Steven Spielberg’s latest cinematic offering, Disclosure Day, now available on VOD platforms like Prime Video, defies the typical alien invasion narrative. Unlike his 2005 film, War of the Worlds, Disclosure Day pivots away from worldwide destruction. Echoing elements of Spielberg’s 1977 classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, this new film invites speculation, yet stands apart as neither a direct sequel nor part of Spielberg’s imagined alien saga. As it coincidentally hits screens near the 30th anniversary of Independence Day, Disclosure Day weaves a compelling story of human intrigue rather than cataclysmic invasions. Central to its plot are the people profoundly affected by alien interactions, who are now on a mission to release once-secret information about these otherworldly beings to the global public.

In a twist that leans more towards the realm of journalism than alien fantasy, the film’s climax is strikingly reminiscent of Spielberg’s The Post, sparking varied reactions. Some call it a touch naive, reflecting a Boomer mindset, while others find it deeply touching. Even younger audiences, like my 10-year-old daughter, expressed mixed feelings, viewing the ending as a bit of a narrative shortcut. So, what message is Spielberg communicating through his famously unpredictable and quintessentially Spielbergian conclusion? Let’s delve into the movie’s entirety, spoilers and all, to uncover its true essence.

**Spoilers for Disclosure Day follow**

The film thrusts viewers into the action with an opening scene of high tension: Daniel Kellner, played by Josh O’Connor, is engaged in a tense negotiation. He trades a hardware device packed with classified material to secure the release of his girlfriend, Jane, portrayed by Eve Hewson. Yet, the pair subvert expectations by brandishing a mysterious weapon, subduing her captors, and escaping with the vital files intact. The narrative follows a private contractor determined to reclaim the evidence, which showcases undeniable proof of Earthly visits by extraterrestrial life.

Running parallel to Daniel’s saga is the story of Margaret, played by Emily Blunt, a TV weather presenter who inadvertently acquires the ability to speak multiple languages and employ sense-bending powers. Her newfound skills draw her into Daniel’s orbit, culminating in the revelation that both she and Daniel interacted with aliens during their childhoods—each bestowed with unique abilities. Daniel intuitively comprehends the mathematical language of the aliens, while Margaret has been granted the gift of universal communication. This shared revelation is dramatically explored through a reenactment of Margaret’s childhood home, a poignant setting that helps unlock their buried memories.

Ultimately, Margaret decides to join Daniel’s quest to liberate this information and broadcast “full disclosure” of the alien contact to the whole world. Jane, who once trained to become a nun before deciding she couldn’t go through with it, has worried that this revelation will destroy or irrevocably alter the faith of many religious believers, because they’ll be faced with a different form of “higher power” than they’ve been trained to expect. Similarly (albeit less humanistically), the company in pursuit of Daniel and the files argues that it is too dangerous for humanity at large to be made aware of otherworldly life. There’s also the matter of the footage itself, some of which features abject cruelty and experimentation visited upon these creatures by the U.S. government and others.

Disclosure Day Ending Explained: What Happens When Aliens Go Public?

The climax of Disclosure Day involves Margaret using her broadcasting experience to deliver proof of 70 years’ worth of alien encounters to the world. Spielberg depicts this as an epochal breaking news event, cutting to viewers around the world stopped dead in their tracks to watch these revelations unfold, whether on televisions or smartphones — though notably, the broadcast itself is from an old-fashioned network affiliate in Margaret’s Kansas City home. That particular medium, the composite nature of the movie’s UFO lore (the aliens look like stereotypical aliens, grayish and slim with big, dark eyes), and the shots of people staring wide-eyed at this footage (rather than shrugging it off as an A.I. deepfake, or muttering that the aliens had it coming for not coming onto this planet the right way) have prompted some to describe Spielberg’s depiction of this whole section as hopelessly corny and out-of-touch.

There’s even an escalating global conflict in the background of the movie, serious enough for characters to be doing apocalyptic-style supply runs even before hearing anything about aliens, that seems to freeze in its tracks as the world watchtes the alien footage. After the events of the past quarter-century, how can this filmmaker’s view of humanity be anything but a Baby Boomer delusion that should have been expired years ago? Or was maybe even actively murdered by a quorum of Boomers themselves?

