Man pleads guilty to killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband while posing as an officer

By — Tim Sullivan, Associated Press Tim Sullivan, Associated Press By — Hannah Fingerhut, Associated Press Hannah Fingerhut, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/man-pleads-guilty-to-killing-a-minnesota-lawmaker-and-her-husband-while-posing-as-an-officer Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Man pleads guilty to killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband while posing as an officer Politics Jun 11, 2026 3:16 PM EDT MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota man who posed as a police officer and knocked on lawmakers' doors in the middle of the night, killing the top Democrat in the state House and her husband and wounding a state senator and his wife, pleaded guilty to murder on Thursday so that federal prosecutors would not seek the death penalty. The attacks by Vance Boelter, 58, sparked the largest search for a suspect in state history. They also reverberated far beyond Minnesota, as elected officials across the country feared that escalating threats and polarization could lead to more violence. READ MORE: Feds won't seek death penalty in plea deal with man accused of killing Minnesota lawmaker There were brief sobs from the courtroom gallery on Thursday as family members of Melissa and Mark Hortman sat alongside Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, while the chilling events of June 14, 2025, were described in great detail. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Disguised with a tactical uniform and realistic mask that covered his entire head, Boelter drove a fake police SUV with lights flashing to the legislators' homes. As his federal defense attorney questioned him about his actions, including whether he pressed a gun to Melissa Hortman's head and fired, Boelter repeatedly said a simple "yes." The Hortman family's golden retriever was so gravely injured that it had to be euthanized. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said in a press conference Thursday that they believed the case was charged appropriately and "death penalty-eligible." He said the death penalty was only taken off the table with Boelter's agreement to the longest possible prison sentence: two consecutive life terms, plus 40 years, for the six federal charges. WATCH: How misinformation spread after Minnesota lawmaker's murder "Political violence is a scourge in our nation," Rosen said in a statement Thursday. "To all of those who would commit political violence: this Justice Department will seek and obtain the longest prison terms for your offense." Boelter also faces state charges, including two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder as well as charges of impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office said Thursday that the federal plea agreement does not affect the state's case, which had been on hold pending the resolution of the federal case. Boelter, wearing