MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The man charged with killing the top Democrat in the Minnesota House and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his wife, pleaded not guilty Thursday in federal court.
Vance Boelter, 58, of Green Isle, Minnesota, was indicted July 15 on six counts of murder, stalking and firearms violations. The murder charges could carry the federal death penalty, though prosecutors say that decision is several months away.
One of Boelter's attorneys entered the plea on Boelter's behalf during Thursday's arraignment. Boelter was in the courtroom and wore an orange sweatshirt and yellow pants. He spoke briefly to affirm that he understood the charges and thanked the judge.
When prosecutors announced the indictment, they released a rambling handwritten letter they say Boelter wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel in which he confessed to the June 14 shootings of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. However, the letter doesn’t make clear why he targeted the Hortmans or Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who survived.
Boelter’s federal defender, Manny Atwal, said at the time that the weighty charges did not come as a surprise, but she has not commented on the substance of the allegations or any defense strategies.
Thursday's hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster also served as a case management conference in which Foster issued a revised schedule with various deadlines, though no trial date has been set.
Prosecutors have moved to designate the proceedings as a “complex case” so that standard speedy trial requirements won't apply, saying both sides will need plenty of time to review the voluminous evidence.
“The investigation of this case arose out of the largest manhunt in Minnesota’s history," they wrote. "Accordingly, the discovery to be produced by the government will include a substantial amount of investigative material and reports from more than a dozen different law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels.”
They said the evidence will include potentially thousands of hours of video footage, tens of thousands of pages of responses to dozens of grand jury subpoenas, and data from numerous electronic devices seized during the investigation.
Foster on Thursday agreed that the case is complex and excluded it from speedy trial requirements.
Boelter’s motivations remain murky. Friends have described him as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views who had been struggling to find work. Authorities said Boelter made long lists of politicians in Minnesota and other states — all or mostly Democrats.
In a series of cryptic notes to The New York Times through his jail’s electronic messaging service, Boelter suggested his actions were partly rooted in the Christian commandment to love one’s neighbor. “Because I love my neighbors prior to June 14th I conducted a 2 year long undercover investigation,” he wrote.
In messages published earlier by the New York Post, Boelter insisted the shootings had nothing to do with his opposition to abortion or his support for President Donald Trump, but he declined to elaborate.
“There is little evidence showing why he turned to political violence and extremism,” the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Joe Thompson, told reporters last month. He also reiterated that prosecutors consider Hortman's killing a “political assassination.”
Prosecutors say Boelter was disguised as a police officer and driving a fake squad car early June 14 when he went to the Hoffmans’ home in the Minneapolis suburb of Champlin. He shot the senator nine times, and his wife eight times, officials said.
Boelter later went to the Hortmans’ home in nearby Brooklyn Park and killed both of them, authorities said. Their dog was so gravely injured that he had to be euthanized. Boelter surrendered the next night.
Associated Press writer Tim Sullivan in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
FILE - This photo made available by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office shows Vance Luther Boelter, the man charged with killing the top Democrat in the Minnesota House and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his wife, as he was arrested on June 15, 2025. (Ramsey County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)
FILE - This photo made available by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office shows Vance Luther Boelter, the man charged with killing the top Democrat in the Minnesota House and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his wife, as he was arrested on June 15, 2025. (Ramsey County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)
The NFL’s final weekend of the regular season features a winner-take-all game between the Ravens-Steelers and a fight for the NFC’s No. 1 seed between the Seahawks-49ers.
There’s also the Panthers-Buccaneers matchup that will decide the NFC South, though it could take 21 hours more to determine the division champion.
Twelve of the 14 playoff spots have been secured and four teams are vying for the final two. Four division champions have been settled and only the Packers have locked up a seed, so they have little to play for in their final game.
Pro Picks breaks down all the games:
Line: Cowboys minus 3 1/2
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys aim to avoid a losing record. Dallas hasn’t has had consecutive losing seasons in 23 years and Prescott has never had a losing season when healthy. The Giants cost themselves the No. 1 pick by beating the Raiders. They can’t afford to drop further in the draft order.
BEST BET: COWBOYS: 30-20
Line: Buccaneers minus 2 1/2
The Panthers secure the division with a win or tie. The Buccaneers need to win and the Falcons have to beat or tie the Saints on Sunday for Tampa to clinch its fifth straight division title. The Bucs have lost four in a row, eight of 10 and are struggling in all phases.
