Last June, a shocking act of targeted political violence left a Minnesota state legislator and her spouse dead, and another lawmaker and his wife injured. Now, almost a year after the attack, the man charged with carrying out the shootings has entered a guilty plea as part of a negotiated deal that removes the possibility of capital punishment, according to multiple United States media reports.
Vance Boelter, the 57-year-old suspect, formally confessed to pulling the trigger that killed Representative Melissa Hortman, 52, and her husband Mark Hortman, 55, at the couple’s private residence in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The attack did not end there: Boelter is also alleged to have traveled to the home of fellow state legislator John Hoffman minutes later, where he shot Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Both survived the assault despite sustaining serious injuries.
Under the terms of the federal plea agreement, Boelter pleaded guilty to six criminal charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and multiple counts of stalking, prosecutors confirmed. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office had previously announced they would not pursue a death sentence, clearing the way for the negotiated deal. Prosecutors are now recommending that the court hand down a sentence of two consecutive life sentences plus an additional 40 years of prison time, local Minnesota news outlets have confirmed.
Crucially, the plea deal only applies to federal charges brought in the case. State-level charges against Boelter are still pending, and Minnesota state officials confirmed that the judicial process for those counts will move forward independently in the coming months.
In the wake of the guilty plea, family members of the slain lawmaker spoke publicly about their ongoing grief, describing the attack as a devastating, unfathomable loss to their family and to the state of Minnesota. In the months after the shooting last year, thousands of Minnesotans gathered across the state to pay their respects to Hortman, a 16-year veteran of the state legislature who was widely praised for her work on climate policy and public education reform.