Just one day before a horrifying attack that killed former Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, and left Sen. John Hoffman and his wife seriously injured, Alpha News has learned that the suspected gunman was still working for the University of Minnesota—extracting eyeballs from corpses.
Vance Boelter was employed by the university’s eye clinic as a “Duluth Area Recovery Technician” from December 2024 through June 13, 2025, a spokesperson confirmed to Alpha News.
The next day, Boelter allegedly carried out a targeted attack on two of Minnesota’s top lawmakers and their spouses.
From the morgue to a manhunt
Boelter’s role at the University of Minnesota followed a series of jobs in the funeral industry.
Wulff Funeral Homes confirmed Boelter worked there for just over a year, ending in October 2024 with no disciplinary history.
Metro First Call said Boelter worked for the company from August 2023 until he left voluntarily in February. “We would like to extend our thoughts and condolences to the families of Representative Hortman and Senator Hoffman,” owner Tim Koch said in a statement. “To say anything more at this time would be irresponsible as the investigation continues.”
In a video posted prior to the killings, Boelter described his work removing bodies from crime scenes and natural death locations under contract with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“Our role is to just take the decedent from that place of death to the medical examiner’s office,” he said, noting he worked six days a week between two funeral homes.
Minnesota assassination suspect Vance Luther Boelter describing his background in undated video pic.twitter.com/DtYdYDW15b
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) June 14, 2025
What does a ‘recovery technician’ do?
A current job listing for the job title Boelter held at the U of M—”Duluth Area Recovery Technician”—states that roughly 75% of the job is dedicated to “eye tissue recoveries.”
Other responsibilities include responding to donor death notifications and traveling to hospitals or funeral homes.
According to the U of M, Boelter’s pay started at $20 an hour and increased to $30 after he obtained “certification” in recovering donor eye tissue from the deceased. The university described the position as a “limited temporary technician role.”
The position is affiliated with Lions Gift of Sight, the university’s eye bank.
University of Minnesota: We are cooperating fully
The University of Minnesota emphasized its cooperation with law enforcement in a statement: “The University is fully cooperating with federal and state authorities as they continue the investigation into the events surrounding the tragic shootings.”
The school declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
