Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott has released a statement responding to apparent claims made by accused murderer Vance Boelter in his court appearance on Friday. Boelter is being held at Sherburne County Jail.

According to the sheriff, Boelter made comments about deplorable jail conditions in the Sherburne County jail where he’s being held that have prevented him from getting any sleep, and therefore require a continuance in his court case.

Sheriff Brott’s statement is as follows (Issued June 27):

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.

Claims made in court that deplorable jail conditions have prevented the alleged assassin from getting any sleep, and therefore require a continuance in the criminal case against him, are absurd.

Security cameras capturing the activity of the alleged assassin in his cell on “suicide precaution” show he was resting peacefully with his eyes closed for seven straight hours, appearing to be asleep, from approximately 10:40 p.m. Thursday until 5:45 a.m. Friday. Correctional officers doing routine welfare checks during the same time period believed that the alleged assassin was asleep.

After he returned from his court appearance today, jail personnel checked live security camera footage of the alleged assassin’s cell and he was resting peacefully, with his eyes closed. A check of those cameras from Wednesday night showed the alleged assassin resting peacefully with his eyes closed – for seven straight hours. Again, officers doing welfare checks believed he was asleep.

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. Lights are on 24-7, and need to be so correctional officers doing welfare checks can see that the inmates are OK. Jails are built with heavy metal doors that make noise when they are opened and closed.

His cell is spotless clean and so is his mattress, which has a pillow sown into it. Every day he is offered access to a phone and the shower. He has not missed any meals since his arrival.

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.

Boelter is on suicide watch, the lights must stay on, and deputies regularly check on Boelter.

Boelter is accused of murder of Melissa and Mark Hortman and is also accused of critically wounding state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvetter in what authorities are describing as a political assassination.