Vance Boelter pleads not guilty to state charges; trial set to begin in November

Vance Boelter, who received two life sentences in federal court for killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in what officials describe as a politically motivated attack, pleaded not guilty to the state charges against him Wednesday during his second appearance in state court.

A trial date has been set for Nov. 2.

Filings from his lawyer indicate that he'll be relying on the defenses of "reasonable use of force," "justifiable taking of life" and "double jeopardy." His lawyer also filed a motion for a change of venue due to "excessive pretrial publicity" in Hennepin County. 

Boelter, 59, faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder, felony torture of an animal and impersonating a police officer in Hennepin County. 

He pleaded guilty in federal court to killing former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark and their dog Gilbert, as well as wounding Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in a shooting that also targeted their daughter Hope. The June 14, 2025 killings sparked a manhunt that lasted 43 hours and ended near Boelter's rural Green Isle, Minnesota, home. 

After his plea, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the state case against him would go on, noting that state sentences are not affected by presidential pardons. 

At his first appearance, Boelter was approved to have a public defender and his bond was set at $5 million with no conditions. In Wednesday's hearing, the judge kept the bail conditions.