MINNEAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� The man plus 40 years after pleading guilty to federal charges related to and her husband made his initial appearance Monday in state court where he faces similar charges.
The state case against Vance Boelter had been on hold pending resolution of the federal case.
Monday’s procedural state court hearing came less than two weeks after Boelter’s sentencing in federal court. He pleaded guilty to the federal charges of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as critically wounding state Sen. and his wife, Yvette.
Boelter, 59, agreed to to the federal charges in June, almost a year after the Minneapolis-area attacks, so federal prosecutors would not seek .
If convicted of the state charges, Boelter could face mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911 and has never had a federal death penalty case.
In state court, Boelter faces two counts of murder for killing the Hortmans, four counts of attempted murder, impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty. The Hortman family鈥檚 golden retriever was in the shootings and had to be euthanized.
Hoffman and his family also filed a personal injury lawsuit against Boelter in April.
Boelter’s next state court appearance is set for Sept. 2.
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