Latest news with #murdercharges
New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
What We Know About How the Minnesota Assassination Case May Unfold
Federal and state prosecutors have brought 10 charges against a man they say killed a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in a political assassination. Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested on Sunday and accused of shooting and killing State Representative Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband, Mark, at their home in a suburb of Minneapolis. The gunman, who posed as a police officer, also shot and injured Democratic State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home nearby, and visited the houses of two other lawmakers that same morning. The U.S. attorney's office in Minneapolis brought murder charges, which could carry the death penalty. State prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, charges they said they planned to upgrade to first-degree murder. What are the other charges? Mr. Boelter was charged with six federal counts. In addition to two murder charges, he is charged with two felonies for stalking Ms. Hortman and Mr. Hortman, which means he is accused of traveling across state lines or using interstate commerce with the intent to injure, harass, intimidate or place someone under surveillance, causing them fear or distress. Under the stalking charges, federal prosecutors have accused Mr. Boelter of 'taking deliberate steps to research his victims,' identifying their home addresses and purchasing materials to impersonate a police officer. Mr. Boelter also faces two counts of shooting, one for shooting the Hortmans and another for shooting Mr. Hoffman and his wife, who are both expected to recover. Federal officials have not indicated whether they intend to pursue the death penalty for the murder charges, but President Trump has encouraged the attorney general to pursue capital punishment when possible. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Judge tosses defamation case brought by Ohio doctor who was acquitted of killing patients
A former Ohio doctor who was fired before being found not guilty on murder charges in the deaths of 14 patients lost a defamation lawsuit against his former employers on Monday, after a judge stepped in for a jury on grounds the evidence presented by the defendants was incontrovertible. Franklin County Judge Stephen McIntosh issued his directed verdict against former doctor William Husel, whose attorneys accused Michigan-based Trinity Health and Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus of orchestrating a campaign to destroy his reputation. Husel was seeking more than $18 million from the health care companies. His attorney, David Vermillion, said in a statement that Husel's legal team was disappointed that McIntosh would prevent the jury from making a decision in the case after weeks of evidence and testimony had been presented. He said issuing the directed verdict, a procedural move requested by the hospital, 'effectively silences the voices of those who came seeking justice.' 'This is not the outcome that any reasonable person expected, nor is it one that reflects the strength of the evidence presented," he said. 'We are evaluating all legal options, including appeal. This case has always been about more than one courtroom or one ruling. It is about truth, accountability, and the right of every individual to defend their name against false and damaging accusations.' Mount Carmel issued a statement that said simply, 'We are pleased with the judge's decision.' Mount Carmel Health System fired the doctor in 2018 after it concluded he had ordered excessive painkillers for about three dozen patients who died over several years. He initially was charged with murder in 25 deaths in one of the biggest cases of its kind ever brought against a U.S. health care professional. Eleven counts were dismissed before trial. Husel, now 49, maintained he was trying to help patients deal with their pain, sometimes in the last moments of their life, not speed up their deaths. Despite being found not guilty by a jury on murder charges in 2022, he permanently surrendered his medical license. He filed multiple lawsuits against his former employer, accusing Trinity Health and Mount Carmel of defamation and malicious prosecution. As part of the defamation lawsuit filed in 2019, Husel's attorneys said Trinity Health repeatedly spread lies and false information to convince the public and law enforcement that Husel was a killer, even though health system officials knew that was not true. 'Obviously, these false allegations destroyed Dr. Husel's life,' the lawsuit said. Husel gave up his medical license because his lawyers said that he knew the damage to his reputation would prevent him from working as a doctor. In court documents filed two years ago, Husel said he had been unable to find work and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Trinity Health had asked a judge to toss the lawsuit, but a Franklin County judge ruled there was enough reason to move forward. Husel, who worked in the intensive care unit, was charged in cases that involved the use of at least 500 micrograms of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. Prosecutors said ordering such dosages for nonsurgical situations indicated an intent to end lives. His colleagues who administered the medications at Mount Carmel West Hospital in Columbus weren't criminally charged, but the hospital said it fired 23 nurses, pharmacists and managers after its internal investigation and referred various employees to their respective state boards for disciplinary action. The hospital reached settlements in multiple cases involving relatives of the patients who died. ___
Wall Street Journal
4 days ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Minnesota Shooting Suspect Targeted Four Lawmakers, Prosecutors Allege
Federal authorities said the man accused of shooting two state Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota had visited two other elected officials' homes that night as part of what they described as a chilling, carefully planned campaign of political violence. Prosecutors outlined new details of the allegations against Vance Luther Boelter, 57 years old, on Monday as they unveiled federal charges of murder and stalking. He is already facing second-degree murder charges in state court, and prosecutors said they intend to seek to upgrade those to first-degree murder.
New York Times
29-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Federal Judge Dismisses Case Against Michigan Trooper Charged in Man's Death
A federal judge dismissed murder and manslaughter charges on Wednesday against a Michigan state trooper who struck and killed a fleeing man with an S.U.V. last year in suburban Grand Rapids. The judge ruled that the trooper, Brian Keely, who was working as part of a federal Marshals Service task force, acted reasonably when his vehicle struck the fleeing man, Samuel Sterling. The judge said Mr. Keely was acting as a federal law enforcement officer and was entitled to immunity under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which shields federal agents from state prosecution in many instances. Michigan's attorney general, Dana Nessel, whose office had filed the charges in state court and fought the transfer of the case to federal court, said that Wednesday's outcome was 'nothing short of a miscarriage of justice.' Her office said it was considering appeal options. 'I am disappointed that the case's transfer to federal court ultimately resulted in its dismissal and am deeply concerned with the precedent it sets — that individuals deemed federal officers by federal authorities can commit lethal crimes against Michigan residents with impunity,' Ms. Nessel, a Democrat, said in a statement. Mr. Keely retired from the Michigan State Police after the charges were filed. His lawyers, who had pushed to have the case moved to federal court, lauded the judge's ruling. They said the decision 'not only vindicates our client but also sends a strong message in support of those who serve with honor and integrity.' 'We are grateful that the court recognized this case for what it truly was — a law enforcement officer doing his job in a high-risk encounter with a known fugitive,' the lawyers, Marc E. Curtis and Lance LoRusso, said in a statement posted on social media. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
29-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
East Timor to deport an ex-Filipino congressman accused of masterminding a governor's murder
DILI, East Timor — East Timor said Thursday it would deport a former Filipino congressman charged with multiple murders in the Philippines and added that he was a national security threat whose presence could damage the country's image ahead of its entry to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Ex-Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. was arrested in East Timor's capital of Dili on Wednesday by immigration authorities and would immediately be deported to the Philippines for staying without a visa and after his passport was cancelled by Manila's Department of Foreign Affairs, the East Timor government said in a statement.
