BREAKING NEWSMinnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman's Killer Vance Boelter Avoids Death Penalty as He Pleads Guilty to Murdering Her and Husband Mark
Vance Boelter will serve two consecutive life sentences in prison plus 40 years for his fatal attacks in Minnesota.
June 11 2026, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, are finally receiving the justice they deserve as their killer, Vance Boelter, pleaded guilty to murdering the couple while appearing in U.S. district court in Minneapolis on Thursday, June 11.
Appearing before a judge, Vance, 58, confessed to two counts of murder, shooting State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and attempting to shoot their daughter Hope, stalking Hortman and Hoffman, as well as a firearms offense, per federal court records.
Vance's guilty plea allowed him to avoid the death penalty, according to the legal documents.
Vance Boelter to Serve 2 Consecutive Life Sentences
Vance Boelter pleaded guilty and confessed to killing Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.
The deal also saw Vance agree to two consecutive life sentences in prison plus 40 years, multiple news outlets confirmed.
The Hoffmans and their kids Sophie and Colin were present in court for the official plea on Thursday, per reports.
Vance's guilty plea comes nearly one year after he opened fire on the Hoffmans before fatally shooting the Hortmans during the early hours of June 14, 2025.
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot by Vance Boelter in June 2025.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Vance was dressed in a fake police uniform and used a vehicle resembling a cop squad car when he approached the Hoffman's Champlin, Minn., home while announcing himself as law enforcement.
While the Hoffmans eventually realized Vance was falsely portraying himself as an officer, he was able to pull the trigger on his weapon several times before they were able to shut the door.
Vance — carrying a list of names and addresses for dozens of Democratic officials in Minnesota — continued his rampage by ambushing the homes of two other officials.
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The killer disguised himself as a police officer before opening fire on Democratic officials in Minnesota.
One, however, wasn't home, and the killer fled the other house after noticing actual police on scene. Eventually, he arrived at the Hortmans' home in Brooklyn Park, where he barged into their residence and unleashed multiple bullets, killing both Melissa and her husband.
Amid his attacks, police were informed about the shooting at the Hoffman's property and made their way to the Hortmans, where Vance was caught in a dark outfit standing near their front door.
Vance Boelter Was on the Run for 2 Days Before Arrest
Vance Boelter was on the run for two days before being apprehended by police near his Minnesota home.
According to the criminal complaint, officers encountered Vance before the Hortmans were fatally struck, however, the killer opened fire on cops at the scene before successfully entering the couple's home and killing them. Their golden retriever Gilbert was also hit and had to be euthanized after suffering severe injuries.
Vance somehow managed to escape the scene and was at large for two whole days before police finally arrested him near his home in Green Isle, ending a crazed manhunt for the suspect.
