A Minnesota man who has been charged with stalking and murdering a lawmaker and her husband, in addition to shooting and injuring another lawmaker and his wife, previously lived in Oklahoma, records show.
According to property, voting and birth records, Vance Luther Boelter lived in Oklahoma in the early 2000s with his family.
Boelter, 57, was arrested Sunday night after an intense manhunt and faces both state and federal murder charges, including multiple counts of murder and stalking.
Here’s what we know.
When did Vance Boelter live in Oklahoma?
Boelter lived in Oklahoma for at least five years. Voting records show that Boelter was registered to vote as a Republican in Oklahoma in 2004, and last voted in the state on Nov. 2, 2004.
Sequoyah County real estate records show that from 2002 to 2007, Boelter and his wife, Jenny Boelter, owned a home in Muldrow, Oklahoma. Muldrow is a town of roughly 3,300 in far eastern Oklahoma, about a 15-minute drive west of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Boelter’s time in Oklahoma was first reported by The Independent and Oklahoma Watch.
A Springdale, Arkansas, pastor told KFSM-TV that Boelter was his supervisor for a short time at the Gerber baby food plant in Fort Smith, around 20 years ago.
And birth announcements from the Muldrow Times Star, the Vian Tenkiller News and the Roland Register show one of the Boelters’ daughters was born Jan. 28, 2004, at a Fort Smith hospital. A 2002 birth announcement showed the birth of another daughter at the same hospital.
The Sequoyah County Times reported on May 25, 2006, that the Boelters owed $104.05 in delinquent taxes.
What happened during the Minnesota shootings?
A handout photo posted by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office appears to show Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the suspected gunman in the shooting deaths of a Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker and her husband, in custody, at an unidentified location, released June 15, 2025. Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. IMAGE MASKED AT SOURCE. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Early Saturday, Boelter went to the home of Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman, shooting him and his wife, Yvette, disguised as a law enforcement officer and wearing a silicone mask covering his head and face, prosecutors said. The Hoffmans were seriously injured but are expected to recover.
He then traveled to two other unnamed lawmakers’ homes. Finally, he entered the home of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and killed her and her husband, Mark, a federal affidavit said.
Authorities said Boelter used the law enforcement ruse to manipulate his way into the homes, and had a list of dozens of Minnesota lawmakers and federal officials and their addresses, “mostly or all Democrats,” according to the affidavit.
“Boelter’s unthinkable actions ended the life of someone who shaped the core of who we are as a state,” Gov. Tim Walz said. “We must now move forward in Melissa’s honor with understanding, service, and above all, a sense of one another’s humanity.”
What’s next in the Vance Boelter case? Could he face the death penalty?
Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the suspected gunman in the shooting deaths of a Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker and her husband, appears in this June 16, 2025 mugshot provided by Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE
Federal prosecutors charged him with two counts of murder, two counts of stalking and two counts of shooting in the killing of the Hortmans and the shootings of the Hoffmans, according to Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Boelter also faces four state charges of second-degree murder, two of which could be amended to first-degree murder if indicted by a grand jury in the killings of the Hortmans. The other two charges would be amended to attempted murder based on the Hoffmans recovery statuses, Fox 9 reported.
Although Minnesota abolished the death penalty more than a hundred years ago, Boelter could face the death penalty as a result of the federal murder charges brought against him.
Investigators say Boelter “extensively researched” and planned the June 14 attack. He compiled a list of mostly Democratic state lawmakers and their addresses; fitted his SUV with lights and a fake license plate to resemble a police squad car; and he purchased a silicone mask and a cache of weapons, according to a 20-page affidavit filed in federal court.
Boelter appeared in federal court on Monday, June 16, where he told the judge he couldn’t afford an attorney, CNN reported. Manvir Atwal of the Office of the Federal Defender has been appointed to represent Boelter, according to CNN.
Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter tied to Oklahoma: What we know