A Minnesota man who stalked and killed a state lawmaker and her husband while disguised as a police officer received two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years in federal court Thursday, marking one of the most severe punishments in state history for an assault on elected officials.

A Calculated Attack on Democracy

Vance Boelter, 59, pleaded guilty in June to killing former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark during a June 2025 rampage that also left state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette critically wounded. U.S. District Court Judge John R. Tunheim called it the longest sentence he had imposed in thousands of cases over his career, adding that it was deserved.

Prosecutors detailed how Boelter spent months identifying and stalking his targets before executing his plan in the early morning hours of June 14, 2025. Wearing a tactical uniform and mask, he impersonated a police officer to gain access to the victims’ homes. The attacks sparked the largest police search in Minnesota history and heightened security concerns for elected officials across the state.

The Night of Terror

Boelter first went to the Hoffmans’ residence before arriving at the Hortman home around 3:30 a.m. He rang the doorbell while shouting he was conducting a welfare check. When Mark Hortman answered, Boelter provided a fake name and badge number, then requested to see Melissa Hortman. He shot Mark multiple times before forcing his way inside and killing the lawmaker as she tried to escape upstairs.

Court documents revealed Boelter visited two additional lawmakers’ homes that night. At one residence, no one answered the door. At another, he fled when a police officer approached his vehicle. The Hortman family’s golden retriever was also fatally wounded during the attack and had to be euthanized.

Impact on Victims and Democracy

Senator Hoffman addressed the court Thursday, reading a victim impact statement that described the attacks as calculated violence that permanently altered his life. Both he and his wife Yvette spoke, along with members of the Hortman family, including the couple’s children, Sophie and Colin. Boelter apologized to those he had caused pain, loss, and heartache.

Prosecutors argued that Boelter committed an assault on democracy itself, shattering victims’ lives and terrorizing Minnesota’s public servants. He pleaded guilty to six counts to avoid the death penalty, accepting the maximum sentence possible short of execution. Boelter still faces state charges including murder, attempted murder, impersonating an officer, and animal cruelty. The Hoffman family filed a personal injury lawsuit against him in April.