Vance Boelter court bail hearing

A federal judge on Friday pushed back a hearing for Vance Boelter after the accused assassin said jail conditions had prevented him from sleeping for at least 12 days.

Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, is charged with murder, stalking and firearms offenses in connection with the June 14 assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and a separate shooting that injured Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The shootings set off what authorities say was the largest manhunt in Minnesota history.

Two U.S. marshals escorted Boelter into the packed courtroom in St. Paul for the 11 a.m. detention hearing. He was wearing a green suicide safety smock designed to prevent inmates from hanging themselves. He didn’t appear to be wearing any clothing underneath.

Manvir Atwal, the public defender assigned to Boelter’s case, requested a continuance from the judge because his client had not been able to sleep in almost two weeks due to his conditions while in custody.

Boelter raised the same complaints in a phone call late Thursday to KSTP investigative reporter Ryan Raiche. Raiche sent a letter to Boelter last week to try to understand the reason behind the alleged attack.

Boelter refused to answer a question about his motive, but rambled about some two-year-long undercover investigation, which he did not explain.

KSTP has made the editorial decision not to air the entire call out of respect for the victim’s family.

Aside from discomfort wearing the anti-suicide garment in court, Boelter had raised concerns to Atwal about the lights being on nonstop, sleeping on a mat with no pillow, doors slamming constantly and an inmate next to him spreading feces.

Atwal said she had asked the Sherburne County Jail, where Boelter is being held, to move her client to segregation but not on suicide watch so he can wear a normal jail uniform and undergarments. She said more comfortable conditions might afford Boelter some sleep and would help communication with her client.

“I cannot do my job in the conditions he’s currently in,” Atwal said.

U.S. attorneys did not object to the motion to continue the hearing, but U.S. Judge Douglas Micko advised Boelter that he has a right to this hearing and any delay would be outside the statutory 14-day window.

“I haven’t slept in 12 to 14 days,” Boelter said. “… I appreciate the motion to extend this so I can get some sleep.”

Boelter added that he has “never been suicidal and I’m not suicidal now.”

Federal prosecutors said the government has serious concerns about Boelter and that they have been in communication with Sherburne County.

Micko agreed to continue the hearing until 2:30 p.m. on July 3.

Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott denied Boelter’s allegations, calling them “absurd.”

Boelter’s hearing came before the Hortmans and their dog lay in state in the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda.

“On a day when hundreds of grieving Minnesotans waited in long lines to pay their respects to Melissa
and Mark Hortman, it’s offensive and disgusting that the man accused of assassinating them stood
before a federal judge and painted himself the victim,” Brott said.

Brott added that security footage from two separate days captured Boelter “resting peacefully with his eyes closed” for seven hours, and that correctional officers conducting welfare checks on Boelter also believed him to be sleeping.

In response to Boelter’s other complaints, Brott said, “He is not in a hotel. He’s in jail, where a person belongs when they commit the heinous crimes he is accused of committing,” adding that Boelter has been offered access to a phone and shower and hasn’t missed any meals.

“He’s being treated like every other inmate in the same circumstance. It’s too late now to complain about
the conditions in which he has put himself,” Brott concluded.

Meanwhile, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty says she plans to ask a grand jury soon to indict Boelter on first-degree murder.

“Political violence is never OK. We as a country are formed on the basis that we have political discourse,” said Minnesota BCA Superintendent Drew Evans. “We elect people day in and day out to represent us. And when somebody tries to undermine that, it’s important for all of us to hold that person accountable, so that we can move forward as a country.”

On Thursday, Boelter’s wife, Jenny, issued a statement through her attorney regarding the violence both the Hortman and Hoffman families experienced. This was the first time Jenny spoke out about her husband’s alleged crimes.

RELATED: Wife of Vance Boelter speaks out for the first time since shootings of state lawmakers

According to court records, Jenny and her children fled their Green Isle home after getting a text from Boelter that said, “dad went to war.” A search warrant later stated Jenny wasn’t forthcoming at first, but added she has since been cooperative, which Jenny reiterated in her statement.

RELATED: Investigators believe Vance Boelter acted alone during shooting spree | Federal charges: Boelter went to 4 homes as he sought to kill lawmakers I Sources: Vance Boelter’s wife detained for questioning after traffic stop near Onamia