Overview

• A federal grand jury on July 15 returned a six-count indictment charging Vance Boelter with murder, stalking and firearms offenses tied to the June 14 attack on two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses.
• The indictment specifies that the murder counts in the deaths of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, could carry the federal death penalty.
• A handwritten letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel was unveiled by prosecutors, in which Boelter makes unverified claims of secret military training and political directives.
• Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson characterized the killings as a political assassination and said the decision on seeking capital punishment will rest with Attorney General Pam Bondi.
• Boelter remains jailed without bail and faces parallel state charges for murder and attempted murder as the federal case proceeds.