Jenny Boelter Breaks Silence After Husband Vance Is Charged In Hortman Killings: 'Completely Blindsided'

ST. PAUL, MN — Jenny Boelter, the wife of the man accused of murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, has issued her first public statement since the June 14 rampage that shook the state.

Boelter, through her attorney at Halberg Criminal Defense, said she and her children are "shocked, heartbroken and completely blindsided" by the violence allegedly carried out by Vance Boelter.

"This violence does not at all align with our beliefs as a family," she said. "It is a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenets of our Christian faith. We are appalled and horrified by what occurred and our hearts are incredibly heavy for the victims of this unfathomable tragedy."

Jenny Boelter said she has been cooperating with law enforcement from the beginning of the investigation. On the morning of June 14, she said she received a call from authorities and immediately drove to meet agents at a gas station, where she voluntarily provided items and answered questions.

"We thank law enforcement for apprehending Vance and protecting others from further harm," she said.

The statement, released Thursday, is the first public comment from any immediate family member of Vance Boelter. Jenny Boelter ended her statement by requesting privacy for herself and her children and said they would not be making further statements or participating in interviews.

Vance Boelter, 57, is facing both state and federal charges in the killings of the Hortmans and the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yevette.

More on Jenny Boelter

• In the hours after the killings on June 14, police stopped Jenny Boelter and her four children over 100 miles northwest of the Twin Cities, the Star Tribune reported.
  • During the vehicle search, police found a safe, passports for Jenny Boelter and each of the kids, at least $10,000 in cash, and a handgun in the glove box and a handgun inside a cooler.
  • Investigators uncovered a chilling text from Vance Boelter in the family group chat, declaring, "Dad went to war," and warning that people with guns could be coming to their house.
• Jenny and Vance Boelter were doomsday preppers, according to an affidavit reviewed by the New York Times.
• The couple was listed on a website as running a private security company, Praetorian Guard Security Services.
• The family owned a home in Green Isle, Minnesota, but Vance kept an apartment and roommate in Minneapolis.

Read more: Officer Who Fired At Vance Boelter Outside Hortman Home Identified; Caught On Camera: BCA