A man suspected of killing the former speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives was taken into custody on Sunday night, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Vance Luther Boelter, who authorities believe killed Democratic State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband early Saturday morning and shot Democratic Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, was captured in a wooded area in rural Minnesota, ending a manhunt that lasted for nearly two days, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody,” the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook. “Thanks to the dedication of multiple agencies working together along with support from the community, justice is one step closer.”
Authorities have alleged that Boelter posed as a policeman when he carried out the attacks on Hortman and Hoffman at their homes early Saturday morning. Police confirmed that a vehicle with police lights was parked at Hortman’s house when officers arrived at the scene, and officers allegedly encountered Boelter at and engaged him in a firefight before Boelter slipped away.
Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz stated that Hortman’s murder was a “politically-motivated assassination” during a Saturday news conference, and authorities said they recovered a manifesto as well as what appeared to be a list of additional targets.
