The man who killed Minnesota legislator Melissa Hortman has been sentenced to life in prison
Friends and family of Melissa Hortman, a Democratic Alliance attorney, said the suspect was sentenced Thursday to two life terms and 40 years after pleading guilty to murder that failed to end her spirit and legacy, but caused fear and anger as she changed their lives forever.
Other attorneys and survivors of the incident spoke Thursday at the trial of Vance Boelter, the man who pleaded guilty last month to charges related to the murders of former House Speaker Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the fatal wounding of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
Boelter, 59, agreed to plead guilty in June, nearly a year after the attack in the Minneapolis suburb, so federal prosecutors could seek the death penalty. Mark Hortman’s father and siblings expressed anger that he will not be sentenced to death.
US District Court Judge John R. Tunheim said it was “the longest sentence I have ever handed down after hearing thousands of cases over the years, but I believe it was appropriate.”
Victims, survivors describe the impact of the attack
In court Thursday, Hoffman said he and his family are constantly reminded of the incredible violence of that night, even in the mundane details of everyday life. He said that they no longer receive mail at home, they have installed strong metal doors to protect themselves, and they have changed the way they do their daily work due to their injuries.
“The defendant looked me in the eye and then pulled the gun. The defendant looked at my wife and chose to do the same,” said Hoffman. “My wife and I are living with the wounds. We live with our bodies and remember the gunshots.”
Yvette Hoffman said she was too traumatized to work since their home was attacked, and said she sees a therapist every week.
“I will never forget looking down and watching my blood slowly flow from that white washing machine and I felt myself sinking to the ground,” he said holding back tears. “We always have an escape plan now. This is not the way people should live.”
Boelter admitted that he spent months targeting and stalking them, before he drove to their home posing as a police officer with the intention of killing them. The police killing sparked the largest police manhunt in state history.
Democratic State Rep. Kristin Bahner was one of two other lawmakers Boelter visited that night, but she and her family were on vacation. Bahner said the shooting left him in shock.
“I didn’t understand why I survived again [Hortman] not so,” he said. “He failed because I carried him with me. In my mind and in my heart he leads me.”
The sentence provokes anger
Mark Hortman’s parents and siblings spoke of their anger Thursday, at the man who killed him and at the justice system.
“It’s not going to give me peace of mind that he’s going to have a place and a place to live for the rest of his life, paid for with my tax dollars,” said Lisa Hortman Bean, Mark’s sister.
Melissa Hortman’s mother and father and Hortman’s children changed the tone when they spoke Thursday, remembering them as attentive, loving parents and grandparents who positively impacted thousands of people’s lives.
Sophie Hortman, their daughter, explained in detail that she had to say goodbye to Gilbert, a golden retriever, who was also shot by Boelter but was still alive when they arrived at the animal hospital. She talked about her mother’s sleeping routine with Gilbert, who failed her service dog test because he was too friendly, and the care and love she gave him.
“I miss my mother. I miss my father. I miss my best friends. And I miss believing in the goodness of humanity. I hope that one day these pains will feel less. And I know like the love I have for my parents, the pain will never end,” she said with tears in her eyes.
Vance Boelter, accused of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, and wounding another lawmaker and his wife, has been taken into custody after a two-day manhunt, the governor and law enforcement officials said Sunday.
Colin Hortman talked about his parents not being at his most recent wedding, about not dancing with his mother, who he hoped would make his wedding cake. He described the horror of the house, and the panic and crying that has continued for a year since they were killed.
“My days are full of gray, and the blood that was spilled is the last thing I see before I go to sleep and the first thing I see when I wake up,” he said. “There is no punishment that weighs 15 shots, a dog killed and the rest of my life.”
“It is impossible to realize the damage done not only to our family, but to our community,” said Melissa’s father, Harold Haluptzok, who repeatedly called her “his little girl.”
“I wish the perpetrator would have sat down and talked to Melissa about his political positions. … if he had done that before he decided to kill them.”
The defense attorney says Boelter is remorseful
Public Defender Manny Atwal spoke briefly after victim’s statements Thursday, saying Boelter had shown remorse for his actions by pleading guilty and accepting a life sentence.
Boelter remained silent and very quiet for most of the hearing, showing little emotion or reaction to the distress expressed by survivors and family members.
After the sentence was read, he said only: “To everyone I have caused … feelings … I am truly sorry.”
Boelter went to Hortman’s home, wearing a tactical uniform and mask, around 3:30 a.m. on June 14, 2025. He knocked on the door while yelling that he was a welfare officer, according to court documents.
Mark Hortman opened the door. Boelter gave her a fake name and badge number before asking her to call Melissa Hortman to the door as well. He shot Mark Hortman several times before he pushed his way into the house and shot the legislator as he fled upstairs. Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed.
Boelter had already visited the Hoffmans that night, shot and fatally wounded the senator and his wife, according to police and court documents. Court documents say Boelter also went to the homes of two other lawyers that night. In one incident, no one answered the door, and in another, Boelter was startled when an officer approached him in his car, thinking it was another officer.
Boelter also faces federal charges, including two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty. Hoffman and his family filed a personal injury lawsuit against Boelter in April.
