THE suspected killer of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota is due to appear in court Monday on felony charges, after a two-day manhunt.
The suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, allegedly disguised himself as a police officer, then shot and killed Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their home early Saturday.
Boelter was captured in Sibley County, a rural area about an hour southwest of the Minneapolis suburbs where the killings occurred, police and state officials said.
“After (a) two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told a late-night news conference.
Police said he was taken into custody without the use of force after the largest manhunt in the state’s history, with 20 SWAT teams and several agencies working to find him.
A Sibley County resident reported their camera captured an image that “was consistent with Boelter”, local media reported citing authorities.
SWAT teams converged on the area and used drones to identify the suspect’s location. Boelter attempted to evade arrest but officers crawled through ditches in the area’s farm fields to confine him, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
Boelter is also suspected of shooting state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in their home. They survived and were treated for serious injuries, authorities said.
“The latest news is Senator Hoffman came out of his final surgery and is moving toward recovery,” Walz told reporters.
Hoffman was shot nine times and Yvette eight times, according to US Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Boelter was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, which carry maximum sentences of up to 40 years, according to a court filing.
He was held in custody at Hennepin County jail and is scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 pm (1830 GMT) on Monday, the jail records show.
A notebook containing the names of other lawmakers and potential targets was found inside a car left by Boelter at the Hortmans’ home, which Drew Evans, head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said Sunday was not a “traditional manifesto.”
The attacks renewed fears of persistent political violence in America.
