Feds won't seek death penalty in plea deal with man accused of killing Minnesota lawmaker
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- U.S. prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in a plea agreement with Vance Boelter, charged with the political assassinations of a Minnesota House leader and her husband, as well as attempted murders of a state senator and his wife.
- Boelter, 58, attacked the victims on June 14, 2025, disguised as a police officer and driving a fake squad car; he was captured following the largest suspect search in Minnesota history.
- The attacks were deemed political by prosecutors, with Boelter referencing a vague "investigation" possibly related to the COVID-19 vaccine in communications.
- Victims include former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and state Sen. John Hoffman, both suffering permanent injuries, along with their spouses; the Hoffmans' daughter experienced severe psychological trauma.
- Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911, and this case marks a rare federal prosecution involving potential capital charges, though the death penalty was ultimately not pursued.