With that in mind, the actual closing moments of the movie are arguably even more enervating. An actual alien is wheeled out (from where? Chaperoned by who?) into the TV studio, and whispers something to Margaret, who, remember, has the gift of communication and understanding. She turns to the camera to impart what the alien has said to the world at large — which is now, we’ve seen, watching intently. She says, to the TV camera and to Spielberg’s: “Listen.” And then the movie cuts to black. Roll credits.

This is intentionally open-ended, with two obvious (and potentially overlapping) meanings: “Listen” as in, “Listen up, here are the details of what the alien just whispered to me,” or the simple, single-word command, or possibly plea: listen to each other, rather than reacting with violence or hostility. Even if the latter isn’t literally all that Margaret is going to say, that’s all we hear, and so it’s more than fair to interpret it that way. It’s the ultimate confirmation of Spielberg’s soggy, centrist, milquetoast, inane, quasi-apolitical intentions.

Or is it? I’m not so sure that’s exactly what Spielberg is up to here. Disclosure Day is a much more optimistic film than his War of the Worlds, an alien invasion movie that itself felt like an answer to the cosmic mysteries of Close Encounters, the gung-ho-but-hands-clean warfare of Independence Day, and the real-life horrors of 9/11 all at once. Yet there’s a clear sense, based on War of the Worlds and other Spielberg movies of the past 20 years, that Disclosure Day isn’t so much his vision of how the world is, but what he hopes it could still be.

Even that hope is relatively open-ended. The people gathered around their screens aren’t necessarily experiencing newfound togetherness. We don’t see what pundits and talking heads start blabbing about as soon as the news breaks, or what statements governments (including our own) issue in response. We don’t see more than a few minutes’ worth of reactions from anyone, really; we only see the pause. We instinctively hope that it doesn’t precede a storm. Margaret asks us to listen, maybe we learn forward in our seats, and the movie ends, leaving the ultimate fate of this information in this world unknown. Spielberg isn’t asking for a lifetime’s worth of disbelief to be suspended indefinitely. He’s asking for a moment, and not even necessarily a moment of peace (though would that be so bad?) but a moment of quiet.

In this sense, it’s possible to read Disclosure Day as a reverse course from War of the Worlds, where aliens stood in for a terrorist attack, mankind quickly became stand-ins for insurgent responses to invasion, and, as in the original source material, Earth is saved mainly by a whim of nature, not our ability to band together and persevere — or to listen. Yet I don’t know that Spielberg is so much repenting for that movie, either; it’s more like he’s arguing with himself (both-sides-ing himself, even?) about where humanity is headed. Disclosure Day also feels like a conscious throwback to a lot of pre-9/11 alien material. There’s the aforementioned ID4, as well as more conspiracy-minded stories on The X-Files, both of which take government cover-ups of alien visitation as a given. Is Spielberg attempting to challenge the notion that the world was a simpler and more optimistic place in the 1990s, and reconcile those tropes with our fraught contemporary situation?

It’s not entirely clear, and for an entertainer sometimes criticized for coddling the audience or holding its hand, the optimistic yet open-ended nature of Disclosure Day‘s finale is too interesting (or, for some, too moving) to be ascribed to a cheap cop-out into hopecore territory. If anything, it’s a different sort of filmmaker’s fantasy: That images really do still have the power to stop us in our tracks, even if they won’t necessarily all suddenly transport us to the same page.

Spielberg may not know where humanity is headed, and may not be so starry-eyed as to believe in our innate goodness. But he certainly believes in cinema.

Jesse Hassenger (@rockmarooned) is a writer living in Brooklyn. He’s a regular contributor to The A.V. Club, Polygon, and The Week, among others. He podcasts at www.sportsalcohol.com, too.

On the set of The View, Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin made a clear call to action, encouraging Americans to support midterm candidates who challenge the Trump administration.

