Wife of man accused in deadly Minnesota lawmaker shootings files for divorce
By Stephen Swanson
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Minnesota (WCCO) — The wife of the man charged in the deadly, politically motivated shootings of Minnesota lawmakers in June has filed for divorce, court documents show.
Vance Boelter, 58, faces federal and state murder and attempted murder charges in connection with the deaths of House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the shootings of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette on June 14 in their respective Twin Cities homes.
Jenny Lynne Boelter filed a petition for “dissolution with child” in Sibley County earlier this month, according to court documents. The official grounds of the divorce are unknown, as Judge Amber Donley granted her request to seal “all current and future documents filed in this matter,” which are to be treated as confidential.
Nearly two weeks after the fatal shootings, Jenny Boelter released a statement through her attorney, saying her husband’s actions were “a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenets of our Christian faith.”
“We are absolutely shocked, heartbroken and completely blindsided. This violence does not at all align with our beliefs as a family,” Jenny Boelter wrote. “We are appalled and horrified by what occurred and our hearts are incredibly heavy for the victims of this unfathomable tragedy.”
Vance Boelter was captured more than 40 hours after the killings near the home he shared with Jenny Boelter and their children in Green Isle, located about 50 miles southwest of the metro. State officials called the manhunt the largest in Minnesota history.
According to federal court documents, Jenny Boelter and some of her children left Green Isle by vehicle just hours after the shooting. Law enforcement contacted her by phone and arranged to meet her at a gas station close to her location at that time, which was about 150 miles away from Green Isle near Lake Mille Lacs.
An FBI special agent noted in an affidavit that Jenny Boelter had two guns, passports and about $10,000 in cash in her vehicle. They noted she was “cooperative” with law enforcement, but initially “was not forthcoming with knowledge of her husband being involved in something serious” after revealing Vance Boelter messaged her earlier that day to “take the kids and go to her parent’s house and that there may be people with guns coming to the house.”
Jenny Boelter also told law enforcement in that meeting she and her husband were “preppers,” meaning they “prepare for major or catastrophic incidents.”
Soon after the shootings, investigators found more than 50 firearms and a tub of ammunition in their Green Isle home.
Jenny Boelter has not been charged with any crimes, and noted in her statement on June 27 she “fully cooperated with investigators and responded to their every request.”
“We are grateful for the diligent and professional efforts of the authorities to fully investigate these crimes,” Jenny Boelter wrote. “We thank law enforcement for apprehending Vance and protecting others from further harm.”
Vance Boelter could face the death penalty if convicted on federal murder charges.
No hearings have been scheduled in Jenny Boelter’s divorce case. Her attorney declined WCCO’s request for comment.
NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Aug. 15, 2025.
Caroline Cummings, Riley Moser and Ubah Ali contributed to this report.
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