Boelter Pleads Guilty in Minnesota Lawmaker Killings
“There is no justice for Mark and Melissa Hortman, and there is not justice when our family and our state will never truly heal.”
Vance Boelter pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and to shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman.
Under the plea agreement, Boelter pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking, two counts of murder, and two firearms offenses. Federal prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty in exchange for a sentence recommendation of two consecutive life terms plus 40 years in prison.
The attacks occurred on June 14, 2025. Prosecutors said Boelter disguised himself as a police officer, used online people-search websites to locate lawmakers’ home addresses, and spent months planning the attacks. He first went to the Hoffman residence in Champlin, where he shot John and Yvette Hoffman. About 90 minutes later, he traveled to the Hortmans’ home in Brooklyn Park, where he killed Melissa and Mark Hortman.
Boelter acknowledged in court that he shot Melissa Hortman at point-blank range after entering the home under the pretense of conducting a police welfare check.
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen called the attacks among the worst acts of political violence the country has seen.
“Political violence is a scourge plaguing America.”
Rosen said prosecutors believed they had a viable death penalty case but concluded that a plea guaranteeing Boelter would spend the rest of his life behind bars was the better outcome.
Rosen added:
“The truth is, when you have a defendant that is prepared to plead guilty to consecutive life terms plus (40 years) to ensure that he never sees freedom again in his entire life, that was an opportunity that we just could not pass up.”
The hearing drew members of both affected families. John and Yvette Hoffman attended, as did the Hortmans’ children, Sophie and Colin. When Boelter confirmed the point-blank shot, someone in the gallery gasped and cried.
The Hoffman family said in a statement after the hearing:
“There is no justice for Mark and Melissa Hortman, and there is not justice when our family and our state will never truly heal.”
The family also addressed the broader climate that made the attacks possible:
“The opportunity for justice is for Minnesotans and Americans to serve, to treat people with respect, to stop de-humanizing each other, and to stop dividing our country with hate and rhetoric.”
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced that state prosecutors will continue pursuing separate charges stemming from the shootings.
Boelter faces eight state charges, including first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of Melissa and Mark Hortman and attempted first-degree murder related to the shootings of John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman, and Hope Hoffman. The indictment also includes charges connected to the attempted murder of Rep. Kristin Bahner, impersonating a police officer, and the death of the Hortmans’ dog, Gilbert.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the federal plea agreement does not affect the state prosecution.
“Mr. Boelter will sit in a Hennepin County courtroom and be held accountable for his actions.”
The guilty plea comes nearly one year after the shootings. Boelter was arrested after a 43-hour search, which authorities said was the largest manhunt in state history, that ended near Green Isle, Minnesota. Investigators later said he had also visited the homes of two other lawmakers on the night of the attacks, but did not make contact with those families.
Boelter is expected to be formally sentenced in federal court later this summer.
His state prosecution will proceed separately.
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Comments
If he’s not gonna blab, why keep him alive?
So what was his leftist motivation for the murders?
We know it had to be leftist, because the victims were Democrats, yet there is ZERO discussion of his motives.
Here’s a suggestion for the murders: DFL (MN democrat party) Leader Melissa Hortman was the only Democrat to vote for a bill repealing MNCare for illegal immigrant adults.
Don’t know the connection between Boelter and MN DFLers (Democrats) or an outsider but this murder was planned and succeeded. MN lost an ethical DFLer (of which there are very few).
That’s not likely. And she was no more ethical than any of them. As was well publicized at the time, her vote was not because she supported the bill, but purely because the Democrats made a deal with the Republicans promising to pass this bill in return for the Republicans passing a bill the Dems wanted. That meant the Dems had to supply one vote for the Rep bill, and as the leader she took it upon herself to be that one vote. The Reps likewise supplied one vote for the other bill. The result was a win-win; each party got one thing it really wanted. And this wasn’t a secret, it wasn’t something the shooter would not have known. So it’s unlikely that this was his motive.
Except that Melissa wasn’t the only name on his long list, she just happened to be at the top. So I don’t think this was his reason.
So another nut gets to murder people and life out his life.
And we get to feed him, clothed him and take care of his medical needs
Probably earn his doctorate through the jail house college system
With recent revelations of Somali fraud scams and the complicity and cover up efforts conducted by Democrats in state public offices,( ie. Walz, Ellison, et. al.) and Senator Hortman’s defining “No” vote on a state budget measure, I’m curious to know whether or not Boeltner’s assertions of being directed to “hit” uncooperative legislators, like Hortman, have any merit
Rosen said prosecutors believed they had a viable death penalty case but concluded that a plea guaranteeing Boelter would spend the rest of his life behind bars was the better outcome.
Oh, sure, you couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do no actual courtroom work. You should have told him he can cop a plea but you’re not bargaining with him. Was there ANY real chance he wasn’t going to be convicted? Or were you more worried about the judge or jury in the sentencing phase?
Heck, I didn’t even see attempted murder in the bit about the plea agreement. So, the two who lived get no justice whatsoever?
Bring back public burning at the stakew.
Stake, dammit.
“…stop de-humanizing each other, and … stop dividing our country with hate and rhetoric, you Fascist white supremacist Nazi pedophile.”
What’s interesting is the state charges are still pending. And they’ll get to bring in that he pled guilty in federal court if the case goes to trial. Meaning he has literally no chance of acquittal of the state charges.
What was the basis for a federal prosecution here?
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