Boelter avoided a potential death sentence by negotiating a federal plea agreement in June that locked in the maximum statutory prison terms instead. The hearing featured intense victim impact statements from surviving family members and public officials who survived the night of terror. While Thursday’s federal court ruling ensures the defendant will remain incarcerated indefinitely, his legal proceedings are not fully concluded. County prosecutors confirmed they intend to move forward with separate state-level charges, which include counts of first-degree premeditated murder, attempted murder, law enforcement impersonation, and animal cruelty. State conviction on the murder counts would carry an additional mandatory life sentence without parole under Minnesota law.