The man charged with the murder of a Minnesota lawmaker switched his plea to guilty Thursday in an agreement with federal prosecutors.
Vance Boelter accepted the conditions of a plea arrangement at a Thursday morning hearing, pleading guilty to federal charges in a deal to avoid a death penalty sentence, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel Rosen announced.
Notably, the decision not to seek the death penalty was first announced by federal prosecutors Wednesday, although the details of the agreement were not disclosed until the following day.
Boelter, 58, was indicted on six federal charges of stalking, murder, and attempted murder in July 2025. According to court documents, Boelter disguised himself as a law enforcement officer on June 14, 2025, and killed Democrat Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman. Boelter was also charged with shooting Democrat Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman and an attempted shooting of their daughter Hope Hoffman.
Boelter previously pled not guilty to the charges. (RELATED: ‘Righteous Anger’: Vance Responds To Horrific Video Of Stabbing Victim Being Arrested)
In addition to federal charges, Boelter also faces state charges from Hennepin County for two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder, felony animal cruelty, and impersonating a police officer.
The jury approved Boelter’s plea deal, which recommends two consecutive life sentences followed by 40 years in exchange for the government not seeking the death penalty. The plea agreement subjects Boelter to the longest possible prison term on all counts.
Rosen held a press conference a few hours after the hearing and clarified that the agreement given to Boelter “was the only circumstance under which the death penalty was off the table.”
“We certainly believe that this case as charged […] was certainly death-penalty-eligible and we would have prevailed in that ultimately in the courts,” Rosen told reporters. “But the truth is, when you have a defendant that is prepared to plead guilty to consecutive life terms plus, to ensure that he never sees freedom again in his entire life, that was an opportunity that we just could not […] pass up.”
Rosen also clarified that “the federal prosecution is separate from the state prosecution,” meaning the federal courts have no involvement in how the state of Minnesota chooses to sentence Boelter.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice (DOJ) told the Daily Caller, “Bringing justice to the families and loved ones of victims of violence is the number one priority of the Department of Justice. Prosecutors worked hard on this case to make sure he was held accountable to the fullest extent possible.”
A letter written by Boelter at the time of the murders alleged that Democrat Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz solicited his help to assassinate Democratic Minnesota Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. (RELATED: Alleged Shooter’s Manifesto Included DEI Self-Audit Before Attack On Trump Officials)
The Hoffman family filed a lawsuit against Boelter, charging him with “assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and negligence per se,” CBS News reported. Hoffman and his wife were present for the Thursday hearing, along with the Hortmans’ two children.
Boelter’s final sentencing is expected to take place before the end of July.
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