The man accused of carrying out one of the most shocking acts of political violence in modern Minnesota history has admitted his guilt.
Vance Boelter on Thursday pleaded guilty in federal court to assassinating Minnesota House Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, while also attempting to murder State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, according to multiple reports.
The guilty plea came nearly a year after a night of terror that prosecutors have described as a calculated political assassination plot targeting elected officials.
According to ABC News, Boelter admitted under oath that he shot Melissa Hortman multiple times before placing a gun to her head and killing her. The graphic admission reportedly triggered sobs inside the federal courtroom. The Hoffmans, who survived the attack, were seated in the front row as Boelter described shooting them as well.
Federal prosecutors say the attacks unfolded during the early morning hours of June 14, 2025, when Boelter disguised himself as a police officer, donned body armor, and drove a fake police SUV equipped with flashing emergency lights. (RELATED: Report: Suspected Minnesota Lawmaker Assassin Vance Boelter Captured)
Authorities say he first went to the Hoffman residence, where he repeatedly shot Sen. Hoffman and his wife after convincing them to open their door. He then traveled to the homes of other elected officials before ultimately arriving at the Hortman residence. When officers conducting a safety check encountered him outside the home, Boelter allegedly opened fire, killing both Melissa and Mark Hortman before fleeing.
The attack launched what officials described as the largest manhunt in Minnesota history. Boelter was captured roughly 40 hours later near his home in Green Isle, Minnesota.
What investigators discovered afterward intensified concerns that the killings were only part of a broader plan.
Inside Boelter’s abandoned fake police vehicle, law enforcement recovered firearms, ammunition, and notebooks containing the names and home addresses of dozens of elected officials and political figures. Authorities said the list included Democratic politicians, abortion-rights advocates, and other potential targets. Minnesota’s U.S. attorney at the time called the evidence “the stuff of nightmares.”
Gov. Tim Walz (D) previously characterized the attacks as “targeted political violence,” while federal prosecutors described them as political assassinations unlike anything Minnesota had previously experienced.
Boelter had initially pleaded not guilty to six federal charges, including murder, attempted murder, stalking, and firearms offenses. However, federal prosecutors recently announced they would not pursue the death penalty. The decision followed legal questions surrounding whether the federal stalking charges used in the case qualified as the type of underlying violent crime necessary to support capital punishment.
Despite Thursday’s guilty plea, Boelter still faces separate state murder and attempted murder charges. Minnesota prosecutors have indicated those charges could carry automatic life-without-parole sentences upon conviction.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
