Suspected Assassin Vance Boelter, Was Spotted on Trail Cam, Armed and Crawling Before Arrest | Crime Alert 12PM 06.16.25

Vance Boelter, the individual accused of fatally shooting two Democratic lawmakers from Minnesota and their spouses, was apprehended on Sunday following what local law enforcement officials described as the "largest manhunt in the state’s history."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alard hourly update, breaking crime news Now. I'm Nicole Pardon.
Vance Bolter, the individual accused of fatally shooting two Democratic
lawmakers from Minnesota with their spouses, has been arrested on
Sunday following what local law enforcement officials describe as the
largest manhunt in the state's history. The fifty seven year

(00:22):
old Bolter faces two counts each of second degree murder
and second degree attempted murder, as outlined in a criminal complaint.
In the tragic series of events, the gunmen killed State
Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home on Saturday,
after also wounding State Senator John Hoffman and his wife

(00:43):
at their home. Following the first shooting, police took preventative
measures to check on Hortman's residence, where they encountered the
shooter impersonating an officer before he escaped. Authorities indicated that
had they not intervened at that moment, the violence could
have persisted throughout the day. Although the motive remains unclear,

(01:04):
investigators reported that the suspect did have a hit list
featuring numerous names, including notable Democrats and individuals connected to
Planned parenthood or the abortion rights movement. The front door
of the Senator Hoffman's home was found riddled with bullet holes.
Law enforcement responded to the shooting at Hoffman's residence around

(01:27):
two am, continuing their investigation for over an hour. During
this time, officers who had proactively checked on State Representative
Melissa Hortman discovered the gunman exiting her home. He exchanged
gunfire with the police before running. Bolter allegedly identified himself
as a police officer when he approached Senator Hoffman's door

(01:50):
early Saturday morning before opening fire on him and his wife.
According to the criminal complaint, Bolter approached the Senator's front
door wearing a badge. He appears to have been a
self styled security official with a security firm. Court document show,
while we don't know the extent of his training, he
seemed to have premeditated this action to create confusion, either

(02:14):
to gain access to the homes of public officials or
to evade law enforcement. Bolter was captured on Sunday after
being detected by a trail camera. During the manhunt, authorities
received more than four hundred tips. According to state officials,
The search for the suspect ended after approximately forty three
hours involving hundreds of detectives, over twenty SWAT teams, drones, helicopters,

(02:40):
and infra red technology, culminating in Bolter's surrender in the
woods of Silbey County. Police reported that he was armed
at the time and crawled toward the authorities at the
time of his capture. One man's unthinkable actions have altered
the state of Minnesota. Bolter is currently awaiting a court
appearance in Hennepin County Jail, where he has been charged

(03:02):
with those state murder offenses. Federal charges are also being contemplated,
as one law enforcement source indicated that investigators did recover
that potential hit list containing the names of federal lawmakers
for Crime and Justice News after this. Avett Hoffman has

(03:26):
spoken out following the injuries sustained by her and her husband,
Minnesota Senator John Hoffman, in what authorities suspect were targeted
assaults on Democratic officials. On Sunday, Amy Klobucher, the US
Senator from Minnesota, posted on Facebook a screenshot of a
text she received from Avett after sending her best wishes.

(03:48):
She said quote, words cannot express how grateful our family
is for the overwhelming support we've received. John is undergoing
several surgeries and is steadily improving with EA each passing hour.
In her message, she revealed that her husband had been
struck by nine bullets while she sustained eight gunshot wounds.

(04:10):
We feel incredibly fortunate to be alive, she expressed. Event
went on to share her heartbreak over the tragic deaths
of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were
killed in that same attack allegedly carried out by the
same assailant. She said, we are devastated and at a
loss for words. There is no room for such political

(04:30):
hatred in our society. And now to Tennessee, where the
Columbia Police Department is trying to locate a missing sixteen
year old girl, Jezabel Curry. Jezebel was last seen on
Saturday in the area of Williamsport Pike. She stands five
to two weighs about ninety five pounds, has brown hair

(04:50):
and green eyes. Police are asking anyone with information to
please reach out to law enforcement at the Columbia Police
Department four hours a day nine three one three eight, eight,
two seven two seven, or the Murray County Crime Stoppers
at nine three, one three eight, one four nine zero zero.

(05:13):
For the latest crime injustice news, follow crime Alert hourly
update on your favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert.
I'm Nicole Cartin.