Minnesota Assassin Vance Boelter and His Wife Had Professional Ties to Tim Walz

In June 2025, Vance Luther Boelter, a self-styled security expert and conservative evangelical, allegedly executed what appears to be a politically targeted shooting of Minnesota Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Facing murder and attempted murder charges, he was arrested on June 15 after an extensive manhunt. Authorities are now digging deeper into Vance's motives, affiliations, and whether he acted alone or had specific connections to the victims.

As more information surfaced about Vance, details about his personal life also came out. Here's what to know about his marriage and how his wife was also in legal trouble during the shooting.

Not much is known about how long Vance had been married at the time of his alleged assassination. However, his wife, Jennifer "Jenny" Lynne Boelter, was involved in her own legal dispute on the same day as his arrest. According to Fox 9, Jenny was in a vehicle that was pulled over by law enforcement on Saturday, June 14. Vance's wife allegedly had passports and cash in the vehicle and was in the car with "several other relatives."

"My office assisted law enforcement from Hennepin County on a stop near a convenience store in the city of Onamia. Our role on this stop was perimeter. We did not search or question any of the occupants. I was told by my staff who responded that the shooting suspect's wife was in the car along with several other relatives," Kyle Burton, Mille Lacs County Sheriff, told the outlet.

Police questioned Jenny and the relatives after they were found with the cash and passports. However, Vance's wife wasn't taken into custody. While Jenny wasn't arrested for the assassination, she reportedly had some involvement in her husband's business practices. According to Newsweek, her name is listed as the president and CEO of Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC, a security company Vance attempted to get off of the ground. Vance was listed as director of security patrols.

In addition to being pulled over, Jenny, like Vance, had political ties to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz before he shot Melissa and Mark Hortman. Jenny reportedly worked for Walz back in D.C. during his time in Congress in the early 2010s.

Vance and Jenny are parents to five children. Photos obtained by The Daily Mail show the family enjoying an event together before his slayings. While Jenny seemed to be somewhat involved in Vance's plans, it's unclear how much their children knew about his plans.

The nature of the Boelters' marriage also came into question following his arrest. While Vance and Jenny were registered to reside in a home in Green Isle, Vance split his time between home and a rented room part-time in Minneapolis.

Fox 9 reported that Vance briefly returned to the home where he had rented a room after the shooting. While there, he texted his roommates and close friends to tell them that he may not see them again.

"David and Ron, I love you guys," Vance wrote. "I’ve made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. I may be dead shortly. So I just want to let you know that I love you guys both. And wish it hadn't gone this way."

He continued: "I don’t want to say anything more, and implicate you in any way because you guys don’t know anything about this, but I love you guys and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused."

Vance reportedly didn't reach out to his wife or his children before he was taken into custody.