The conversation was sparked on Thursday when Goldberg, 70, dismissed a discussion among her cohosts about prospective presidential candidates for 2028. She deemed these speculations as irrelevant at the moment. 

“I don’t care what happens in 2028 right now. I want this,” she emphatically stated, gesturing towards the panel’s table to emphasize her point.

Clarifying the timeline, Sunny Hostin interjected, “2026, November,” prompting Goldberg to agree with the correction.  

“Let us—I beg you all. I beg you all,” Goldberg implored. She acknowledged that her fellow panelists’ concerns about certain progressive figures eyeing the Democratic presidential nomination might be justified. 

‘But I don’t know. But I’m telling you, we must re-adjust what’s going on,’ she said.

‘Right the ship,’ Hostin, 57, again clarified.

‘Right now,’ Goldberg agreed emphatically. ‘We have to right the ship.’ The comments come just months after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr opened a probe into the program concerning political speech.

The investigation is looking for potential violations of a 92-year-old guidance known as the ‘Equal Time’ rule, which was revived by FCC earlier this year.

Exemptions enacted in the ’90s have seen shows like The View treated as a ‘bona fide’ newscast rather than a partisan program. 

For the former, guests are booked based on newsworthiness, not relevance.    

The guidance was originally designed to ensure broadcast stations provided equal time to opposing political candidates when it was passed in the 1930s. 

Carr, a Trump appointee, also ordered an early review into ABC’s already scheduled license renewals for eight of its stations back in April.

The early renewal order was made following an investigation into ABC parent company Disney’s DEI initiatives that Carr said found the company’s local affiliates were not operating in the public interest.

The Equal Time probe, though, is threatening to thrust the arrangement The View has enjoyed into jeopardy.

Still, Sara Haines laughed on Thursday’s episode ‘Clean this ship up!’ after Hostin agreed with Goldberg.

Goldberg riffed: ‘Clean this ship up, and then we can talk about what can and cannot happen.

‘Because until we get to a place where everybody has a shot – you know, where people aren’t saying, “well, you’re a woman, you can’t do this.”

‘There’s just a lot of stuff people are saying that have to do with a lot of the stuff we fought and removed to make it so everybody could do it,’ she concluded.

The Daily Mail has approached ABC News for comment.

Intriguing excerpts from the initial ransom note associated with the Nancy Guthrie case have surfaced. The revelations come after a seasoned Arizona journalist presented them during a popular true crime podcast episode on Wednesday.

Briana Whitney, who was part of the Phoenix-based AZ Family news team when the case made headlines, joined Ashley Flowers on the “Crime Junkie” podcast. There, they delved into the ransom note and a peculiar “wrench attack” hypothesis that gained traction back in May.

A representative for “Crime Junkie” confirmed that the podcast wouldn’t release the ransom text itself, as it lacks independent verification. Nonetheless, Whitney captivated listeners by reading selections during the broadcast:

“Hello Savannah, We have your mother Nancy,” she began, reading from what she said was the first note sent to local media. “She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received, she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of seven days.”

As previously conveyed by authorities, the sender gave two deadlines with increased money demands the longer it took.

“Once payment is received to the Bitcoin address below, she will be released within 12 hours of deposit to a safe drop-off location back in Tucson,” Whitney read. “If the payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5 p.m., she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this, and her life is in your hands.”

The sender left no room for further dialogue.

“It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible,” the note reportedly continued. “You will not be able to contact me from here on out. There will be no negotiation. Do not play games. Law enforcement will not be able to help you.”

The note also included details that may have only been available to investigators and the suspect at the time, including the location of Guthrie’s Apple watch and details about the smashed floodlight in her backyard.

She also read from a purported second note, which claimed that the kidnappers had underestimated Guthrie’s health and that she had died shortly after being taken. That note reportedly included an apology at the end.

Guthrie was taken from her Tucson home in the early morning hours of Feb. 1, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.

The only known suspect remains publicly unidentified — a masked intruder who appeared on Nest doorbell camera video that the FBI recovered with help from Google.

