U.S. District Judge John Tanheim handed down two life sentences and 40 years in prison to Vance Belter, 59, of Minnesota, writes The New York Times (NYT). The man was accused of killing 55-year-old former Speaker of the House of Representatives Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as the attempted murder of state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
Belter pleaded guilty in June to two counts of murder, as well as stalking and criminal possession of a firearm, after prosecutors said they did not intend to seek the death penalty.
On the night of June 14, 2025, Belter came to the Hortmans' house posing as a police officer. He was wearing a uniform, a bulletproof vest with a badge, and a realistic latex mask, RTVI reported. When Mark Hortman answered the door, the man gave him a false name and badge number and then asked to see his wife Melissa. As she approached, the attacker opened fire, killing the couple and wounding their dog, which was later euthanized due to its injuries.
Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter who killed top state Dem Melissa Hortman, her husband to be sentenced https://t.co/m5BCloFzjl pic.twitter.com/OPZUiH1UHe
— New York Post (@nypost) July 23, 2026
Shortly before this, Belter visited the house of another couple of politicians – the Hoffmans. There he shot at the senator and his wife, seriously injuring them, but doctors saved their lives by performing emergency operations, the Associated Press (AP) clarifies.
“Accused [Вэнс Белтер] looked me in the eyes and pulled the trigger. He looked at my wife and decided to do the same. My wife and I are now living with trauma. We live with the feeling that our bodies remember the sound of a gunshot,” Hoffman said
The AP also notes, citing court documents, that the man visited the homes of two other lawmakers. In one case, no one answered the door, and in another, the shooter became afraid when a police officer approached him, mistaking him for a real officer.
“This was a brutal attack on elected government officials and their families, which is, in essence, an attack on democracy itself. In some ways, our beloved state will never be the same again,” Judge Tunheim said.
Belter was a preacher who had many jobs, the NYT notes. In a letter to the FBI director before surrendering to police, he claimed that the attack was instigated by leaders of the Minnesota Democratic Party. He later told reporters that the shooting was related to an investigation he said he was conducting into vaccinations, the newspaper noted.
At the same time, prosecutors said the shooter was motivated by political motives, believing he could strengthen the position of conservatives in the state Legislature, where the vote is almost evenly divided. The prosecution's refusal to demand the death penalty sparked outrage among victims, AP notes.
“I will not feel comfortable knowing that he will be housed and fed on my taxes for the rest of his life,” said Lisa Hortman Bean, the sister of the slain lawmaker.
In a petition to the court, Belter's lawyer demanded that his client be sent to a federal prison in Florida, where he would be allowed to work to repay the damages, as well as participate in therapy and other in-person programs, writes the New York Post (NYP).
“Mr. Belter understands that due to his upcoming sentencing, he will spend the rest of his life in prison. But the skills he has acquired through his various careers make him a good candidate for employment programs and other Bureau of Prisons opportunities,” federal defense attorney Manny Atwal said shortly before the final hearing.
Relatives “expressed their anger” both towards the killer and towards the justice system, the AP emphasizes. They remembered those who died in the process as “caring, loving parents and grandparents” and as people who “influenced thousands of lives.”
