Minneapolis —
The man who killed a former Minnesota House Speaker and her husband, and who seriously injured another lawmaker and his wife, agreed to a deal with federal prosecutors Thursday, ensuring he will not be put to death.
Vance Boelter entered guilty pleas to murder and stalking charges along with firearms offenses during a court hearing Thursday in Minneapolis, nearly a year after he committed the political assassinations of Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband and, in a separate shooting, wounded Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
The Hoffmans were among the spectators who filled the courtroom gallery Thursday, along with several members of Boelter’s family.
The plea agreement was approved by Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche, according to a court filing Wednesday. The filing did not provide specifics but said the decision to take the death penalty off the table was “in accordance with the terms” of the agreement.
