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New details in Vance Boelter case
New court documents reveal what Vance Boelter was doing in the days leading up to and hours after the killings of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and shootings of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, last June. Boelter is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, July 23.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Vance Boelter is expected to be sentenced Thursday in the killings of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and shootings of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, last June.
Boelter requesting to serve sentence at Florida prison
Big picture view:
In June, Boelter pleaded guilty to the deadly shootings targeting the state lawmakers. According to new court documents, prosecutors are now asking the judge for two consecutive life sentences and 40 years in prison for Boelter.
Boelter’s defense attorneys agreed to the length of the sentence, saying he understands he will spend the rest of his life in prison. But they’re requesting Boelter be allowed to serve that sentence at a prison near Orlando, Florida. He’s hoping to have employment opportunities with the Bureau of Prisons, court documents say.
Boelter’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday at the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis.
New details about Boelter's actions during manhunt
What we know:
New court documents released late Tuesday also paint a picture of what Boelter was doing as the manhunt got underway.
Shortly after fatally shooting the Hortmans inside their home in Brooklyn Park, Boelter stopped at a gas station in Brooklyn Center to buy a cowboy hat to disguise himself.
He later went to a McDonald’s near his rental in north Minneapolis, where he connected his laptop to the restaurant WiFi and searched YouTube, Info Wars and Google looking for Minnesota news.
According to the court documents, Boelter was focused on the government's balance of power, particularly in the Minnesota legislature. Just days before carrying out his attacks, Boelter had searched the internet for information about the "No Kings" rally on the Minnesota State Capitol grounds.
Prosecutors say Boelter knew that if he had been successful in all of his attempted murders on June 14, 2025, the balance of power would have shifted in both houses of the Minnesota legislature.
Minnesota lawmaker shootings
The backstory:
Boelter is accused of fatally shooting House Speaker Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman in their Brooklyn Park home, as well as shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman in their Champlin home on June 14, 2025.
Prosecutors also allege he visited the Maple Grove home of Rep. Kristin Bahner while she and her family were out of town, then later went to the New Hope home of Sen. Ann Rest, and left the scene after encountering an officer who was conducting a welfare check. After a 43-hour statewide manhunt, Boelter was taken into custody.
"Mr. Boelter carried out a heinous and unprecedented act of political violence against Minnesota’s political leaders. Violence targeting public officials is an affront to our democracy," said Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. "To the Hortman and Hoffman families, Minnesota continues to mourn the loss and the suffering you have endured. We hope today’s guilty plea brings you some measure of solace."
Prosecutors moving forward with state charges
What's next:
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office is moving forward with its case against Boelter, and the federal plea deal does not charge or resolve the status of the charges.
Boelter was indicted by a grand jury in August 2025 on multiple state charges, including first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of Melissa and Mark Hortman and attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman and Hope Hoffman.
The indictment also includes attempted first-degree murder of Rep. Kristin Bahner, felony animal cruelty related to the death of the Hortmans' dog, Gilbert, and impersonating a police officer.
What they're saying:
"Mr. Boelter will sit in a Hennepin County courtroom and be held accountable for his actions. We are in contact with the U.S. Attorney’s Office about transferring Mr. Boelter into our custody," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. "This was a devastating wave of targeted political violence that shocked our state and the nation. My thoughts are with the Hoffmans, and with Mark and Melissa’s family and loved ones as the federal phase ends and we approach state prosecution."
Boelter will make his first appearance on state charges on Aug. 3.
The Source: This story uses information from FOX 9 reporting, officials and court documents.