He is described as standing between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall with an average build. He was wearing a black Ozark Trail backpack.

The sum of rewards in the case is over $1.2 million.

Anyone with information is asked to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Tucson’s Crime Stoppers affiliate at 520-88-CRIME.

Can the Los Angeles Dodgers be dethroned in the National League, or are they destined for a historic third consecutive pennant win?

This burning question forms the heart of a lively debate between California Post baseball columnists Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris in the latest episode of the Dodgers Post podcast. Their discussion follows the Dodgers’ recent series victory over the Phillies, which further cements the team’s ambitions for a World Series trifecta.

The Phillies were anticipated to be formidable opponents for the Dodgers this season, alongside other potential rivals in the NL such as the Brewers, Braves, and Cubs.

However, with the Dodgers clinching two of three games at Citizens Bank Park, Hernandez and Harris delve into the pressing question of whether any team in the league genuinely stands a chance of thwarting the Dodgers’ quest for another World Series title.

Later, the two also discuss Kyle Tucker’s ongoing slump, the latest updates on Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury and Dalton Rushing’s progress while serving as starting catcher in Will Smith’s absence.

They also analyze the team’s plans for the upcoming trade deadline, and why — as of now — the Dodgers still seem unlikely to make any splashy acquisitions.

Then, as always, they open up the mailbag and answer questions from the audience, including whether the team would have been better off re-signing Cody Bellinger this winter.

Finally, they wrap up by reviewing their predictions from last week, making new ones for the Dodgers’ upcoming series against the Mets and quizzing each other with trivia.

All that and more on the latest episode of the Dodgers Post podcast. Subscribe on YouTube or follow along on Apple and Spotify.

In an emotional revelation, the widow of Malcolm-Jamal Warner broke down as she recounted the sorrow following The Cosby Show star’s untimely death. This poignant moment comes in the midst of a bitter legal battle over a $1.2 million prenuptial agreement with his mother.

For the first time since the tragedy, Tenisha Warner, 48, shared her heart-wrenching story with Gayle King during a candid interview on CBS Mornings on Thursday. As she revisited the events of her husband’s tragic drowning at just 54 years old last summer, her emotions were laid bare.

“The experiences of that day are etched so deeply within me; it’s incredibly difficult to revisit those memories,” she expressed, her voice tinged with sorrow.

“It shatters me in a way that destabilizes my very being,” she continued, visibly shaken. “The shock was so profound that the details have become a blur.”

Malcolm-Jamal’s life was abruptly cut short in July 2025 when he was swept away by a powerful riptide during a family vacation in Costa Rica, where he had been enjoying time with Tenisha and their daughter, now nine.

The widow said: ‘[His death was] the worst day of my life, feels unfair. All I can think about is my daughter, and what I needed to do to continue being her mother and be her only parent.’

Tenisha said that ‘he is here’ and with her and her daughter ‘always,’ and that she is uninterested in moving out of the home they shared together because the ‘memories’ are all there.

She got tearful as she explained: ‘I can’t be in my own home without feeling the loss, but I can’t walk away.’

Tenisha also said that she hopes that people will not forget about her and their daughter as life continues to roll on. 

She said: ‘The hardest thing about grief is that people move on, but for us, because we’re his wife and child, there’s no moving on.

‘There’s moving with and living with — he will always be a part of our every day and there’s not a moment … in my day that I’m not affected.’

In addition to Tenisha and his daughter, Malcolm-Jamal was also survived by his mother Pamela Warner.

The widow was asked by King if she was close to her mother in law as she simply replied: ‘You know.’ 

This comes as Tenisha has entered multiple legal filings in an effort to collect around $1.27 million from a family trust headed by Pamela

The widow named her late spouse’s mother in a lawsuit in Georgia’s DeKalb County Superior Court on Monday, according to documents reviewed by The Daily Mail.

Warner made her filings a year to the day after the actor tragically drowned while on vacation in Costa Rica. 

