Vance Boelter pleads guilty, will serve life in prison for his attacks on Minnesota lawmakers

Sarah Nelson and Jeff Day, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jun 11, 2026

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MINNEAPOLIS — Nearly one year after carrying out one of the most shocking acts of political violence in state history, Vance Boelter pleaded guilty on Thursday to killing Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

Boelter acknowledged that in agreeing to the plea deal, he will face two consecutive life sentences along with several additional years to run consecutively with those sentences. In exchange for that, Boelter will not face the death penalty.

Inside a packed federal courtroom in downtown Minneapolis, the Hoffmans and members of the Hortman family sat feet away from Boelter, dressed in a neon orange sweatsuit with his gray hair cropped close, as he admitted his crimes.

“Do you fully understand the nature of the crimes?” U.S. District Judge John Tunheim asked Boelter.

“Yes,” he responded.

Boelter provided details that were previously unknown about the horrors of that morning, including that he executed Melissa Hortman by pressing a gun to her head and shooting her after she fled up the stairs of her home. When he admitted that, cries erupted inside the courtroom.

Boelter’s federal defender, Manny Atwal, went through the details of his crimes as part of the plea by asking Boelter to confirm the allegations against him. She asked whether, early on June 14, he carried out a series of shootings against elected Minnesota officials while impersonating an officer. “Yes,” Boelter replied. He then confirmed that he planned the attack for months, dressed as a police officer and wore a facemask as he went about trying to kill as many lawmakers as possible.

He first went to the home of the Hoffmans, where he ordered them downstairs with their hands up and then entered their home. He then shot John and Yvette Hoffman and fired at Hope Hoffman.

As Boelter admitted to what he did to the Hoffmans, John and Yvette Hoffman sat in the front row of the court nodding along each time Boelter responded, “Yes,” to the accusations.

Boelter then admitted that he traveled to the homes of two more lawmakers, Rep. Kristin Bahner in Maple Grove and Sen. Ann Rest in New Hope. He couldn’t carry out attacks there because Bahner was not home and a New Hope police officer intercepted him outside Rest’s home.

Boelter then fled New Hope and later arrived at the Hortman home.

He admitted that Mark Hortman answered the door and Boelter told him there had been reports of shots fired. Mark Hortman responded, “Good God, I was asleep.” Boelter than asked Mark if anyone else was home, and Mark responded that only his wife was home. Boelter told Mark Hortman he needed to see her. Mark asked Melissa to come to the door. He said they couldn’t see Boelter because he was shining a flashlight in their eyes. Mark asked for Boelter’s name and badge number. He made up both. Then Mark asked for his department.

When Atwal asked Boelter about what department he gave, he stumbled momentarily, then acknowledged that he said he was a Maple Grove police officer.

Boelter said he shot Mark Hortman multiple times with a 9 mm handgun. He said he then shot Melissa Hortman repeatedly inside the home as she attempted to flee up the stairs, then pressed the gun to her head and fired, killing her.

After the killings. Boelter escaped through Edinburgh USA Golf Course and sparked the largest manhunt in state history. He was arrested 43 hours later, in a field not far from his home in Green Isle, Minn.