- Vance Boelter, the man who pleaded guilty to killing top Minnesota Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, is set to learn his sentence Thursday morning.
- Boelter, who turned 59 on Thursday, pleaded guilty to six federal charges against him in June 2026.
- As part of his plea, he confessed to killing Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and critically wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
- At a 10 a.m. hearing, Boelter is expected to receive two consecutive life sentences followed by 40 years, according to the terms of a plea deal.
- In a pre-sentencing filing, prosecutors stated, "Justice requires that Boelter never be free again."
- The June 14, 2025 shootings in the Twin Cities suburbs of Champlin and Brooklyn Park were politically motivated.
- Boelter admitted in court that he spent months identifying and stalking his targets before attacking them.
- The killings sparked the largest police search in state history, causing panic and increased security measures.
- Boelter also faces state charges, including two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder.
Vance Boelter, 59, is scheduled for sentencing in federal court on Thursday after pleading guilty to the politically motivated murders of House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark during a shooting spree in June 2025. The attacks also critically injured state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
Boelter admitted to stalking his victims for months, disguising himself as a police officer to gain access to their homes. On the night of the shootings, he approached Hortman's residence around 3:30 a.m., claiming to conduct a welfare check. After shooting Mark Hortman multiple times, he pursued Melissa into the house, where he fatally shot her as well.
The shootings prompted the largest police search in Minnesota's history, instilling fear and panic among the public and lawmakers. Prosecutors described Boelter's actions as an assault on democracy, stating, “He shattered the lives of his victims. He terrified Minnesota’s public servants.”9
As part of a plea deal, Boelter pleaded guilty to six federal charges, avoiding the death penalty in exchange for two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years. Prosecutors emphasized that this was the maximum sentence possible short of capital punishment. Boelter also faces state charges, including two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder. His attorney has requested that he be sent to a federal prison in Florida and allowed to participate in rehabilitation programs.2410
The Hortman family's golden retriever was also gravely injured in the attack and had to be euthanized.
“Boelter agreed to serve two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years as part of a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. Prosecutors called the attacks 'an assault on democracy,' and he also faces state murder charges and a civil lawsuit from the Hoffman family.”
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