‘For the last year, I have attempted to privately settle my beloved husband’s complicated estate and honor his last wishes,’ Tenisha told the Daily Mail in a statement on Tuesday. ‘Malcolm had every intention to provide for our nine-year-old daughter [MacKenzie] and me.’

She said of Warner, who famously portrayed Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show: ‘He was close to finalizing a new estate plan to replace the stale plan created in 1996 when he was 26 years old, 20 years before we met and well before we gave birth to our beautiful daughter. Sadly, he was unable to do so before we lost him.’

Tenisha said she has ‘been struggling to care for [her and Warner’s] daughter as a single mom and now as her sole provider,’ and legally ‘had no choice but to take action to protect our rights before any potential statute of limitations expired.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Pamela Warner for comment but has yet to hear back.

Tenisha said in the Georgia filing that on May 15, 2022, she and the late actor had come to a prenuptial agreement in which he consented to making her the sole beneficiary of a life insurance policy worth $1 million, but he fell short on making key moves prior to his passing.

The late actor did not buy or keep up the life insurance policy, Tenisha said in the lawsuit.

Tenisha also cited in the suit unpaid expenses left by the late actor, including $16,000 in yearly tax-free payments ‘per year on each anniversary of the parties’ marriage’ that eclipsed $50,000. 

Tenisha said the late actor had agreed to place $30,500 into a Roth IRA in her name, as well as to make her a monthly payment of $5,000 for her work as his chief of staff and assistant.

According to the filing, the payments amounted to around $195,000.

Tenisha said in the filing that she did not think his estate had been funded, and wanted the assets taken from a family trust the actor set up, which is controlled by his mother. 

‘Plaintiff performed all obligations required of her under the Agreement, including entering into and remaining in the marriage until the Decedent’s death,’ Tenisha said in the Georgia filing. ‘The Decedent died without having satisfied his obligations under the Agreement, and no person or entity has paid or provided the sums due to Plaintiff.’ 

She also requested that the court put a hold on the money in the estate to prevent it from being distributed before the case is sorted. 

The filing in Los Angeles Superior Court named ‘The Warner Family Trust, dated October 7, 1996,’ and established that Tenisha was requesting $1,276,042.46 and related costs in the Georgia suit. 

The petition was for an order of conveyance of trust property and related claims under probate code, establishment of payee of the trust, preservation of protective actions, determining the omitted spouse’s beneficial interest, instructing the trustee to preserve the assets and for trustee to account. 

Tenisha said in a July 17 petition filed in Los Angeles County Court and reviewed by the Daily Mail that she is due ‘at least the total amount of $1,276,042.46 in addition to prejudgment and postjudgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs.’

On Monday, Pamela Warner posted a statement to a memorial page in the late actor’s honor, to mark the one-year anniversary of his passing.

‘Today has come so very quickly. It is amazing how a year of pain, hurt, loss, emotional de-stabilization, and most importantly growth, has come and sits here before me,’ she said in the emotional statement. ‘It has been a whirlwind of experiences, insights, discoveries and the realization that life can bring to your door-step the unimaginable.’

Later in the post, Pamela Warner said she has been at the end of a number of heavy life lessons following her son’s tragic death.

‘I have discovered how cruel, evil and greedy a human can be,’ she said. ‘I have also discovered the depth of love, care, concern and support that humans are capable of. All of which I have been the recipient of. The good, the bad and the ugly. These are the lessons that apparently I will need as I continue my journey.’

Pamela Warner concluded by urging people to ‘please take care of yourselves and those who you love.’

‘Let them know that they are loved. Clear up any beef you may have with your loved ones, if possible. Cleanse your spirit of negativity,’ she continued. ‘We all have an expiration date.

‘Don’t leave or let your loved one leave without them knowing that they are loved and treasured. That knowledge and “clean plate” has helped me to survive,’ she added.

As Alex Murdaugh awaits a retrial related to the tragic murders of his wife and son, the fallen attorney is also grappling with a complex financial quandary.

Murdaugh is currently in debt to the tune of over $1.6 million in unpaid taxes, as well as related penalties and interest, in South Carolina. This unwelcome status places him among some of the state’s largest individual tax delinquents, as revealed by recently released records.

