Vance Boelter pleaded guilty on Thursday to six federal charges in the assassinations of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.
Boelter agreed to a plea deal that would allow him to avoid the death penalty. However, he will serve two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years in prison.
The defendant had initially pled not guilty on all six counts, but he changed his plea on Thursday. He is charged with two counts of stalking, two counts of murder, and two firearms violations connected to his assault on the Hortmans and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
ALERT: Vance Boelter pleads guilty to SIX federal counts in the assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Hortman's husband
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) June 11, 2026
Plea deal will spare Boelter from death penalty
CNN reported that the prosecution asked for the sentence and the judge accepted it under a plea agreement approved by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Boelter still faces separate state charges in Hennepin County, including two counts of first-degree premeditated murder.
Boelter carried out the attacks on June 14, 2025. He disguised himself as a police officer and wore tactical armor, a fake badge, and a silicone mask. He carried several firearms.
He first went to the Hoffman home and shot Sen. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. He then drove to the Hortman home and fatally shot the Hortmans. He used the police disguise to get close to his victims.
Some horrific new details emerging as Vance Boelter admits to deadly political attacks. Admits he rushed forward towards DFL lawmaker Melissa Hortman shooting her multiple times as she tried to flee in her home, including pressing his 9mm gun to her head and firing. @FOX9 https://t.co/MwSmWTz5bH
— Paul Blume (@PaulBlume_FOX9) June 11, 2026
The defendant attempted to murder two other lawmakers, but they were not home when he arrived.
He was eventually apprehend after a citywide manhunt. Investigators found a written list of names and some “No Kings” rally flyers in his vehicle. The names on his list included the victims and other Democratic politicians such as Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and Sen. Tina Smith.
Friends described him as an evangelical Christian and missionary who held political conservative views. He was a strong opponent of abortion. Boelter left a handwritten letter to FBI Director Kash Patel in which he confessed to the attacks.