Minnesota man pleads guilty in killing of Melissa Hortman and husband
Vance Boelter admitted to murder in federal court under a deal that bars prosecutors from seeking the death penalty.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to killing Democratic state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in an attack that prosecutors described as political violence. Vance Boelter, 58, entered the plea Thursday under a federal agreement that takes the death penalty off the table, according to Al Jazeera, Reuters and The Associated Press.
Boelter agreed to a maximum punishment of two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years, the news organizations reported. Minnesota authorities have said the federal agreement does not bind the state’s separate case.
According to the reports, Boelter went to the Hortmans’ home while posing as a police officer, knocked on their door and killed them. In court, he answered “yes” when his lawyer asked a series of questions about his actions, including whether he had put a gun to Melissa Hortman’s head and fired.
US Attorney Daniel N Rosen told reporters that political violence was afflicting the country and said the Justice Department would pursue the longest prison terms available against people who commit such crimes, according to Al Jazeera, Reuters and AP.
Other officials were targeted
Prosecutors also allege that Boelter targeted Democratic state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who were wounded in the attack. The Hoffmans attended Thursday’s court hearing and sat near relatives of the Hortmans, according to the reports.
The attack drew national attention because it involved elected officials and came amid wider concern in the United States about threats and violence directed at public figures. The reports said the killings deeply affected those in the courtroom, where members of the Hortman family were present.
According to law enforcement accounts cited by the news organizations, Boelter wore tactical-style clothing and drove a vehicle resembling a police SUV, equipped with flashing lights, as he went to the homes of multiple legislators. At one home, he knocked but no one answered.
At another location, the reports said, Boelter left after a police officer approached him while apparently believing he was a fellow officer. Investigators later found a list in his vehicle containing the names of 45 other state officials and lawmakers, according to law enforcement.
Search ended near Green Isle
The shootings set off what authorities described as the largest police search in Minnesota history, according to the reports. Boelter was arrested the day after the shootings near his home in Green Isle, roughly an hour by car from Minneapolis.
Melissa Hortman had been the top Democrat in the Minnesota House. A funeral service for her and Mark Hortman was held at the Basilica of St Mary’s in Minneapolis, where a photo of the couple was displayed, according to AP photo documentation cited by Al Jazeera.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.