According to the South Carolina Department of Revenue’s (SCDOR) latest quarterly update, which was published on July 16, “Murdaugh, Richard” owes a staggering $1,630,201.02. This amount represents the fourth-largest individual tax debt currently listed by the state.

The department noted that it discloses the identities and debts of delinquent taxpayers in a bid to enhance “transparency, fairness and compliance” within the system.

Before anyone lands on the public list, revenue officials said they repeatedly attempt to resolve the debt through letters, phone calls or personal contact. A state tax lien has also been filed against everyone named, making each debt a matter of public record.

“We’ve sent letters, made calls, or attempted personal contact multiple times with no resolution,” the department states in its online frequently asked questions.

Murdaugh’s seven-figure tax debt comes as his attorneys prepare to defend him in a second murder trial. Dick Harpootlian previously told News Media that the lawyers received a substantial flat fee upfront roughly five years ago and would remain on the case through its conclusion.

“We got paid a fee up front, you know, five years ago. It was a big fee,” he said. “So we’re in the case until it’s over.”

Harpootlian conceded that the yearslong legal battle could prove costly for his firm but said that risk is inherent in his work.

“Sometimes you take cases that turn out to be economically losers, but that’s the nature of the game,” he said. “We take flat fees.”

Murdaugh, once a powerful Lowcountry lawyer from a prominent legal dynasty, was convicted in March 2023 of gunning down his wife and son, Maggie and Paul. Prosecutors argued at trial that Murdaugh killed them to gain sympathy and distract from a collapsing web of financial crimes, stolen client money and lies.

The case was thrown back into turmoil after allegations surfaced that court clerk Rebecca Hill made improper comments to jurors during the trial. Murdaugh’s defense argued she tampered with the jury to secure a guilty verdict and boost publicity for a book.

The court found that Hill was drawn by the “siren call of celebrity” and allowed public attention to overcome her duty. The state has maintained that Murdaugh received a fair trial, but the South Carolina Supreme Court reversed the murder and weapons convictions and remanded the case for new proceedings.

Murdaugh’s attorneys have already previewed some of the issues they want to raise before any retrial, including a motion to test unknown male DNA reportedly found under Maggie’s fingernails.

News Media has reached out to Murdaugh’s attorneys and state prosecutors for comment.

In a shocking courtroom scene, a Florida mother, who defiantly screamed “let the monster die” before fatally shooting her ex-partner during a daycare pickup, was observed smiling as she received a 100-year prison sentence.

Mindy Osteen, aged 34, has been condemned to spend the rest of her life behind bars for the ruthless killing of 37-year-old Christopher Travis Jones. The violent incident unfolded in front of their two young sons at Auntie Lili’s Childcare Center, situated in the quaint town of Starke, as reported by WCJB.

Despite the gravity of the sentencing, Osteen appeared unfazed, grinning in her bright yellow jumpsuit with handcuffs securely fastened during the court proceedings.

The tragic series of events began in July 2025 when Osteen made an unanticipated appearance at the daycare. Initially, she greeted Jones and their sons with hugs, seemingly setting a peaceful tone.

However, the situation took a deadly turn when, just after Jones had settled their children into the back seat of his car and assumed the driver’s position, Osteen drew a firearm from her backpack and discharged it three times into the vehicle.

Jones ran out screaming and tried to run for cover inside the daycare. But he was unable to get through a second security door and was hit several more times before the gun jammed.

“Please, let the monster die,” Osteen was heard saying on surveillance footage.

“You got to die,” she was heard telling Jones. “Chris, you can’t kill my kids,” she was heard telling him — to which he replied, “I’m not killing nobody.”

The dad was still alive when deputies arrived, and he identified Osteen as the shooter. She gave herself up without incident, telling police, “I’m right here y’all. I done it in self-defense.”

Jones later died at the hospital from his wounds.

Neither of their young sons were hurt, and have since been adopted by a woman not related to Jones or Osteen’s family, WSAZ reported.

