Vance Boelter's state murder trial is delayed for 6 months

Jeff Day, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Oct 5, 2026

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MINNEAPOLIS — The state murder trial for convicted political assassin Vance Boelter has been delayed until May due to the “exorbitant amount” of investigative materials that have been turned over to his defense attorneys in addition to the availability of key victim witnesses for testimony.

Assistant Hennepin County Public Defender Raissa Carpenter, one of Boelter’s attorneys, told Judge Juan Hoyos in court Monday that even if she and her co-counsel, Bryan Leary, were to clear their entire calendar they could not review the evidence in time for trial on Nov. 2. The new trial date was set for May 10, 2027.

Boelter pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year to killing Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and attempting to shoot their daughter Hope. He was given two consecutive life prison sentences plus 40 years. His state trial features several additional charges and, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, seeks to add another layer of criminal accountability should Boelter ever be pardoned for his federal crimes.

Hennepin County prosecutors Krista White and Paige Starkey did not object to the delay but said law enforcement had intercepted writings that Boelter was trying to get published on Substack through an intermediary that gave them concern that putting off the trial date was part of a tactic by Boelter and his attorneys.

“His letter indicates they have two essential strategies, one get as much attention as they can, by any means possible, and flood the state with as many motions as they can think of to try and distract us from being ready for trial,” White said, adding that she and Starkey “will not be distracted.”

Hoyos said he has worked several murder trials that have taken a year to prepare and that the complexity of this case justified a delay.

The delay also took into account the availability of John Hoffman to testify, as well as Rep. Kristin Bahner — whose home Boelter visited the night of the shootings — while both are serving during the legislative session.

The bulk of Monday’s hearing centered on a temporary gag order Hoyos issued last week on public statements about the case by people involved with it, including John and Yvette Hoffman and Boelter.

Hoyos said he will make a more permanent decision on the gag order soon. Leary argued that while he and Carpenter originally filed the motion for the gag order, it was because the Hoffmans spoke with reporters immediately after a previous hearing to criticize Boelter and his attorneys. There, Yvette Hoffman called Boelter’s legal defense a “clown show.”

Boelter has made several public statements since his state case began in August, including in court and through postings online. Prosecutors asked that any gag order include online posts from Boelter. Hoyos’ temporary gag order agreed with that argument and stopped anyone involved in the trial from sharing “any information” related to it publicly.

Leary argued in court Monday that the order is overly broad and unconstitutional and asked that the permanent gag order give Boelter freedom to write about his case.

He added that he agreed with the Hoffmans that the case “should be over” since Boelter was convicted in federal court. He questioned Moriarty’s argument that this case is necessary to prevent any potential presidential pardon of Boelter for his federal crimes.

“It is a waste of taxpayer funds,” Leary told the judge. “To express that is prohibited by this court’s order.”

Boelter addressed the court briefly Monday, bemoaning the trial delay, which he said would keep him from sharing his story about his interactions with law enforcement on the night of the shootings — which he said he tried to relay to the FBI immediately after his arrest but was instead put into solitary confinement for months. At another point, Hoyos denied another Boelter request to address the court.