RismadarVoice Reporters
July 23, 2026
A United States federal court has sentenced Vance Boelter, 59, to two consecutive life prison terms for the murder of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman.
The sentence was handed down on Thursday by US District Judge John R. Tunheim, who also imposed an additional 40-year prison term, describing it as the longest sentence he had delivered during his judicial career.
“This is the longest sentence I have imposed after hearing thousands of cases over the years, but I do believe it is deserved,” the judge said.
Boelter pleaded guilty in June to six federal charges after reaching an agreement with prosecutors, who, in return, agreed not to seek the death penalty.
Under the plea agreement, he accepted responsibility for the killings of Melissa and Mark Hortman and the attempted murder of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, who survived the attack with critical injuries.
Addressing the court before sentencing, Boelter apologised to the victims and their families.
“To every person I have caused loss, pain, heartache, confusion, sadness, shame or loneliness, I am truly sorry,” he said.
Members of both the Hortman and Hoffman families delivered emotional victim impact statements during the hearing.
Senator Hoffman described the attack as a deliberate act of violence that permanently altered his life.
“These were acts of calculated violence. The defendant permanently changed my life. Every ordinary, boring moment [was] forever altered by extraordinary violence,” he said.
According to court documents, Boelter admitted spending several months identifying and stalking his intended targets before carrying out the attacks.
Prosecutors said he visited the victims’ homes during the early hours of June 14, 2025, disguised as a police officer wearing tactical gear and a mask.
He allegedly approached the Hortmans’ residence under the pretext of conducting a welfare check before fatally shooting Mark Hortman and then killing Melissa Hortman as she attempted to flee.
Earlier that same night, Boelter had reportedly gone to the Hoffmans’ residence, where he shot and critically injured Senator Hoffman and his wife.
Investigators also revealed that he travelled to the homes of two other lawmakers during the operation but failed to carry out additional attacks.
Federal prosecutors described the killings as “an assault on democracy,” arguing that the attacks spread fear among elected officials and threatened public confidence in democratic institutions.
In addition to his federal conviction, Boelter still faces separate state charges, including murder, attempted murder, impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty, after the Hortman family’s pet dog was seriously injured during the attack and later euthanised.
