The Minnesota assassin who pleaded guilty to k!lling a top Democratic lawmaker and her husband is set to be sentenced in federal court. Vance Boelter, 59, agreed to plead guilty in June, almost a year after the Minneapolis-area attacks, when he stalked and k!lled House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and critically wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
Boelter pleaded guilty to six counts so federal prosecutors would not seek the de@th penalty; instead, he agreed to serve two consecutive life sentences, plus 40 years. Prosecutors and federal defenders said it was the maximum sentence he could be issued short of the death penalty. During his plea hearing, Boelter admitted he spent months identifying and stalking his targets before driving to their homes in the middle of the night disguised as a police officer with the intent to k!ll them. "Vance Boelter committed an ass@ult on democracy," federal prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. "He shattered the lives of his victims. He terrified Minnesota's public servants. He threatened police and pointed a gun at an officer. He viciously attacked the organs of Minnesota's representative government."
According to court documents, Boelter first went to the Hoffmans' home, where he shot and critically wounded the senator and his wife. He then drove to the Hortmans' home around 3:30 a.m., rang the doorbell, and identified himself as a police officer conducting a welfare check. When Mark Hortman answered the door, Boelter gave a fake name and badge number before asking for Melissa Hortman. He then shot Mark Hortman multiple times, forced his way inside, and fatally shot the House speaker as she fled upstairs. Melissa and Mark Hortman were k!lled along with their rescue golden retriever, Gilbert.Hoffman and his family later filed a personal injury lawsuit against Boelter in April. Ahead of Thursday's sentencing, Boelter's attorney asked the court to recommend that he be housed at a federal prison in Florida, where he could work to pay restitution and participate in therapy and other prison programs. "Mr. Boelter understands that his impending sentence means he will spend the rest of his life in prison," federal defender Manny Atwal wrote. "But the skill set he maintains from his diverse employment history makes him a strong candidate for programming, employment, and other opportunities at the Bureau of Prisons." The post Update: Minnesota assassin who k!lled top female politician and her husband set to be sentenced appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.
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