Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter expected to face federal charges: Sources

[groundloop]

Source: ABC News

The man suspected of shooting and killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband as well as shooting and wounding a second lawmaker and his wife is in federal custody and is expected to face federal charges, multiple sources told ABC News.

Authorities are expected to announce the federal charges against 57-year-old Vance Boelter at a news conference on Monday.

Boelter, who was arrested overnight near his farm in Green Isle, Minnesota, is expected to appear in state court on Monday to face two charges of murder and two charges of attempted murder, according to court documents. He's also due in federal court on Monday, sources said.

Boelter is accused of killing Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/minnesota-lawmakers-shooting-suspect-vance-boelter-due-court/story?id=122882740

---

I'd feel a hell of a lot better if he were facing state charges.

[AStern]

1. Expect a full pardon

nt

[Bev54]

2. Yep, he needs both federal and state charges.

[markodochartaigh]

28. Maybe,

but he did have the audacity to divert some of the news away from Trump's birthday parade.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

31. Not on state charges,

Been A Dick Donald has zero authority to pardon anyone convicted on state charges.

[Jacson6]

3. Minnesota can still prosecute him on State charges.

That way if Trump or someone else pardons him then he can stay in state prison.

[malthaussen]

4. What would be the point? DJT would just pardon him.

Have the State try him for murder. Anything else is unnecessary.

-- Mal

[Ocelot II]

8. I really don't think Krasnov would pardon this guy. So far, except for the 1/6 assholes,

all of his pardons have been for financial crimes committed by rich people who support him and have donated to his campaign. They've done things he doesn't seem to think are crimes at all because he keeps doing them himself. There's no political or financial benefit to him from pardoning Boelter, who, although evidently a right-wing nutball, isn't rich or important. And even GOPers don't care much for the idea of politicians being assassinated.

[malthaussen]

10. There's always the "stick it to the Libs" motive.

Remember, this Administration shows its power by being as outrageous as possible, then daring people to try to stop them. So simple self-interest is not the only factor in a decision.

-- Mal

[Ocelot II]

12. Trump uses the pardon power to obtain bribes.

Pardoning the 1/6 assholes was his way of encouraging them to keep being violent MAGA assholes on his behalf. Pardoning his rich donors tells them they can keep doing their fraud with impunity as long as they keep giving him money. He won't bother with some impoverished murdering wacko cop cosplayer, even to own the libs. There's nothing in it for him personally, which is all he cares about.

[malthaussen]

25. Stipulating, for the nonce, that you're right about his self-interest...

... who's to say he's the one who decides who gets pardoned? He signs whatever is put in front of him, so long as he has crayons.

-- Mal

[Scubamatt]

18. Can't recommend your post enough

This is who Krasnov is . . . .

[markodochartaigh]

30. Well,

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-pardons-two-police-officers-convicted-murder-black-man-washington-2025-01-23/

https://civiliansinconflict.org/press-releases/trump-pardon/

https://www.wesh.com/article/cop-killer-pardoned-by-trump-commits-new-crime-in-florida/62073373

[Ocelot II]

32. Trump was signaling to law enforcement that it's OK to go after Black people

and kill them if necessary. The man was killed in the course of a chase down an alley, and the two cops tried to cover up the circumstances. Trump thought their sentences were too long, and he also said the guy was an "illegal," which he wasn't. He said, “They were arrested, put in jail for five years, because they went after an illegal, and I guess something happened where something went wrong and they arrested the two officers and put them in jail for going after a criminal — a rough criminal, by the way — and I’m actually releasing.” It was outrageous, of course, and he'd probably pardon Derek Chauvin for violating George Floyd's civil rights, except for the fact that, as in the current case, there was a parallel state murder prosecution, so Chauvin would just be moved from the federal prison back to the state prison.

[IbogaProject]

5. Yes, the State should press ahead and only allow the feds after

And even then they should retain custody and just drag the guy back and forth to federal court. And require that the state sentence runs before the Federal one, that way Cheeto will be long gone before he can do any harm.

[Ocelot II]

6. He is facing state charges; he's already been charged with murder under state law.

He can be prosecuted by both the state and the feds, just like Derek Chauvin was for George Floyd's murder. I'm guessing the federal charges might relate to firearms, since murder is a state law offense unless the victim is a federal official. Federal charges don't make the state case go away.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Let Minnesota try him.

[Ocelot II]

9. It will, no question; but the feds can try him too. It's not an either-or situation.

[CanonRay]

11. A really bad idea, that opens him to pardon, and you can't try him twice.

Personally, I don't see any grounds for Federal intervention.

[Ocelot II]

13. State and federal charges can be brought against the same person

at the same time; one doesn't supersede the other. I don't know yet what the feds might charge him with, maybe firearm violations, but murder isn't a federal crime unless the victim is a federal official, so he will be charged (and already has been) with murder under state law. Derek Chauvin was tried in state court for George Floyd's murder and also pled guilty to a federal charge of violating Floyd's civil rights. Luigi Mangione was charged with the federal crime of stalking across state lines to commit bodily harm, as well as with the actual murder of Brian Thompson in New York state court and with other crimes in PA. Double jeopardy doesn't attach because of the dual sovereign rule - you can't be charged twice for the same offense by the same sovereign, but because the state and federal systems are separate sovereigns, you can be charged by both for a crime arising from the same act without violating double jeopardy.

[ArizonaLib]

17. Thanks again Ocelot II

For working to provide this information!

[jmowreader]

19. Charges related to his hit list are what I'd expect at federal level

Two of the people on the list were Ilhan Omar and Tina Smith, both members of the US Congress.

[Ocelot II]

20. Double jeopardy doesn't apply to separate state and federal charges.

The dual sovereignty principle says these are not the same charges because they are brought by different sovereigns.

[travelingthrulife]

14. Why? Because FBI was involved?

He didn't cross Minnesota's border as far as I can tell.

[Ocelot II]

21. They seem to be basing federal jurisdiction on his use of an instrumentality

of interstate commerce (the Internet) to stalk his victims.

[RockRaven]

15. The state needs to (and will) proceed as if no fed charges exist. Keeping him

locked up and off the streets is entirely dependent on your success in this matter, do not fail.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

16. Vance Boelter is FUBAR!!!

The Federal charges will stem from the firearm connection, as well as violation of Constitutional and Civil rights of those murdered and attempted to murder.

As with Derek Chauvin, Vance Boelter will be facing a future behind bars until he is tried and sentenced. I see Keith Ellison taking on this case as well, or his team that were superb in the Floyd and White cases. I doubt any Bail will be granted due to Boelter being considered a serious flight risk.

[Quanto Magnus]

22. Trump definitely wants Boelter on federal charges

so he can pardon Boelter then hire him into the administration.

[Ocelot II]

26. See above posts. The state prosecution will continue.

The federal prosecution doesn't take over the state one - they both proceed on parallel tracks because they are separate governments. Assuming Trump were to pardon him for the federal offenses, which I doubt will happen anyhow, he's still going to spend the rest of his life in a state prison.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

29. Been A Dick Donald cannot pardon him for state charges and convictions,

so there's that.

[IronLionZion]

23. Targeting elected officials proves no political agenda

Just very carefully planned and executed mental illness with accomplices and a lot of pre-mediation. Because mental illness be like that.

[bluestarone]

24. Question. I'm thinking Minnesota officials will want to open many phones the killer contacted.

Could the feds try to STOP that investigation?

[Ocelot II]

27. No, and they couldn't if they wanted to, which they don't.