Vance Luther Boelter, the 57-year-old suspect charged with killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, was a “prepper” who had drafted a “bailout plan” for his wife in case of “exigent circumstances.” According to FBI agent Terry Getsch, Boelter and his wife were preppers, and the bailout plan instructed his wife to go to her mother’s home in Wisconsin if something went wrong.
The affidavit doesn’t imply that Boelter’s wife knew about his alleged plans to attack the lawmakers, and she hasn’t been charged with any crime. After the shootings, Boelter’s wife was pulled over by law enforcement while traveling with her four children to visit friends northwest of the metro area. Investigators found two handguns, passports for Boelter’s wife and their children, and about $10,000 in cash in their car.
On the day of the attack, Boelter visited a bank in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, and withdrew all $2,200 he had in a bank account in his name. A third party drove Boelter from the bank. According to the affidavit, Boelter sent a group text message to his family, saying, “Dad went to war last night… I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody.”
Authorities believe Boelter carried out the attacks on lawmakers alone, but they’re still investigating to ensure that’s the case. Boelter faces both federal and state charges, including murder, stalking, and firearms offenses. Investigators found “voluminous writings” in Boelter’s home and car, but no clear manifesto has been uncovered.
The notebooks contained the names of more than 45 Minnesota state and federal public officials, mostly or all Democrats, with some listed having ties to Planned Parenthood and the abortion rights movement.
Boelter was appointed by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to the Workforce Development Board in 2016 and reappointed in 2019. However, his roommates described him as a strong supporter of President Trump. Boelter’s LinkedIn page lists him as the CEO of a security company, and he claims to have a doctorate in leadership from Cardinal Stritch University. The suspect’s life took a strange turn in recent years, including working on sermons in the Congo and funeral home jobs.
Boelter made his first appearance in federal court on Monday and is scheduled to appear in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota, for a preliminary detention hearing on Friday. His federal public defender has not commented on the case.