My sister was found shot dead at home. Then I uncovered a haunting secret and confronted her husband...
A haunting tale of a brother's two-decade search for answers about his sister's mysterious death has uncovered a sinister trail of secrets.
Eileen Thomson Zaccagnini was 20-years-old when she married her high school sweetheart, Vic Zaccagnini in 1967.
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The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Dumbfounded': Dad who bought Vance Boelter's home stunned by connection to Minnesota murders
When 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter was identified by authorities as the suspect who gunned down two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota this past weekend - killing one and grievously wounding the other - tech executive Zachary Svendsen says he found himself 'dumbfounded.' Svendsen, his wife, and their young children now live in Boelter's former home in Saint Paul, having bought the 6-bed, 3.5-bath property a little over three years ago from the accused political assassin. 'It definitely did not make sense,' Svendsen told The Independent Monday. 'All in all, he was a really nice guy, from what I could tell. You could tell he had a good relationship with his kids. He seemed like a good husband, a good father.' Making matters even more surreal, Svendsen, 44, soon found his own address plastered all over the internet by armchair sleuths unaware that Boelter, a reported Trump-loving born-again Christian who railed against abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, no longer lived there. 'I was concerned for my family, more than anything,' Svendsen went on. 'The things people put online are insane, so I was concerned about [misguided] retaliation from people out there.' Svendsen said he never got to know Boelter all that well, but that he would text occasionally, for example, when a piece of mail arrived for him at his old residence. Still, he conceded, seeing Boelter named as the shooter 'definitely was surprising… I was dumbfounded. It's all just super surprising.' In the early hours of Saturday morning, cops say Boelter – who was dressed in a police uniform and wore a mask, according to a probable cause affidavit unsealed Sunday night – fatally gunned down state Rep. Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband, Mark, at their home in Brooklyn Park. That was after Boelter showed up at the Champlin home of state Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and took aim at him and his wife, Yvette, who were shot nine times and eight times, respectively, but survived the ' politically motivated ' attack. Responding police officers in Brooklyn Park exchanged fire with Boelter, who managed to escape on foot, the probable cause affidavit states. It says a search of Boelter's Ford SUV, which he left behind when he fled the scene, turned up three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9mm handgun, as well as a 'hit list' of other public officials, many of whom are said to have been outspoken in their support for reproductive rights. Cops also reportedly found body armor, a gold police badge, and a Taser nearby. The Hortmans' dog, Gilbert, was shot in the attack and later had to be euthanized. 'We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark,' Yvette Hoffman said in a statement shared by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on Sunday evening. 'We have no words. There is never a place for this kind of political hate.' Following a two-day manhunt, which authorities described as the largest in Minnesota history, an armed Boelter was taken into custody in a wooded area near his home in Green Isle, about 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis. 'Thank you to all in law enforcement who worked relentlessly to locate and arrest this suspect,' Klobuchar posted on X after Boelter was arrested. 'It was a mammoth and heroic effort.' A father of five, Boelter has traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to preach, according to video posted online. The website for a security company called Praetorian Guard Security Services lists Boelter as its 'director of security patrols,' and claims he has experience working in Eastern Europe, Africa, North America and the Middle East, 'including the West Bank, Southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.' However, his LinkedIn profile shows jobs at, among other things, a sausage factory and a five-year stint as the general manager of a Minneapolis 7-Eleven. His most recent position, according to LinkedIn, was CEO of an entity called the Red Lion Group, whose website is defunct and whose activities are unclear. Whatever claims Boelter may have made about his resume, a longtime friend and occasional roommate said the idea of working in security was little more than a pipe dream. 'That was some fantasy,' his close friend David Carlson told Fox 9. 'There was talk about it, but there was no movement.' Last month, Boelter posted, 'Hi everyone! I'm looking to get back into the U.S. Food Industry and I'm pretty open to positions. Other Leadership positions outside of the Food Industry I'm willing to hear about as well.' Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Gov. Tim Walz, who ran for vice-president in 2024 as a Democrat, described the shootings as 'an act of targeted political violence,' and vowed that justice 'will be served.' 'Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy,' said Walz, who described Hortman the 'most consequential' statehouse speaker in Minnesota history. 'We don't settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.' Boetler now faces state murder charges and federal stalking charges.
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
UFC fighter breaks his silence on bizarre moment he 'QUIT' during fight against Paul Craig as he hits back at fans after a torrent of abuse on social media
Rodolfo Bellato has spoken out after accusations from fans that he allegedly pretended to be knocked out at UFC Atlanta on Saturday. Bellato was fighting Scotland's Paul Craig only for the bout to be labelled a no-contest following an illegal kick by the Scot. Once the kick landed, Bellato's strange behaviour prompted criticism. As he fell to the canvass, he was complaining to the referee. Once on the floor, he appeared knocked out only to quickly regain consciousness. As the referee attempted to explain to him that the fight was over due to the illegal kick, Bellato bizarrely tried to wrestle the official. Plenty of fans took to social media to accuse Bellato of dramatising the extent of the damage in a bid to get Craig disqualified. Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato has been ruled a no contest. #UFCAtlanta | LIVE on TNT Sports & discovery+ — UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) June 15, 2025 'Anyone who knows me the longest knows I would NEVER do this' said Bellato on Instagram 'Anyone who's known me the longest knows I would NEVER do this, I've never run from war,' said Bellato on Instagram. 'I saw some things on the internet, saying I was an actor there and stuff... 'The moment I was on the ground, I didn't expect to get kicked in the face (illegally)..'I saw some things on the internet, saying I was an actor there and stuff...'I saw some things on the internet, saying I was an actor there and stuff... 'It was a strong kick, when I looked at the judge to complain, my whole body began to tingle and my vision disappeared.. 'After that I don't remember anything. 'Why would I fake something after all I been through and on top of that winning the first round? 'I thank all the real ones for the positive messages. God is in charge.' Speaking after the fight, Craig acknowledged that his upkick was illegal and refused to humour the allegations against Bellato.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Minnesota assassin 'planned to murder FOUR Dem lawmakers on Saturday and tricked policeman into thinking he was cop'
Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter went to the homes of four different state representatives on Saturday as he sought to kill lawmakers, prosecutors claim. Boelter, 57, was arrested late Sunday night for the murders of Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband and the attempted murder of Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson announced on Monday that Boelter went to the homes of two other lawmakers to carry out more carnage on the night of the shootings. 'In the early-morning hours of June 14, Boelter went to the homes of four Minnesota state politicians with the intent to kill them,' he said. However, one of the other lawmakers was not home, and the suspect left the other house after police arrived. Thompson said after Boelter left the Hoffman home, he went to the home of another representative in New Hope. At that point, New Hope Police had been called to do a welfare check on the lawmaker, and an officer saw Boelter's vehicle at the scene. The officer believed it was a vehicle that had been dispatched to the scene and attempted to talk to him, but he stared straight ahead, according to Thompson. 'Boelter planned his attack carefully' by researching his intended victims and their families and conducting surveillance of their homes and taking notes, Thompson said.
