Federal court to hear plea change for Vance Boelter in Minnesota political shooting case

Vance Boelter, the 58-year-old suspect charged with the June 2025 shootings that killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman’s golden retriever and injured the Hortmans and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, is set to appear before a federal judge on Thursday to change his earlier not-guilty plea. The U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis filed a notice on Wednesday indicating that the Justice Department will not pursue capital punishment as part of a proposed plea agreement. The filing did not disclose the specific terms of the deal.

Boelter was arrested near his home in Green Isle the day after the attacks, following an extensive manhunt described by prosecutors as the largest in Minnesota history. He faces both federal and state charges, including murder and attempted murder, though the state case remains on hold pending the federal resolution.

"The federal plea deal would not affect Boelter’s state charges," said Daniel Borgertpoepping, spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Minnesota abolished the death penalty in 1911, and the state has never handled a federal death-penalty case. While the federal government has previously sought capital punishment in certain cases, officials indicated that Boelter’s conduct does not meet the statutory criteria for a death-penalty charge.

Prosecutors have characterized the shootings as politically motivated. When the federal indictment was announced in July, authorities released a handwritten letter that Boelter allegedly sent to FBI Director Kash Patel, in which he admitted responsibility for the attacks but did not explain his choice of targets. In communications with media, Boelter referenced an unspecified “investigation,” at times suggesting it related to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Friends described Boelter as an evangelical Christian who occasionally preached and held conservative political views, noting that he had been experiencing employment difficulties. The victims continue to suffer lasting injuries: John Hoffman reports permanent damage to his left arm, hand, digestive and urinary systems; Yvette Hoffman experiences ongoing physical weakness; and their daughter, Hope Hoffman, who was present during the shooting, has endured severe psychological trauma.