Vance Boelter receives two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years after pleading guilty to the murder of Minnesota lawmakers.

Vance Boelter was sentenced Thursday to two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years after pleading guilty to stalking and shooting Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota last year. The federal sentence was handed down after Boelter admitted to gunning down Mark Hortman and Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman at their home in June 2025. Boelter also drove to the home of state Sen. John Hoffman, where he shot and wounded the lawmaker and his wife, Yvette. The administration's decision to offer this sentence was made in exchange for Boelter pleading guilty, which removed the death penalty from the table. While federal prosecutors noted the crimes were among the most horrific the office has ever prosecuted, some relatives of the victims expressed frustration over the lack of a death sentence, citing a desire for more significant justice. Boelter, who disguised himself as a police officer during the attacks, expressed remorse for the loss and pain caused to the victims and their families. He still faces separate state charges for the crimes.

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