Suspect in Politically Motivated Killing of Minnesota Lawmaker Pleads Guilty in Deal That Avoids Death Penalty

Vance Boelter, the man accused of carrying out a politically motivated attack that killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to murder, stalking and firearms charges in a deal that spares him from the death penalty.

Under the agreement, Boelter, 58, will receive two consecutive life sentences plus an additional 40 years in prison. Federal prosecutors said the plea ensures he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Boelter admitted to fatally shooting the Hortmans at their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, on June 14, 2025, after posing as a police officer, as The Washington Post reports. He also pleaded guilty to shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, at their home earlier that morning. Both survived despite suffering serious injuries.

Prosecutors said the attacks were part of a planned effort targeting elected officials. According to court filings, Boelter spent weeks gathering information on lawmakers and their families, compiling lists of targets and conducting surveillance of their homes. Authorities said most of the individuals identified in his notes were Democrats.

The shootings triggered a nearly two-day manhunt that authorities described as the largest in Minnesota history. Investigators said Boelter exchanged gunfire with police officers responding to the Hortman residence before fleeing. He was arrested roughly 48 hours later near Green Isle, Minnesota.

The plea deal resolves the federal case against Boelter, though separate state charges remain pending. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim said sentencing is expected to take place before the end of July.

Federal prosecutors said they chose not to pursue capital punishment because the plea secured permanent incarceration. Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said the government could not pass up "a defendant that is prepared to plead guilty, take consecutive life terms, to ensure that he never sees freedom again in his entire life."

The case drew national attention not only because a former state House speaker was killed, but also because investigators characterized the shootings as a targeted act of political violence directed at public officials.