Police probe break-in at home of slain Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman
Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed early Saturday by a man posing as a police officer, officials say.
Police are investigating a reported break-in at the home of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman, a lawmaker slain in what authorities say was a political assassination.
In a statement released Wednesday, police in the Twin Cities suburb of Brooklyn Park said plywood that had covered a window on the back of the house was "pried off and the window broken to gain entry.'' Police said they were notified of the overnight break-in at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
The statement added that though it appeared someone had searched the home, family members don't believe anything is missing, and evidence linked to the homicides had already been collected.
A suspect has not been identified and the police are seeking help from the community, especially any possible video evidence.
The home had been boarded up after investigators completed their examination of the pre-dawn Saturday slaying of Hortman and her husband, Mark, and family members removed personal items on Tuesday, police said.
Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested Sunday night after an intense manhunt and faces both state and federal murder charges, including multiple counts of murder and stalking.
Early Saturday, Boelter went to the home of Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman, shooting him and his wife, Yvette, disguised as a law enforcement officer and wearing body armor and a silicone mask covering his head and face, prosecutors said. He then traveled to two other unnamed lawmakers' homes, they say. Finally, he entered the Hortmans' home and shot them both to death, a federal affidavit said.
The affidavit detailing Boelter's alleged crime spree in the early morning of June 14 says he meant to “kill, injure, harass and intimidate'' more than 45 Minnesota state and federal officials whose names and addresses he had researched. But he appeared intent on going well beyond that. The suspect also targeted several other lawmakers in the Midwest, prosecutors said.
The killings sent shockwaves nationwide, following in other high-profile incidents of violence aimed at public officials, such as the 2022 break-in at the home of U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi in which the intruder assaulted her husband with a hammer, and the arson attack on the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in April.
In the wake of these aggressions, members of Congress from both major parties are asking for increased security funding and more extensive protection. In his request, Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee noted they are "publicly identifiable at all times."
Authorities said Boelter extensively planned his alleged crime spree, during which he disguised himself as a police officer, wearing a uniform, armor and a hyper-realistic mask while driving an SUV with emergency lights and a license plate that read, "Police.''
He banged on the doors of his prospective victims pretending to respond to a police call and blinded them with a flashlight before barging into their homes, authorities said.
"It is not an exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,'' said Joseph Thompson, the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota. "Boelter stalked his victims like prey.''