Killer of Minnesota legislator and husband sentenced to life in prison

Vance Boelter has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the murders of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. The 59-year-old pleaded guilty to the killings, which occurred in June of the previous year, and also to shooting State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

In a plea agreement with prosecutors, Boelter avoided the death penalty. The judge presiding over the case described the sentence as the longest he has imposed in his career, ordering two consecutive life sentences of 40 years each, with no possibility of parole.

Boelter had previously admitted in court that he spent months identifying his intended victims and intended to kill them. Investigators discovered a list of Democratic lawmakers and abortion rights advocates among his possessions, indicating they were potential targets.

On June 14, 2025, Boelter posed as a police officer and attacked Senator Hoffman and his wife at their residence. He then proceeded to murder Representative Hortman, the honorary chairwoman of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband at their home. After exchanging gunfire with police following the attacks, Boelter fled in a car he had purchased with cash. He abandoned the vehicle approximately four kilometers from his home in Green Isle, Minnesota, and was apprehended two days later following an extensive manhunt.