A federal judge on July 23, 2026, sentenced 59-year-old Vance Boelter to two consecutive life terms plus 40 years in prison for the targeted June 2025 fatal shooting of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.
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District Court Judge John R. Tunheim handed down the sentence after hearing victim impact statements from surviving family members and state Sen.
John Hoffman, who was critically injured alongside his wife during the same night of violence.
Boelter Pleaded Guilty to Avoid Death Penalty
Boelter had pleaded guilty in June to six federal counts to avoid the death penalty, admitting he spent months stalking his targets before disguising himself as a police officer to gain entry into their homes on June 14, 2025.
Prosecutors described the attacks as a calculated political assassination that targeted Minnesota's public servants and shattered the lives of the victims, while the defense noted that Boelter accepted responsibility to spare further trial proceedings.
Judge Tunheim called the decision the longest sentence he had imposed after hearing thousands of cases over the years, adding that he believed it was deserved, as reported by CNN.
Victims and Families Speak in Court
Sen. Hoffman detailed his physical recovery and security measures implemented since the shooting during his court testimony.
"The defendant looked me in the eyes and pulled the trigger.
The defendant looked at my wife and chose to do the same," said John Hoffman, Minnesota State Senator.
