Vance Boelter, the man convicted of killing Melissa Hortman in 2000, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The sentence was handed down on Friday in a Minnesota court, following a retrial that began earlier this year.
Case details
Hortman, 22, was found dead in her apartment in St. Paul in November 2000. She had been strangled. Boelter was originally convicted in 2002 and sentenced to life, but that conviction was overturned in 2022 due to prosecutorial misconduct. The retrial resulted in a guilty verdict in June 2026.
Impact
Melissa Hortman's mother, Susan Hortman, said in a statement: "We are grateful that justice has been served. Melissa's memory will live on." Boelter has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
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