U.S. prosecutors decline to seek death penalty in plea deal with Minnesota political shooting suspect
Federal prosecutors announced they will not pursue capital punishment against Vance Boelter, who is charged with the murders of a Minnesota House leader and her husband and the attempted murders of a state senator and his wife.
Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis said they will not seek the death penalty against Vance Luther Boelter as part of a proposed plea agreement. The decision was outlined in a court filing by assistant U.S. attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and Matthew D. Forbes, who wrote that the Attorney General had authorized the approach.
Boelter, 58, is accused of shooting former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, as well as state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, during a June 14, 2025 incident in which the gunman posed as a police officer. The attacks also resulted in the death of the Hortmans’ golden retriever.
Authorities captured Boelter near his home in Green Isle the day after the shootings, ending a large-scale manhunt. He faces both federal and state charges, including murder and attempted murder, though the state case is on hold pending the federal proceedings.
Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911 and has never had a federal death-penalty case. While the previous administration advocated broader use of the death penalty, prosecutors indicated that Boelter’s case does not meet the criteria for federal capital punishment.
Boelter’s alleged motive remains unclear. Prosecutors released a handwritten letter that they say Boelter sent to FBI Director Kash Patel, in which he confessed to the shootings but did not explain the target selection. In other communications, Boelter referenced a vague “investigation” and mentioned the COVID-19 vaccine.
Friends described Boelter as an evangelical Christian who occasionally preached and held conservative political views, and who had been experiencing employment difficulties.
The Hoffmans have filed a lawsuit alleging permanent injuries: Senator Hoffman reports lasting damage to his left arm, hand, digestive and urinary systems, while his wife Yvette suffers ongoing physical weakness. Their daughter, who was present and called 911, says she experienced severe psychological trauma.
