Vance Luther Boelter, 58, is expected to plead guilty Thursday in his federal case, court filings show.
The Justice Department informed U.S. District Judges John Tunheim and Dulce Foster of Boelter's intent to change his plea in a letter on Wednesday, and Judge Tunheim set a change-of-plea hearing for Thursday at 10 a.m. local time.
A new letter shows U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Daniel Rosen requested the change-of-plea hearing. The letter reads, in part, "The Attorney General has authorized and directed the government not to seek the death penalty against Defendant Vance Luther Boelter in accordance with the terms delineated in a proposed plea agreement."
Prosecutors declined to pursue the death penalty after a federal judge earlier this year ruled in an unrelated murder case that interstate stalking charges do not rise to the level to support a capital crime, officials said.
Boelter is facing six federal charges, including two counts of stalking, two counts of murder and two counts of firearms violations in the June 14, 2025 shootings that killed former House Speaker Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state representative, and her husband, Mark, and wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. A federal grand jury indicted Boelter last year.
He also faces state charges, including two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count each of felony cruelty to an animal and impersonating an officer, and a guilty verdict on one of the first-degree murder counts carries life without the possibility of parole, officials said. Authorities said Boelter disguised himself that night using a hyper-realistic silicone face mask and wore a tactical vest and body armor.
The Hoffman family has filed a lawsuit against Boelter accusing him of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and negligence per se, according to the civil complaint.
Boelter previously pleaded not guilty to six federal counts, including murder, attempted murder, stalking and other firearms-related charges. His attorney and prosecutors did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Police arrested Boelter nearly a year ago after a two-day manhunt and said they found a notebook in his abandoned fake police vehicle containing a list of elected officials investigators suspect were targeted. Authorities said he was arrested after crawling in a field in a rural part of the state and that the notebook included the names of lawmakers from Minnesota and other states, including Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan.
Officials said a letter found in Boelter's car after the shootings was addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel and claimed the state's governor wanted him to kill two U.S. senators. Former U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said the letter appeared to be an attempt to excuse Boelter's crimes and that there was no evidence he targeted the state's two U.S. senators.
Authorities said Boelter knocked on the Hoffmans' door, shouted, "This is the police! Open the door!" and shot the senator and his wife multiple times before driving to the homes of two other state officials, who were not home, and then proceeding to the Hortmans' residence. Thompson said Boelter also attempted to kill the couple's daughter, Hope, but the senator and his wife shielded her and she was not shot.