The man accused of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses, killing one couple, on Thursday pleaded not guilty in federal court.
Vance Boelter faces six counts including murder for allegedly assassinating former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in June. He’s also accused of shooting state Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, who survived their injuries.
The charges could carry the death penalty.
At a 10-minute arraignment Thursday, Boelter’s federal defender, Manvir Atwal, entered a not guilty plea for the 58-year-old Minnesota native, according to NewsNation, The Hill’s sister network.
Boelter appeared in court unshackled, wearing a yellow jumpsuit and orange sweatshirt and speaking only to address the court.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster approved prosecutors’ motion to designate the proceedings a “complex case” in order to waive standard speedy trial requirements, so that each side can review the ample evidence — tens of thousands of pages of discovery and hundreds of gigabytes of media files, the government said.
In addition to the murder counts, Boelter faces stalking charges over his alleged efforts to track down both state lawmakers and firearms violations for each shooting. The indictment, filed last month, indicates that Boelter attempted to shoot Hoffman’s daughter, Hope, as well.
Authorities found a notebook with the names of more than 45 elected officials in a search of Boelter’s car. He was taken into custody after a two-day manhunt involving nearly 200 law enforcement officers, the state’s largest manhunt ever.
A trial date has not yet been set, and prosecutors said a decision on the death penalty is months away.
