Alleged assassin Vance Boelter, accused of murdering former Democratic Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman, her husband and their dog, and of attempting to kill Sen. John Hoffman's family, was ridiculed in court Friday for complaining about jail conditions.
Boelter's public defender told the court that his 57-year-old client had been on suicide watch since his arrest on June 15, a claim Boelter himself denied. His arrest followed a two-day manhunt, described as the state's largest ever, according to Star Tribune, after he was accused of targeting multiple Democratic public officials in a politically motivated attack.
"Your Honor, I haven't slept in 12 to 14 days," Boelter told Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko during his brief court appearance Friday. Boelter's attorney added that the jail keeps lights on 24 hours a day, his client sleeps on a mat without a pillow, doors slam constantly and a nearby inmate spread foul-smelling feces in a neighboring cell.
Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott called Boelter's claims about the jail conditions "absurd," saying they directly contradicted what correctional officers and jail security cameras showed, Star Tribune reported. Footage captured Boelter resting peacefully in his cell with his eyes closed from 10:40 p.m. Thursday until 5:45 a.m. Friday, just hours before his court appearance, Brott claimed. The sheriff explained that the jail keeps lights on around the clock to enable staff to perform regular welfare checks.
After Boelter returned from court, jail personnel reviewed live security camera footage of his cell and again observed him resting calmly.
"He is not in a hotel," Brott emphasized. "He's in jail, where a person belongs when they commit the heinous crimes he is accused of committing."
Boelter was charged with six federal offenses, including stalking and murder, which carry the possibility of the death penalty, in connection with the killings of the Hortmans and the shootings of Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Additionally, Boelter faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder at the state level.
His next court appearance is scheduled for July 3.
Originally published on Latin Times
