Vance Boelter, a Minnesota man with grand ambitions in Africa, now faces federal charges for a chilling murder spree targeting Democrat lawmakers.
Boelter, 58, from Green Isle, Minnesota, allegedly killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, while attempting to murder state Sen. John Hoffman, his wife, Yvette, and their daughter, Hope, on June 14, 2025, disguised as a police officer, as The Blaze reports.
Charged with six federal felonies, Boelter pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, with a status conference set for Nov. 12, and a trial expected after February 2026.
Boelter’s alleged rampage saw him impersonating law enforcement to target four Democratic lawmakers’ homes with murderous intent. His text to his children, “Dad went to war last night,” sent hours after the shootings, reveals a chilling mindset. Such bravado suggests a man unhinged, not a patriot fighting a righteous cause.
The FBI alleges Boelter used a vehicle from his failed Praetorian Guard Security Services, a company that bought police vehicles but never secured clients. This detail exposes the gap between Boelter’s lofty schemes and his actual competence. His plans, like his security firm, seem more fantasy than reality.
Boelter faces additional second-degree murder and attempted murder charges in Hennepin County District Court, to be addressed after the federal case, while he remains detained in Sherburne County Jail. The complexity of the case, as deemed by Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster, grants more time under the Speedy Trial Act. Justice, it seems, will take its deliberate course.
Boelter’s ambitions stretched far beyond Minnesota to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where he aimed to build a farm-to-fork empire through his Red Lion Group. He saw the DRC’s vast farmland -- larger than five Midwestern states combined -- as ripe for exploitation, noting, “They only farm 10% of it.” Yet, his vision of transforming Congo’s economy smells more of opportunism than genuine development.
His business ventures began after meeting DRC Ambassador François Nkuna Balumuene in Worthington, Minnesota, on Nov. 30, 2018. Balumuene’s pitch, “We want to give a chance to everybody,” inspired Boelter’s proposal for Minnesota businesses to train Congolese workers. This exchange reeks of naive idealism, ignoring the DRC’s complex political and economic realities.
Through the Minnesota-based Global Impact Center, Boelter co-founded the Red Lion Group with Rev. Mcnay Nkashama, holding a 49% stake while Nkashama controlled 51%. The group’s sprawling plan included agriculture, fishing, infrastructure, and even martial arts and film production. Such overreach suggests Boelter was more dreamer than doer, chasing grandeur over practicality.
Boelter, ordained a minister in 1993, blended Christian evangelism with his DRC ventures, preaching at the Centre Evangélique Francophone La Borne Matadi church. His and his wife Jenny’s Revoformation Ministries Inc., founded in 2007, aimed to spread Christianity but floundered on projects like a planned book and church buildings. Faith alone couldn’t salvage their mismanaged efforts.
In September 2021, Boelter quit his 7-Eleven job, stating, “We just go off on our own to help out in Africa,” to focus on Red Lion Group. To support himself, he worked in the funeral industry and took mortuary science classes. This pivot from convenience stores to corpses and Congo highlights a restless, erratic career path.
Boelter’s LinkedIn post in February 2023 boasted, “Everything on schedule and within budget,” after meeting Kongo Central’s governor. Yet, his arrest in June 2025 saw his account go offline, exposing the fragility of his self-styled success. Social media bravado can’t mask the chaos of his actions.
Praetorian Guard Security Services, another Boelter venture, never progressed beyond purchasing equipment, a hollow shell of a business used in his alleged crimes. The FBI’s revelation that he drove one of its vehicles during the shootings ties his failed entrepreneurial dreams to his violent acts. It’s a stark reminder that unchecked ambition can veer into dangerous territory.
The Global Impact Center distanced itself post-arrest, stating, “Mr. Boelter is neither a member of our leadership team nor affiliated with our church partners.” This swift disavowal underscores how Boelter’s involvement was overstated, a volunteer hyping his role to inflate his ego. His connections, like his plans, were more aspiration than substance.
As Boelter awaits trial, his story serves as a cautionary tale of ambition untethered from reality, culminating in tragedy. The progressive agenda of his victims doesn’t justify his actions, but it highlights the dangers of ideological extremism. America deserves better than vigilantes masquerading as visionaries.
