The Justice Department announced a plea agreement with Vance Boelter, who faced charges for the murder of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Boelter will not face the death penalty. A judge received a letter detailing this proposed agreement, with a hearing set to change Boelter’s plea from not guilty.
Melissa Hortman and her husband died in a politically motivated attack. Boelter is also accused of wounding State Senator John A. Hoffman and Yvette Hoffman. Boelter’s legal team and the Justice Department have refrained from making public statements or commenting on the plea deal’s specifics.
Judge John R. Tunheim scheduled the change of plea hearing for Thursday morning. The Justice Department concluded that the stalking charges linked to Boelter did not warrant the death penalty. Federal law allows capital punishment for murders involving firearms if the crime qualifies as violent, but stalking does not meet this criterion under precedent.
No immediate clarity exists on how the federal plea deal affects the state case against Boelter. Minnesota lacks the death penalty for state offenses, although federal prosecutors initially considered it. The attacks, conducted while Boelter posed as a police officer, led to a significant search and raised alarms about rising political violence.
Authorities discovered documents in Boelter’s disguised police vehicle that listed numerous political figures’ names. Melissa Hortman, a former Minnesota House Speaker, was a lawyer and influential legislator. During 2023, she helped pass significant laws on abortion rights, marijuana legalization, and paid family leave with a Democratic majority.
Mark Hortman, who worked in electrical manufacturing, was remembered by friends as supportive, humorous, and a sports enthusiast. The case highlights ongoing concerns about political violence.