Boelter set to change his plea from not guilty to guilty, federal court documents say
Possible change of plea for Vance Boelter
The accused shooter of Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses could be changing his plea from not guilty to guilty. FOX 9's Paul Blume has more.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Federal court documents show Vance Boelter intends to change his plea after initially pleading not guilty.
Boelter is accused of fatally shooting a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband as well as wounding another lawmaker and his wife.
Minnesota lawmaker shooting suspect files intent to change plea
Minnesota lawmaker shootings: One year later
Sunday will mark one year since Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed at their home during a politically motivated attack. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley talks about the lasting impact of their deaths.
Big picture view:
Documents filed in federal court show Boelter's counsel is requesting a change-of-plea hearing after federal prosecutors recently chose not to seek the death penalty.
That filing can be read below:
What's next:
The change of plea hearing is set for 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 11, at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis.
Minnesota lawmaker shootings
The backstory:
Boelter is accused of shooting House Speaker Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman in their Brooklyn Park home, as well as shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman in their Champlin home on June 14, 2025. Prosecutors also allege that same morning he stopped at the Maple Grove home of Rep. Kristin Bahner while she and her family were out of town, then later drove to the New Hope home of Sen. Ann Rest, and left the scene after encountering an officer who was conducting a welfare check.
A federal grand jury indicted Boelter on six counts related to the attacks of the Hortmans and Hoffmans, including stalking, murder and firearms charges. Federal prosecutors were deciding whether to pursue the death penalty in the case. However, sources tell FOX 9 that ultimately prosecutors determined that the crimes Boelter faced were not eligible for the death penalty under federal law.
State charges
Dig deeper:
In state court, a grand jury indicted Boelter in August 2025 on multiple charges, including first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of Melissa and Mark Hortman and attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman and Hope Hoffman.
The indictment also includes attempted first-degree murder of Rep. Kristin Bahner, felony animal cruelty related to the death of the Hortmans' dog, Gilbert, and impersonating a police officer.
The Source: This story uses information taken from federal court documents and previous FOX 9 reporting.