Minnesota Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing Democratic Lawmaker Melissa Hortman

Vance Boelter was sentenced to two consecutive life terms after pleading guilty to a politically motivated attack that killed two and wounded two others.

Minnesota Lawmakers Shot

At Thursday’s hearing, relatives of the victims spoke about the attack’s enduring consequences, while federal prosecutors characterized Boelter’s actions as politically motivated violence aimed at elected officials. Alex Kormann / Minnesota Star Tribune / AP

Vance Boelter, a Minnesota man who shot and killed former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband in a politically motivated attack, was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.

The 59-year-old man pleaded guilty in June to six federal charges, including the killings of Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the shootings of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, who were wounded but survived. His sentencing came more than a year after he stalked the Democratic lawmakers’ homes while pretending to be a law enforcement officer.

The judge from the bench said the sentence was “well-deserved.”