UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE - Late Wednesday afternoon a jury returned a verdict of guilty against Eric Scott Peterson in the Dec. 2024 hit-and-run death of Amanda Boshey on the Bois Forte Reservation.
Peterson was convicted of criminal vehicular homicide - under the influence, which emphasizes negligent operation of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, but does not specify a blood alcohol content level.
He was found not guilty of a second charge of criminal vehicular homicide which did include BAC, alleging that Peterson committed the hit-and-run “while having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more as measured within two hours of the time of driving.”

Trial in Amanda Boshey hit-and-run case goes to jury
REGIONAL- The federal trial of Eric Scott Peterson, charged in a hit-and-run that killed Bois Forte Band member Amanda Boshey in December 2024, was handed to a jury on Wednesday following two days of testimony in U.S. District Court. A verdict was not available as of press time.
Jurors heard opening arguments Monday, with prosecutors presenting their case through Tuesday morning. The defense called three witnesses later Tuesday, including Peterson himself, before both sides rested. Closing arguments were delivered Wednesday before the case went to the jury.
Boshey, 38, was struck while walking along Lake Vermilion Reservation Road near Fortune Bay Casino. Prosecutors presented evidence that Peterson had been drinking at the casino prior to the crash, consuming four drinks containing seven shots of alcohol over roughly two hours before leaving and driving toward home. Forensic analysis presented at trial indicated his blood alcohol concentration was at or above the state legal limit at the time of the crash.
According to prosecutors, Peterson struck Boshey along the roadway and continued driving without stopping to render aid or report the collision.
Because the crash occurred on the Bois Forte Reservation and involved a non-Native defendant and a Native victim, the case falls under federal jurisdiction. Prosecutors initially filed federal charges following the incident.
A federal grand jury later issued a superseding indictment that incorporates Minnesota’s criminal vehicular homicide statute into the federal case, a legal mechanism that allows state law to be applied in federal court in certain circumstances.
For both filings, Peterson’s attorney sought to dismiss the charges, but those efforts were denied, allowing the case to proceed to trial.
In the weeks leading up to trial, both sides also filed a series of pretrial motions aimed at shaping what evidence jurors would be allowed to hear. Those rulings provided an early look at how each side planned to approach the case.
One of the most significant disputes centered on whether jurors should hear evidence about Boshey’s condition at the time of the crash.
Defense attorneys argued they should be allowed to present evidence that Boshey had alcohol in her system, as well as the presence of methamphetamine. They also sought to introduce testimony from witnesses who reported seeing her walking in the roadway and behaving erratically shortly before the collision. They contended that information could be relevant in determining how the crash occurred.
Prosecutors opposed that request, arguing that under Minnesota law, a victim’s actions cannot be used as a defense in a criminal vehicular homicide case and arguing that such evidence could improperly shift blame.
The judge ultimately sided largely with the defense on that issue, allowing jurors to hear Boshey’s blood alcohol level and the presence of methamphetamine, along with limited testimony about her behavior. However, the court made clear that the evidence could only be used to consider questions of negligence and causation, not as a basis to excuse Peterson’s conduct.
In a separate ruling, the court limited how prosecutors could present information about Boshey’s life.
Defense attorneys had asked the court to bar what is known as “spark of life” evidence, which is sometimes used to humanize a victim through photographs or personal background. The judge declined to exclude it entirely but restricted its use, allowing a single photograph of Boshey and limited background information, while prohibiting more emotional or detailed personal testimony.
Those pretrial decisions set the framework for the testimony that followed.
Prosecutors called a series of witnesses over the first two days of trial as they sought to establish that Peterson was impaired at the time of the crash and failed to stop after striking Boshey.
The defense case, presented Tuesday afternoon, included testimony from three witnesses, including Peterson. Details of that testimony were not immediately available following the close of court proceedings.
With both sides having rested, jurors were instructed on the law and heard final arguments Wednesday before beginning deliberations.
A verdict was expected after the jury completed its review of the evidence.