Plea Deal Reached in Minnesota Case Involving Political Murder Suspect

WHO:

CNN - Vance Boelter, 58, is the defendant charged in the political assassinations.

CNN - Melissa Hortman, former Minnesota House Speaker, and her husband, Mark, were victims.

CNN - State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, were also victims.

WHAT:

AP - The U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis notified the court that the Justice Department would not seek the death penalty against Vance Boelter in accordance with a proposed plea agreement.

AP - Boelter’s state case has been on hold pending the resolution of his federal charges.

AP - Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911 and has never had a federal death penalty case.

AP - Prosecutors have called the shootings political and released a handwritten letter from Boelter to FBI Director Kash Patel in which he confessed to the attacks.

AP - Friends described Boelter as an evangelical Christian and occasional preacher and missionary, who held politically conservative views and had been struggling to find work.

AP - The court filing did not detail the terms of the plea agreement.

AP - The Hortmans’ golden retriever was so gravely injured that he had to be euthanized.

AP - John Hoffman stated in a lawsuit filed against Boelter in April that his left arm and hand likely would never fully recover, and that he also had permanent injuries to his digestive and urinary systems.

AP - Yvette Hoffman was left with permanent physical weakness, according to the lawsuit.

AP - Their adult daughter, Hope Hoffman, who was present during the incident and called 911 but was not shot, suffered severe psychological trauma.

CNN - Vance Boelter is expected to plead guilty following a plea agreement during a change-of-plea hearing scheduled for Thursday morning in federal court in Minneapolis.

ABC News - The Justice Department agreed not to pursue the death penalty against Boelter as part of the plea agreement, according to court filings.

CNN - Vance Boelter is accused of killing Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as attempting to murder John Hoffman and his wife.

ABC News - Boelter is expected to plead guilty following a plea agreement.

CNN - The U.S. prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against Boelter as part of the plea agreement.

WHERE:

CNN - The change-of-plea hearing is scheduled to take place in federal court in Minneapolis.

CNN - The shootings occurred in Minnesota.

WHEN:

CNN - The shootings took place in the early hours of June 14, 2025.

CNN - Boelter was captured late the next day after the shootings.

WHY:

CNN - The Attorney General authorized the decision not to seek the death penalty against Boelter in accordance with the plea agreement.

HOW:

AP - Assistant U.S. attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and Matthew D. Forbes stated in a letter to the court that the Attorney General has authorized the decision not to seek the death penalty against Boelter in accordance with the plea agreement.

CNN - The shooter approached the victims' homes disguised as a police officer and driving a fake squad car.

CNN - Prosecutors described the search for Boelter as the largest for a suspect in Minnesota history.

(UPDATED June 11, 2026 16:22 UTC)

The U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis has informed the court that the Justice Department will not pursue the death penalty against Vance Boelter as part of a proposed plea agreement. Boelter's state case has been on hold while his federal charges are resolved, with prosecutors labeling the shootings as politically motivated and releasing a handwritten confession he sent to FBI Director Kash Patel. Friends have described Boelter as an evangelical Christian and occasional preacher who held conservative views and was facing challenges in finding employment.

(UPDATED June 11, 2026 08:30 UTC)

A court filing has revealed that the plea agreement's terms remain undisclosed. In a tragic turn of events, the Hortmans’ golden retriever was so severely injured that he had to be euthanized. Additionally, John Hoffman has filed a lawsuit against Boelter, claiming that he faces permanent injuries, while his wife Yvette is left with lasting physical weakness, and their daughter Hope is dealing with severe psychological trauma from the incident.

(UPDATED June 11, 2026 06:32 UTC)

Vance Boelter is expected to plead guilty during a change-of-plea hearing scheduled for Thursday morning in federal court in Minneapolis. As part of the plea agreement, the Justice Department has agreed not to pursue the death penalty against Boelter, according to court filings. Assistant U.S. attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and Matthew D. Forbes confirmed that this decision has been authorized by the Attorney General.

(UPDATED June 10, 2026 23:42 UTC)

Vance Boelter, aged 58, has been charged with the political assassinations of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the attempted murder of State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Boelter is expected to plead guilty as part of a plea agreement, which includes a decision by U.S. prosecutors not to seek the death penalty, and a change-of-plea hearing is set to take place in federal court in Minneapolis. The shootings occurred in the early hours of June 14, 2025, with Boelter being captured the following day after a massive manhunt, described as the largest for a suspect in Minnesota history.