Minnesota resident Vance Luther Bolter, who investigators say carried out an assassination attempt on two local Democratic lawmakers and their families last year, will avoid the death penalty in a federal case. The defendant at a hearing on Thursday agreed to plead guilty to the murder of Minnesota House of Representatives member Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, NBC News reports.
It is expected that pleading guilty as part of a plea deal will allow Bolter to count on a life sentence instead of the death penalty, which threatened him if the case was fully tried. There was a federal moratorium on executions during Democrat Joe Biden's presidency, but Republican Donald Trump's government ended it this year.
After his arrest a year ago, Bolter initially pleaded not guilty to six federal charges. His case is also pending in state court, but Minnesota has not had the death penalty since 1911.
At the June 11 hearing, Bolter, 58, was again asked whether he killed Hortman and her husband, followed them and searched for information about them on the Internet. The accused answered “yes” to all questions. Prosecutors then asked for two consecutive life sentences and an additional 40 years in prison.
According to investigators, on June 14, 2025, Bolter, disguised as a police officer, visited the homes of two local Democratic legislators in the suburbs of Minneapolis – first the home of Senator John Hoffman, and then Hortman. He demanded to open the door, claiming that the police had received a report of a shooting.
Having gained access to the house, he opened fire on the politicians and their families with a pistol. The Hoffmans survived despite the injuries they received while protecting their daughter, but the Hortmans died along with their dog.
Bolter was detained two days later; law enforcement officers were able to identify him, despite his disguise using a latex mask. The man was detained in the forest, where he fled on foot, abandoning his car.
During the searches, Bolter found a list of other possible targets – in addition to Democrats in Minnesota, he added dozens of legislators from Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan. Police also found out that he wrote a letter to FBI Director Cash Patel, claiming that he allegedly received orders from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to kill two US senators.
No specific indications of Bolter’s political leanings were found in his records, but acquaintances claimed that he voted for Trump in the elections. Democratic Gov. Walz called the killings “politically motivated” after the tragedy. Bolter owned a private security agency and is the father of many children.
