Federal manslaughter charges filed against alleged hit-and-run driver who killed Bois Forte Band mother of 5

A Virginia, Minn., man facing federal manslaughter charges in the alleged hit-and-run death of a Bois Forte mother of five last month told law enforcement he thought he hit a deer after leaving a nearby casino but did not stop and check.

Federal law enforcement arrested Eric Scott Peterson while investigating the Dec. 18 death of Amanda Boshey, a 38-year-old Bois Forte Band of Chippewa member found dead in Tower, Minn., near the Fortune Bay Resort Casino.

A spokesperson for the band said in a news release last month that Boshey was struck as she walked along a road near the turn into the resort. According to a Dec. 20 criminal complaint charging Peterson with involuntary manslaughter, law enforcement worked with casino staff to locate a blue Dodge Durango that matched debris found near Boshey’s body and which left the resort about 13 minutes before law enforcement found Boshey.

Staff discovered that the driver used a casino “player’s club card” that night associated with a driver’s license in Peterson’s name. According to the charges, Peterson is also the registered owner of the Durango. The casino’s surveillance showed both headlamps to be operational as the vehicle departed, but footage from a nearby convenience store recorded five minutes later showed just one of the headlamps to be working.

Officers who later traveled to Peterson’s residence in Virginia discovered a blue Durango in the driveway had a broken front passenger side headlamp, dents and damage to the front bumper area, hood and quarter panel. It also had a missing piece of molding from the passenger side rear wheel well. The FBI agent who wrote the complaint against Peterson stated the damage “appeared to be consistent with debris collected” near Boshey’s body.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Peterson’s home. Peterson was present at the time, and officers allegedly detected a “noticeable smell of alcohol” on him “although several hours had passed since he left the casino.” A preliminary breath test taken about 4:30 a.m. showed he had a blood alcohol content of 0.048.

Peterson told officers he was at the casino on Dec. 17 and left around 8:30 p.m. He said he consumed three to four drinks at the casino but not after he returned home. Peterson said he believed he hit a deer on the way home but did not stop to confirm what he hit.

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office discovered severe blunt force trauma to Boshey and listed her cause of death as “multiple blunt force injuries.” Blue-colored paint and metal fragments from Boshey’s body and clothing were among the additional pieces of evidence collected during her autopsy.

A message was left seeking comment from an assistant federal defender listed as representing Peterson. According to court records, Peterson made his first appearance on the charges via video conference on Dec. 23. A U.S. magistrate judge ordered Peterson released on a personal recognizance bond.

Boshey, a mother to five children, worked as a laborer for a construction company and was in recovery from a substance-use addiction, the release said. She would have been sober for three years this month. A fund will be set up at the Embarrass Vermillion Federal Credit Union for her children.

Staff writer Jana Hollingsworth contributed to this report.