Vance Boelter sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years in killing of Hortmans

Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed in less than 30 seconds on June 14, 2025, in a shocking act of political violence. 

But their quick deaths are of no comfort to their son, Colin Hortman, who on Thursday told a federal judge that he falls asleep every night picturing a waterfall of blood flowing down the stairs of his childhood home in Brooklyn Park. It’s the same image he awakens to. 

And his parents’ quick demise is of no comfort, he said, because the last thing his mother saw before she was killed was her husband and beloved dog shot multiple times.

Now, he has trouble recalling his parents without remembering the bullet holes in their bodies. 

The horror of the assassination and the impact of the attacks on Minnesota’s political system were detailed by the Hortman children, Colin and Sophie, as well as 12 other victims at the Minneapolis federal courthouse, who shared how their lives were shattered by the man sitting next to them in an orange jumpsuit: Vance Boelter. 

Boelter last month pleaded guilty to the murders of Melissa Hortman — the former Democratic House speaker and one of Minnesota’s most consequential legislative leaders — and her husband, Mark, as well as the shooting of state Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

Thursday’s hearing signifies the final chapter in a year-long saga that has scarred the state and injected a new level of fear into politics. 

U.S. District Judge John Tunheim sentenced Boelter to two consecutive life sentences as well as an additional 40 years. There is no parole in the federal judicial system, so it’s extremely likely Boelter will spend the rest of his life behind bars. 

Tunheim said it’s the longest sentence he’s ever imposed on a person in the thousands of cases he’s heard over his career. 

“I believe it’s well-deserved,” Tunheim told Boelter.

Boelter read a short statement apologizing to the victims aloud in court: “To every person I have caused loss, pain, heartache, confusion, sadness or loneliness, I am truly sorry.”

Boelter previously pleaded guilty to all the government’s charges: two counts of stalking Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman; two counts of murder in the killings of the Hortmans; and two firearms offenses in the shootings of the Hortmans and the Hoffmans, and the attempted shooting of Hope Hoffman, who managed to call 911 amid the bloody attack.

He admitted in court that he planned the murders months in advance, recording the addresses of his victims and buying a highly realistic silicone mask to impersonate a police officer.

In the early hours of June 14, Boelter drove to the Hoffman home and shot John and Yvette Hoffman through the front door. He then drove to Rep. Kristin Bahner’s home in Maple Grove, but she was on vacation. Then he drove to Sen. Ann Rest’s home, where he was seen by a real police officer who assumed he was a cop conducting a welfare check. 

Next, he drove to the Hortmans’ in Brooklyn Park and parked his Ford Explorer with fake police lights turned on in their driveway. He rang the doorbell and said he was conducting a welfare check. He told Mark Hortman he needed to see Melissa, and then shot him. He shot Melissa multiple times as she tried to flee up the stairs. Boelter then shot her in the head. 

U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Daniel Rosen wrote in the government’s sentencing memo that Boelter “expressed great disdain” for the Democratic Party.

“And he knew that the Minnesota Legislature was so closely divided that by killing four state legislators, the inevitable result would be a shift in the balance of power in both legislative houses,” Rosen wrote. “The astonishing damage that Boelter caused to his victims and to the State of Minnesota will never be cured. Justice requires that Boelter never be free ever again.”

Many wiped away tears in the packed courtroom as legislators and family members told Boelter how his decision to kill their loved ones not only ruined their lives, but also irrevocably changed Minnesota.  

J. Carroll Hortman, Mark Hortman’s father, said that his daughter-in-law Melissa was witty and brilliant. She had a bright future, and she had yet to experience the joy of becoming a grandparent. 

“I believe she could have become the next governor of this state,” he said. 

Mark Hortman’s family, including his brother and his sister, told the judge they were upset that Boelter’s guilty plea deprived them of a trial and of the opportunity to see Boelter receive the death penalty. They hated the idea that Boelter would live a comfortable life in prison.

Carroll Hortman said he blamed Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, who he said did the country a disservice by agreeing to a plea deal. He also questioned why Brooklyn Park police on June 14 watched from afar as Boelter killed his son and went into the home and shot his daughter-in-law.

The Hortmans’ daughter Sophie Hortman said she had been working on her statement for the whole year since she lost her parents.

“I miss my mom. I miss my dad. I miss my best friends, and I miss believing in the goodness of humanity. The pain will never go away,” she said. 

She also detailed the agonizing decision to put down the family dog, Gilbert, who Boelter shot multiple times before killing Melissa Hortman.

On the morning of June 14, Sophie and Colin received conflicting information about whether Gilbert was alive and went to the veterinarian.

A vet wheeled Gilbert into the room on a metal tray. Colin started screaming when he saw Gilbert. He had been shot multiple times, including in the head. Despite his condition, Gilbert still flickered his tail when he saw the Hortman children, and he gave them kisses with his big tongue.

The Hortman children asked the vet if he would let his own dog live in Gilbert’s condition. The vet said no. 

“Colin and I agreed: Gilbert would want to be with his parents,” Sophie said. “I told him he would see mommy and daddy soon.”