Osteen avoided going to trial after she pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, several firearm-related charges, and discharging a weapon within 1,000 feet of a school and shooting into a vehicle.

She was sentenced last week to a total of 100 years in prison and was ordered to have no contact with Jones’ family.

“I hope she never has the ability to be back out on the street because she is a very, very dangerous person,” Jones’ great-aunt Phyllis Sands told WSAZ.

A Minnesota man who confessed to the brutal slaying of a prominent Democratic lawmaker and her spouse has been condemned to live out his days behind bars.

At 59, Vance Boelter received two life sentences and an additional 40 years for the murders of House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. This sentence also comes in light of the attempted murders of state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who managed to survive.

Last month, Boelter opted for a guilty plea, attempting to sidestep the death sentence by accepting the most severe punishment available, short of execution.

During Thursday’s sentencing, Boelter made an effort to express remorse. However, his words fell on deaf ears as supporters of the victims chose to leave the courtroom as he spoke.

“To everyone I’ve brought loss, anguish, confusion, or grief, I am deeply sorry,” Boelter stated from the court podium, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Boelter admitted in court in June that he spent months identifying and stalking his targets, before driving to their homes in the middle of the night disguised as a police officer,with the intention of killing them.

The killings sparked the largest police search in state history.

Wearing orange prison garb and shackled at the ankles, Boelter sat extremely still, never looking at the survivors and family members as they read their victim impact statements.

In court Thursday, Sen Hoffman said he and his family are constantly reminded of the extraordinary violence of that night, even in the mundane details of day-to-day life. 

He said they don’t receive mail at home anymore, they installed solid steel doors, and that they have changed how they do everyday tasks because of their injuries.

‘The defendant looked me in the eyes and pulled the trigger. The defendant looked at my wife and chose to do the same,’ Hoffman said. ‘My wife and I now live with injuries. We live with our bodies remembering the gunfire.’

Yvette Hoffman said she has been too traumatized to work since the attack in their home, and that she sees a therapist weekly.

‘I fought him, your Honor, with everything I had. And I finally got him out of our home. I will never forget looking down and watching my blood slowly stream down that white washing machine as I felt myself sinking to the floor,’ she said, barely holding back tears as she spoke. ‘We always have an escape plan now. This isn´t how people should live.’

Mark Hortman’s parents and siblings spoke of their anger Thursday, both at the man who killed him and of the justice system.

‘It will not offer me peace of mind that he will have room and board provided for the rest of his life, paid for by my tax dollars,’ said Lisa Hortman Bean, Mark’s sister.

Melissa Hortman’s mother and father, and the Hortman’s children changed the tone of the statements when they spoke Thursday, remembering them as attentive, loving parents and grandparents and people who impacted thousands of lives.

‘It is impossible to realize the damage that has been done not only to our family, but to our society,’ said Melissa’s father Harold Haluptzok, who repeatedly referred to her as his ‘little girl.’

‘I wish the perpetrator would have sat down and talked to Melissa about his political positions… if only he did that before he decided to kill them,’ Haluptzok added.

Boelter went to the Hortmans’ home, wearing a tactical uniform and mask, about 3.30 am on June 14, 2025. He rang the doorbell while shouting he was a police officer doing a welfare check, according to court documents.

Mark Hortman answered the door. Boelter gave him a fake name and badge number before requesting he summon Melissa Hortman to the door as well. 

He shot Mark Hortman multiple times before pushing into the house and shooting the lawmaker as she fled upstairs. Melissa and Mark Hortman were both killed.

Boelter had already visited the Hoffmans’ home that night, shooting and critically injuring the senator and his wife, according to police and court documents. 

Court documents said Boelter also went to two other lawmakers’ houses that night.

In one instance, no one answered the door, and in the other, Boelter was spooked when a police officer approached him in his car believing he was another officer.

Boelter also faces state charges, including two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty. 

The Hortman family’s golden retriever was gravely injured in the shootings and had to be euthanized. 

Hoffman and his family filed a personal injury lawsuit against Boelter in April.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.