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State murder case against Vance Boelter to begin
Vance Boelter returns to court Monday for his first appearance on state charges, including first-degree murder in the deaths of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the attempted murders of Sen. John Hoffman, his wife, Yvette, and daughter, Hope. Boelter has already been sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years after pleading guilty in federal court. FOX 9’s Bill Keller reports.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Vance Boelter made his first appearance in state court after being sentenced to life in prison on federal charges in the shootings of Rep. Melissa Hortman and Senator John Hoffman and their spouses.
Vance Boelter facing state charges
What we know:
The state case has been stalled as the federal case has worked through the courts. After Boelter was sentenced last month, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said she would move forward with the state charges.
Dig deeper:
Explaining why the attorney's office was bothering with a state case after Boelter was already serving two life sentences plus 40 years, officials explained the state charges would be exempt from a presidential pardon.
"The sentence for a guilty verdict on any of the first-degree premeditated murder charges is mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole," officials wrote. "State sentences are not affected by presidential pardons."
The backstory:
President Trump has never indicated he would consider a pardon for Vance Boelter. However, back in January, the president shared conspiracy videos implicating Governor Walz in Boelter's assassination plot.
Boelter asks to be held in Sherburne County
What they're saying:
In court, Boelter's defense requested that he be held in Sherburne County Jail, where he was kept while facing federal charges. The defense told the judge he faced "significant complications" while in isolation in Sherburne County, but those problems lessened after going into the general population. In Hennepin County, he is once again being held in isolation.
The defense also said the jail is overcrowded and there is no proper place to hold him.
Boelter also complained about his religious rights being restricted, saying he hadn't been able to physically meet with a pastor or priest in over a year.
What's next:
The judge said he wanted more information about custody and said he would determine where Boelter would be held at a later date.
Boelter is set to return to court for his next hearing on September 2.