MN lawmaker shootings: Vance Boelter’s wife files for divorce

Vance Boelter indicted on first-degree murder

Vance Boelter has been indicted on first-degree murder charges after he killed Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has the story.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The wife of the man accused of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses in June has filed for divorce.

Jenny Boelter files for divorce

What we know:

According to Sibley County Court records, Jenny Lynne Boelter filed for divorce from Vance Boelter on Sept. 3. Boelter is facing state and federal charges in the June 14 murder of Melissa Hortman, her husband, Mark, and the shootings of John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

Court documents state Vance Boelter targeted other lawmakers before he was captured in a field near his Green Isle home.

In federal charges, chilling details emerged in what followed after the shootings when Boelter allegedly sent text messages to his family and wife.

According to the charges, Boelter’s wife and other family received a group text from Boelter at about 6:18 a.m., saying, "Dad went to war last night… I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody."

Boelter also allegedly sent a text to his wife, saying, "Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation. There’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around."

Vance Boelter pleads not guilty

Why you should care:

Boelter pleaded not guilty to charges in federal court on Aug. 7. He’s been indicted by a grand jury on six charges, including murder, stalking, and firearms offenses related to the shootings of the Hortmans and Hoffmans.

Dig deeper:

When the indictment was handed up, prosecutors also disclosed a letter that was found in Boelter's car. It was addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel and contained strange claims, what prosecutors said were works of fantasy. 

The claims included Boelter claiming he had been trained by the U.S. military "off the books" and being approached by Gov. Tim Walz to kill Sens. Klobuchar and Smith.

Next court appearance

What's next:

Boelter’s next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 25.

In July, prosecutors asked the judge to designate the case as "complex," due to the volume of evidence, paperwork, and video attorneys will need to review, including potentially hundreds of thousands of pages of documents. The designation would delay "speedy trial" requirements in the case if granted. No ruling has been made on that motion.