Crime
Vance Boelter Impersonated Police, Stockpiled Gear, and Stalked Lawmakers for Days Ahead of Deadly Attacks
Federal authorities say Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of fatally shooting Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband and wounding Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, spent days meticulously planning the attacks, including purchasing gear to impersonate a law enforcement officer.
According to newly unsealed federal charging documents, Boelter visited a Fleet Farm store in north Minneapolis five days before the shootings and purchased a tactical rifle case, multiple types of ammunition, a flashlight, and materials believed to have been used to create a counterfeit “POLICE” license plate.
The FBI said the items were recovered at a residence Boelter used part-time.
Investigators believe Boelter’s disguise was so convincing that he managed to evade immediate detection by law enforcement.
Notably, after the shooting at Sen. Hoffman’s residence, Boelter drove to another elected official’s home in New Hope.
There, a local officer—mistaking him for a legitimate member of a security detail—approached Boelter’s SUV. Boelter reportedly ignored the officer and fled the scene.
Authorities also uncovered a series of disturbing text messages Boelter allegedly sent to family members following the attacks.
In one message sent to a family group chat, he wrote:
“Dad went to war last night … I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody.”
In another, he warned his family of the danger his actions might bring to them:
“There’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around.”
His wife later consented to a search of their vehicle, where law enforcement recovered two handguns, passports, and approximately $10,000 in cash.
Federal investigators say Boelter kept extensive handwritten notes documenting surveillance efforts, target lists, and the personal information of elected officials.
While no explicit manifesto has been discovered, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson noted that all of the identified targets were Democratic elected officials.
“It’s pretty clear from the evidence that he’s been planning these attacks for quite some time,” Thompson said.
“They were all elected officials. They were all Democrats. Beyond that, I think it’s just way too speculative right now to draw conclusions about political ideology or a specific motive.”
Boelter, 57, now faces federal charges including two counts of murder with a firearm, interstate stalking, and other felonies.
He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and is scheduled to appear in federal court on June 27.
Crime
Jessica Moore, 36, Killed in Seven-Vehicle Crash on I-81 in Pennsylvania; Truck Driver Faces Homicide Charge
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — Jessica Moore, 36, of Newville, Pennsylvania, died in a fiery seven-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Cumberland County on Friday morning. Pennsylvania State Police said a truck driver is expected to face a homicide by motor vehicle charge in connection with the collision.
Investigators said the crash occurred on northbound I-81 near mile marker 47.1 in South Middleton Township. The collision involved a tractor-trailer and six other vehicles, leaving two vehicles on fire and several people injured.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, David Rodis Lynn III, of Round Rock, Texas, failed to stop for slowing traffic on northbound I-81. His tractor-trailer struck another vehicle, triggering a chain-reaction crash involving seven vehicles.
The impact caused the tractor-trailer and another vehicle to catch fire. Moore died at the scene, according to the information released about the crash. Her official cause of death remained pending an autopsy scheduled for Tuesday.
Authorities reported that occupants of other vehicles suffered injuries. Emergency responders transported the injured individuals to Holy Spirit Hospital and UPMC Carlisle for treatment. Officials did not provide further details about the number of people injured or the severity of their injuries.
The fatal collision occurred after an earlier incident on the same stretch of northbound I-81. At approximately 5 a.m., another tractor-trailer overturned, prompting road closures in the area.
The earlier crash disrupted traffic before the seven-vehicle collision occurred later that morning. Authorities have not provided further details about whether the initial incident directly contributed to the fatal crash.
Lynn is expected to face a charge of homicide by motor vehicle. However, he had not been arraigned on the anticipated charge at the time of the report.
The investigation into the deadly crash remains ongoing. Pennsylvania State Police are asking anyone with information about the collision to contact the agency’s Carlisle station.
Authorities have not released additional information about the circumstances surrounding Moore’s death as investigators continue to examine