Individual admits to impersonating an officer and murdering prominent Minnesota Democrat and her spouse

MINNEAPOLIS — ‍A Minnesota resident, Vance Boelter, who terrorized Democratic lawmakers by knocking on their doors in ‌the dead of night while masquerading as a police officer, admitted to murder charges on Thursday. His confession ​was in exchange for federal prosecutors not pursuing the death penalty. ⁣The victims included the state House speaker and her husband, and a state senator‍ and his ‌wife, who were injured.

The horrific attacks by 58-year-old Boelter in the Minneapolis area last summer ‌triggered the most⁣ extensive police ​manhunt in the state’s history. The incident sent‌ shockwaves across the nation, raising ⁣concerns among elected officials about the potential for⁣ increased ⁢violence due to escalating threats and political polarization.

Emotional gasps echoed in the courtroom as the details of the June 14, 2025, attacks were ​recounted. The ‍family members of Melissa and Mark Hortman, who were both killed, sat alongside Sen. John Hoffman and his ⁢wife, Yvette, who were injured.

Boelter, disguised in a tactical uniform​ and a realistic mask that covered his ⁣entire head, drove a police-style SUV ⁢with‍ flashing lights to the legislators’ residences. ​He repeatedly affirmed his actions‌ when questioned by his attorney, ‌including whether he had shot‍ Melissa Hortman at point-blank range.

That night, he also visited the homes of two ‍other lawmakers in the Minneapolis suburbs. At one house, he‌ knocked but ​received no response. At the other, he was ⁢scared off when a police ⁢officer, mistaking him for a colleague, approached him as he sat in his ​vehicle.

U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen, in a press conference after the hearing, stated that the death penalty was only removed from consideration after Boelter agreed⁢ to ‌the maximum possible prison sentence for the six⁢ federal⁤ charges: two​ consecutive life terms, ⁣plus⁤ 40 years.

“Political violence ⁣is a blight on America,” Rosen declared. “Those who would perpetrate political violence at any level should⁣ be warned: The ‌Justice Department will seek and secure the harshest prison terms available for your crimes.”

Boelter‍ also faces state⁤ charges, including two counts of murder and four counts of⁣ attempted ‌murder, as well as charges of impersonating ​a police officer and animal cruelty. The Hortman family’s golden retriever‌ was severely injured in⁤ the shootings and ⁢had to⁢ be ⁣put down. The Hennepin County Attorney’s​ Office announced on Thursday that the federal plea agreement does not impact the state’s case, which had been paused pending the ‍resolution of the federal case.

Boelter, dressed in his orange prison​ uniform, sat attentively between⁣ his ‌two ⁢attorneys in the courtroom as U.S. District⁤ Judge John Tunheim detailed ⁢each of the six charges‌ and their maximum sentences. Tunheim accepted the ​guilty ‌pleas and‌ stated that he ​would soon set a date for sentencing.

Boelter was apprehended near his ⁣home in rural ‌Green Isle, about an hour’s drive ‌from⁣ Minneapolis, the day after the⁤ shootings. Prosecutors have suggested that the ⁤attacks were politically motivated, but⁣ many aspects remain unclear.

“Dad went to war last night,” Boelter texted his family the morning‌ after the attacks. “Words are not going to explain how sorry I am.”

Following Boelter’s arrest, authorities ⁣released a⁢ disjointed handwritten letter‍ they claim he wrote ⁢to FBI‍ Director Kash Patel, confessing‍ to the attacks but not explaining ​why he targeted the Hortmans or the Hoffmans. In messages to‍ reporters, Boelter ⁣repeatedly ⁤referred to ‍a years-long “investigation” he claimed ⁤to have been conducting, occasionally⁤ implying it was related to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Boelter, a conservative evangelical Christian who had served as​ a preacher and missionary​ in ‍Congo,⁢ spent most of⁤ his life ⁣in the food⁤ service ‍industry. He had been struggling ‌to make ends meet before the shootings, following​ the collapse of a⁤ security company he had started.

John Hoffman stated in a lawsuit filed against Boelter in April that⁢ his left‌ arm and hand​ would likely ‍never⁢ fully recover, and that he also had permanent⁢ injuries to his digestive and urinary systems.

Yvette Hoffman was left with permanent physical ‍weakness, according to the lawsuit, ‌while their ​adult daughter, Hope Hoffman, who was present during ‌the attack and called 911 but was​ not shot, suffered severe psychological trauma.