by Officials in Minnesota said Tuesday that a man had been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of murder and stalking in connection with the murder of her husband, Mark Hortman, and the assassination of State Representative Melissa Hortman.
Federal prosecutors had already filed a criminal complaint against the defendant, Vance Boelter, alleging many of the same offenses. The indictment is a crucial step in getting Mr. Boelter to stand trial and trumps those counts.
Mr. Boelter might be executed if found guilty of murder in a federal court. According to Joseph H. Thompson, the acting U.S. attorney in Minnesota, prosecutors have not stated whether they would pursue such sentence, but they left it open on Tuesday by incorporating a notice of special findings in the indictment. He added Attorney General Pam Bondi would make the ultimate decision later on whether to pursue the death penalty.
In state court, Mr. Boelter is also accused with murder.
Mr. Boelter is also charged with shooting and wounded State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, before dawn on the same day last month, in addition to the Hortmans’ deaths. Last week, Mr. Hoffman, who had been hospitalized, was transferred to a rehabilitation center.
According to federal authorities, Mr. Boelter shot the two Democrats and their spouses on June 14 while posing as a police officer at their suburban Minneapolis residences. According to federal authorities, he also paid visits to the residences of two additional Democratic members. He was carrying a list of other Democratic politicians in his S.U.V., which looked like a police cruiser.
After running into police at the Hortmans’ house, Mr. Boelter left his car and ran away, according to officials. He was apprehended in a rural region close to his house in Sibley County after a two-day manhunt that was dubbed the biggest in Minnesota history.
The Minnesota attacks occurred during a period of increased political violence in the US. Some state officials have pledged to investigate the safety of state lawmakers, whose home addresses are frequently listed on official documents and government websites and who typically do not have any additional security protection.
Colleagues recalled Ms. Hortman, a former speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, as a considerate lawmaker who was open to cooperating with members of other parties. She assisted in passing legislation that legalized recreational marijuana, improved access to abortion, and mandated that companies offer family and medical leave when her party controlled the state legislature in 2023 and 2024.
Friends remembered Mr. Hortman, who was employed at an electrical manufacturing company, as a humorous, sports-loving, and ardent political spouse.
Among the dignitaries who attended the funeral in June were former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota.
Bosman, Juliecontributed to the reporting.
