Police in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota are investigating a reported break-in at the residence of the late State Rep. Melissa Hortman, just days after she and her husband were fatally shot in what officials have called a politically motivated assassination.
According to a statement released Wednesday by the Brooklyn Park Police Department (BPPD), officers were dispatched to the Hortman home at approximately 8:00 a.m. following a report of a suspected burglary.
Upon arrival, investigators found that the plywood previously used to cover a broken back window had been pried off, and the window had been shattered once again.
The home had been secured and boarded up on Sunday after initial crime scene processing, following the murders of Rep. Hortman and her husband early Saturday morning. Family members returned Tuesday to collect personal belongings from the home, which appears to have been broken into sometime after their visit. According to the BPPD, the family does not currently believe any valuables were taken.
The incident adds another layer to an already devastating and high-profile case. Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect in the Hortman murders, was arrested Sunday night after a nearly two-day manhunt. Boelter is also accused of shooting and critically injuring State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home on the same morning of the Hortman killings. Governor Tim Walz stated over the weekend that he is “cautiously optimistic” about the Hoffmans’ recovery.
According to a criminal complaint, Boelter posed as a law enforcement officer when approaching both households. He reportedly engaged in gunfire with authorities at the Hoffman residence before fleeing.
His vehicle was later found to contain multiple weapons — including a 9mm handgun, three AK-47-style rifles — and a detailed list of names and addresses of other public officials. Investigators also recovered tactical gear including a ballistic vest, a mask, a police-style badge, and a disassembled firearm.
Notably, Boelter had prior political appointments under both current and former Democratic governors. He served on Minnesota’s Workforce Development Council under Gov. Mark Dayton in 2016 and was appointed in 2019 by Gov. Walz to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, according to public records cited by the New York Post.
Boelter now faces six federal charges in addition to state-level first-degree murder charges. Federal prosecutors have confirmed that, if convicted, Boelter could be eligible for the death penalty.
