On Thursday, after a deal that removed the possibility of a federal death penalty conviction, Vance Boelter changed his plea to guilty in six counts after last year's killing of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, along with the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
Sentencing for those will come later in July, with consecutive life terms plus more expected to be handed down.
Despite the resolution to those federal charges, Hennepin County attorney Mary Moriarty says the state case against Boelter will continue despite his plea on Thursday.
"Mr. Boelter will sit in a Hennepin County courtroom and be held accountable for his actions," Moriarty explained. "We are in contact with the U.S. Attorney's Office about transferring Mr. Boelter into our custody. This was a devastating wave of targeted political violence that shocked our state and the nation."
Boelter faces a litany of state charges including two first-degree pre-meditated murder charges for killing the Hortmans.
"The sentence for a guilty verdict on a single charge of first degree premeditated murder is mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole," says Moriarty. "State sentences are not affected by presidential pardons."
Boelter also stopped outside the homes of two other lawmakers in the Minneapolis suburbs that night. At one, he knocked but no one answered. At the other, he was apparently frightened away when a police officer, believing he was a fellow officer, approached him as he sat in his vehicle.
It was originally expected Boelter could face the death penalty for the federal charges, but prosecutors dropped that possibility in order to get a guilty plea from him, which took place in federal court earlier this week.
U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen told reporters after the hearing that the death penalty was only taken off the table after Boelter agreed to the longest possible prison sentence for the six federal charges.
“Political violence is a scourge plaguing America,” Rosen said. “Those that would commit political violence at any level should take heed: the Justice Department will seek and obtain the longest prison terms available for your crimes.”