UPSET SPECIAL: PANTHERS: 24-20
Line: Seahawks minus 1 1/2
The winner earns the NFC’s No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The 49ers beat Seattle on the road in Week 1. Sam Darnold was in the same spot last season with the Vikings and struggled mightily in a 31-9 loss. Brock Purdy is 6-0 since returning from a toe injury.
49ERS: 23-22
Line: Falcons minus 3 1/2
Tyler Shough has led the Saints to four straight wins and is 5-3 as a starter. Kirk Cousins, Bijan Robinson and the Falcons are coming off an impressive win over the Rams on Monday night. Atlanta beat New Orleans 24-10 in Week 12.
FALCONS: 24-21
Line: Bengals minus 7 1/2
Myles Garrett stills needs a sack to pass Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt for the NFL’s single-season record. Joe Burrow and the Bengals are wrapping up another disappointing season.
BENGALS: 23-17
Line: Vikings minus 7
The Packers are locked into the NFC’s No. 7 seed and should rest their starters for the playoffs. The Vikings have won four in a row and are playing for a winning record instead of worrying about draft positioning.
VIKINGS: 24-13
Line: Jaguars minus 12 1/2
Cam Ward has eight touchdowns and only one interception in the past four games, a bright spot in a lost season for Tennessee. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars need a win to secure the AFC South in rookie coach Liam Coen’s first season.
JAGUARS: 27-12
Line: Texans minus 10 1/2
Riley Leonard will start over Philip Rivers, who went 0-3 in his remarkable comeback, and the Colts have gone from 7-1 to out of the playoffs. The Texans need a victory and loss by the Jaguars to lock up their third straight division crown.
TEXANS: 23-14
Line: Bills minus 7
Another disastrous season for the Jets mercifully comes to a close. Josh Allen and the Bills are heading to the playoffs. They’ll be the No. 5, 6 or 7 seed and it would make sense for coach Sean McDermott to rest some players.
BILLS: 20-16
Line: Bears minus 3
The Lions have gone from 15-1 to out of the playoffs. It’s a bitter ending for a team that entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations. They’re playing for a winning record. Caleb Williams and the NFC North champion Bears are heading to the playoffs. A victory secures the No. 2 seed, which means at least two home playoff games if they beat Green Bay in the first round.
BEARS: 27-23
Line: Broncos minus 12 1/2
Trey Lance will start while Justin Herbert rests as the Chargers prepare for the playoffs. Bo Nix and the Broncos are playing for the No. 1 seed.
BRONCOS: 26-13
Line: Chiefs minus 5 1/2
Chris Oladokun played well in his first career start and the going-nowhere Chiefs gave Denver a tough battle on Christmas. The Raiders are playing for the No. 1 overall pick and know they can’t afford to mess that up.
CHIEFS: 25-12
Line: Rams minus 7 1/2
The Cardinals are heading toward a difficult offseason. The Rams are going to the playoffs but two straight losses took them out of contention for the No. 1 seed and they’ll be either No. 5 or No. 6. If the 49ers beat the Seahawks on Saturday night, the Rams will be locked into the sixth spot and could choose to rest their starters. If the Seahawks win, the Rams would secure the No. 5 seed with a victory.
RAMS: 24-17
Line: Patriots minus 10 1/2
Quinn Ewers played well in his second start to earn his first career win and the Dolphins are 5-2 in the past seven games. Drake Maye and the Patriots have a chance to secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed if they win and the Broncos lose.
PATRIOTS: 31-17
Line: Eagles minus 4
Hard to believe the Commanders and Eagles played in the NFC title game. Washington closes a dismal season. Philadelphia needs a win and loss or tie by the Bears to get the No. 2 seed. The Eagles were the NFC’s No. 2 seed last year when they won the Super Bowl. They’re likely resting their key starters.
EAGLES: 23-16
Line: Ravens minus 3 1/2
Tyler Huntley and Derrick Henry with a crucial assist from the Browns saved Baltimore’s season. Lamar Jackson could be back to for this matchup to determine the AFC North champion. It could be Aaron Rodgers’ last game in the NFL and Mike Tomlin’s last in Pittsburgh.
RAVENS: 24-23
Last week: Straight up: 7-9. Against spread: 7-8-1.
Overall: Straight up: 176-79-1. Against spread: 134-114-8.
Prime time: Straight up: 32-23-1. Against spread: 25-31.
Best Bet: Straight up: 12-5. Against spread: 8-8-1.
Upset Special: Straight up: 13-4. Against spread: 13-4.
Pro Picks is a weekly column where AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi shares his picks for upcoming games. For all previous Pro Picks, head here.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs toward the end zone to score against the Chicago Bears during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) runs the ball toward the end zone to score a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
