Prosecutors weigh death penalty in Minnesota political shooting case

Vance Boelter’s federal case hit a new pressure point Friday in Minneapolis: prosecutors still had not decided whether to pursue the death penalty for the man accused of killing Melissa and Mark Hortman and shooting John and Yvette Hoffman. Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster pressed the U.S. Attorney’s Office for an answer during the 10 a.m. status conference, while defense lawyers said discovery was still moving forward.

The delay matters because a capital recommendation in federal court does not turn on headlines alone. Prosecutors are expected to weigh the strength of the evidence, the aggravating facts alleged in the indictment, and any mitigating information that emerges during discovery before U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen makes a recommendation. That decision would then move to Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche. FOX 9 reported that prosecutors expected to have an answer by Labor Day, a timeline that underscored how much review is still left in a case already marked by multiple victims, a political target list, and a manhunt that stretched for 43 hours.

Boelter was indicted on six federal charges on July 15, 2025, and prosecutors say the case covers the murders of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, the shootings of State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and the attempted shooting of their daughter, Hope Hoffman. Federal authorities say Boelter disguised himself as law enforcement during the June 14, 2025 attacks, then was arrested near Green Isle, Minnesota, on June 15 after what state officials described as a two-day manhunt. The charges carry maximum penalties of life in prison or death.

The Hoffman family’s civil lawsuit, filed separately, raises the emotional and financial stakes without changing the criminal case’s burden of proof. The complaint alleges John Hoffman was shot nine times and Yvette Hoffman eight times, says John Hoffman lost the full use of his left arm and hand and suffered damage to his digestive and urinary systems, and says Hope Hoffman suffered severe psychological trauma and had to stop her education for a period of time. It also accuses Boelter of stalking conduct, including parking on the Hoffmans’ street multiple times and tailing Yvette Hoffman to work.

Friday’s hearing kept the case in the spotlight because the next steps are now clear even if the punishment decision is not. Rosen is expected to file within days, the death-penalty review will then move up the Justice Department chain, and the broader case will continue to sit at the center of Minnesota’s political trauma, from the June killings to Melissa Hortman’s lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda, a rare honor for one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans and the first woman to receive it.