderer of an elected local democrat and her husband. Which made it possible to discover that the fifties had surrendered, The night of crimeto the homes of four different elected officials, all Democrats, « With the intention of killing them »revealed Joseph H. Thompson on Monday.
Vance Boelter is targeted by six charges at the federal level, two of which were murder by firearm, « Provided with life imprisonment, even capital punishment »underlined the prosecutor.
The suspect is accused of having disguised himself as a police officer to kill, at their respective home in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman. He is also accused of having seriously injured another elected official, John Hoffman, as well as his wife, whose life is no longer in danger. This double attack on two Democratic officials, elected respectively in the House of Representatives and in the Senate of this rather quiet cross -border state of Canada, shocked the political class, already sealed by extremely heavy partisan tensions.
« It was a political assassination, a word that we do not very often use in the United States, and even less here in Minnesota »underlined the federal prosecutor, insisting on the character « creepy » crime. « I hope this will be a reminder for everyone »added Joseph H. Thompson. « People may not agree with you without having to kill them or harm them ».
At the very first hours of June 14, the suspect « Go to the homes of four elected officials from the Minnesota State with the intention of killing them »said Joseph H. Thompson. But two of these attempts failed, one because the chosen one went on vacation with her family and the other thanks to the presence at the scene of a police car, he explained.
In addition to federal proceedings, Boelter is also targeted at the Minnesota State level by two accusations of murder and two of attempted murder. But the general prosecutor of the county of Hennepin, in Minneapolis, Mary Moriarty announced on Monday her intention to initiate prosecution for assassination.
If he is found guilty, he faces, at the local level, the « Perpetuity without possibility of parole », she said. The federal procedure should take precedence over that of the Minnesota which will continue in parallel, said Joe Thompson, adding that Vance Boelter had passed on Monday under the care of the federal authorities. It will be presented for the first time to a federal judge at 1:30 p.m. locals.
His run ended Sunday evening in the locality of Green Isle, more than an hour west of Minneapolis. Man huntingthe most important in the history of Minnesota, according to authority, has mobilized a hundred police officers, assisted in particular of drones.
Melissa Hortman, 55, mother of two, had held in the past the post of president of the Minnesota House of Representatives. She had made the protection of the right to abortion her high priority.
But the federal prosecutor estimated that it was still too early to decide on the motivations of the crime. Investigators found notebooks belonging to Vance Boelter « A list of more than 45 elected officials from Minnesota, at the level of the state or at the federal level »noted Joseph H. Thompson. Minnesota Democratic Governor, Tim Walz, Kamala Harris running mate in the presidential election won by Donald Trump, called that « This odious act » born « Not becoming the norm ».
« This cannot be the way to settle our political differences »added Tim Walz, who knew Melissa Hortman well. Donald Trump, who quickly sentenced the attack « terrible » Against the elected officials of Minnesota, himself escaped two assassination attempts, including one of July 13, 2024 during a campaign meeting in Pennsylvania (northeast).
