Wife of accused Minnesota lawmaker killer says husband's actions were "a betrayal"
The wife of Vance Boelter, the man accused in the deadly Minnesota lawmaker shootings, released a statement on Thursday calling her husband's alleged actions "a betrayal."
Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed inside their Brooklyn Park home in the early morning hours of June 14. Their golden retriever, Gilbert, was also shot and later died from his injuries.
Also targeted in the shootings was Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, which occurred inside their Champlin home about 90 minutes before the attack on the Hortmans.
Boelter, 57, faces multiple murder and attempted murder charges on the local and federal level. He was captured some 36 hours after the shootings near his home in Green Isle, about 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis, in what officials say was the largest manhunt in state history.
Below is Jenny Boelter's full statement, released on her behalf by her legal team:
"On behalf of my children and myself, I want to express our deepest sympathies to the Hortman and Hoffman families. Our condolences are with all who are grieving during this unimaginably difficult time, and we are praying daily for them.
We are absolutely shocked, heartbroken and completely blindsided. This violence does not at all align with our beliefs as a family. It is a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenets of our Christian Faith. We are appalled and horrified by what occurred and our hearts are incredibly heavy for the victims of the unfathomable tragedy.
From the moment we were first contacted by law enforcement, we have fully cooperated with investigators and responded to their every request. On the morning of June 14, 2025, I received a call from law enforcement and immediately drove to meet agents at a nearby gas station. We were not pulled over; we parked and waited until they arrived. When they did, we voluntarily agreed to meet with them, answer their questions, provide all items they requested, and cooperate with all searches. We are grateful for the diligent and professional efforts of the authorities to fully investigate these crimes. We thank law enforcement for apprehending Vance and protecting others from further harm."
The Hortmans and their dog will lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol on Friday, ahead of their private funeral on Saturday morning.
WCCO will have live coverage of the funeral starting at 8 a.m., which you can watch via CBS News Minnesota, Pluto TV, YouTube or the CBS News app on your phone or connected TV.
This story will be updated.
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