Melissa Hortman Will Be First Woman To Lie In State At Minnesota Capitol

ST. PAUL, MN — Melissa and Mark Hortman will lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol on Friday, June 27, Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday.

They will be joined by their Golden Retriever, Gilbert, who was put down after the deadly shooting.

Melissa Hortman will be the first woman and one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans to receive the honor of lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda, according to Walz’s office.

The public may pay their respects from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

A private funeral is scheduled for Saturday, June 28, at 10:30 a.m. Space will be limited, but a livestream will be available on the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s YouTube channel.

Vance Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Minnesota, faces state and federal charges in connection with the deaths of Melissa and Mark Hortman and the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

According to court documents, Boelter is accused of carrying out a planned attack early on June 14 targeting Minnesota elected officials.

Authorities say he wore body armor, posed as a police officer, and first went to Hoffman’s home, where he knocked on the door and claimed to be law enforcement.

When the Hoffmans opened the door and saw he was wearing a mask, they attempted to shut it, but Boelter shot both of them multiple times, authorities said.

Officials say Boelter then went to the homes of two other elected officials but did not make contact.

Next, investigators say he drove to the Hortman residence. Officers responding to a welfare check reportedly saw Boelter’s black Ford Explorer, styled to resemble a police vehicle with flashing lights.

Authorities say officers saw him near the front door moments before he opened fire, striking Mark Hortman, then entered the home and shot Melissa Hortman. Both died of their injuries.

Boelter fled on foot, abandoning his vehicle. Inside the SUV, law enforcement say they found five firearms, including assault-style rifles, ammunition, and notebooks listing names and addresses of Minnesota and federal officials.

After a two-day manhunt involving local, state, and federal agencies, Boelter was arrested the evening of June 15 in a field near his home in Green Isle.

Also read: Melissa Hortman's Home Broken Into Overnight: Brooklyn Park Police