Minneapolis (AP) — US prosecutors said Wednesday they will not seek the death penalty as part of a plea agreement with the man charged in the political assassinations of the top Democrat in the Minnesota House along with her husband, as well as the attempted murders of a state senator and his wife.

The defendant, Vance Boelter, was scheduled for a change-of-plea hearing Thursday morning in federal court in Minneapolis.

“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,” assistant US attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and Matthew D. Forbes wrote in a letter to the court Wednesday.

Boelter’s attorneys did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, were shot by a man who came to their doors in the early hours of June 14, 2025, disguised as a police officer and driving a fake squad car.

Boelter, 58, was captured near his home in rural Green Isle late the next day after what prosecutors have called the largest search for a suspect in Minnesota history. He faces federal and state murder, attempted murder and other charges.

Strong winds, rain and lightning knocked down trees and power lines across the metro, leaving about 50,000 people without power in Minnesota.

Our 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS team captured trees down in multiple places across the Twin Cities including on West James Avenue and Wheeler Street in St. Paul’s Mac-Groveland neighborhood.

Forecast First Alert: Timing out rounds of severe storms

The tree was blocking the road after breaking off at the base and just missed hitting a red pickup truck when it fell.

In the Como neighborhood in Minneapolis, a tree fell on top of a house near Talmage and 22nd Avenues. It also fell on some power lines but did not start a fire.

Fire crews responded to secure the power lines and get the homeowner out of her house, since the tree fell on her bedroom and the front door, she told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

The woman went on to say that she was shutting the windows and making sure the doors were shut when it happened.

Trees and branches also knocked down power lines across the metro. Most of the outages were in the eastern Twin Cities, according to Xcel Energy.

Xcel Energy said it had crews in place before the storms because it expected damaging winds. A spokesperson also said that about 275 crews are in the field now to safely restore power as quickly as possible, with additional teams slated to join later.

As of Wednesday at 7:45 a.m., over 50,000 people are without power in Minnesota and 25,000 of those are in Ramsey County.

(FOX 9) – Families and service providers across Minnesota are facing uncertainty after the state’s Medicaid revalidation process left thousands without funding.

Longtime provider cut off after decades of service

What we know:

Options Inc. in Sherburne County supports nearly 200 people with developmental disabilities, helping some find work and others live more independently.

The organization has existed since 1979, and relies heavily on Medicaid funding, which was recently cut off due to the state’s effort to revalidate providers and prevent fraud.

Colene and Dan Verdick, whose 29-year-old daughter Hannah attends Options, said the loss of services is taking a toll.

“It’s very stressful,” said Colene Verdick, a parent of an Options Inc. participant.

“We don’t know what life without it would be like. I mean, we had a small taste of it during COVID, and it was not good,” said Colene Verdick.

“Nope, she was miserable,” said Dan Verdick.

Options Inc. is one of about 3,400 providers statewide that lost Medicaid funding in the process.

Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar said, “to just shut off the spigot and terminate everybody, that means you put all the good providers in the bad apple bag, and that’s wrong.”

Medicaid service providers looking for answers

Throughout Minnesota roughly 3,400 Medicaid service providers are trying to prove the legitimacy of their services after the state disenrolled roughly 60% of its providers. FOX 9’s Corin Hoggard has the details.

The revalidation process and provider appeals

Timeline:

Options Inc. began the revalidation process in May 2025, received a response in April 2026, and submitted all required documents by May 20.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) said this did not give them enough time to finish the revalidation review, including a site visit.

“We should have had this revalidation done in June of 2025. I hate to have to put families and providers through all of this stress and heartache,” said Brenda Geldert, executive director of Options Inc

The state revalidated about 37% of providers, referred 1% for inspector general’s investigations, and allowed most others to appeal their disenrollment.

Rep. Zeleznikar is urging Gov. Walz to treat the situation as an emergency and create an incident command center.

DHS response and ongoing issues

The other side:

DHS has responded to FOX 9 about other providers profiled recently, saying most have minor paperwork issues to resolve.

One provider in Rep. Zeleznikar’s district has been revalidated. However, Bella Mente says the state’s system still won’t allow them to submit bills for their services.

Options Inc. and other organizations are waiting for answers, while families like the Verdicks worry about the impact on their loved ones’ daily lives.