Man who set fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's mansion pleads guilty to attempted murder

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Cody Balmer, the man accused of setting the governor's mansion ablaze in an attempt on Gov. Josh Shapiro's life this spring, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and related crimes on Tuesday morning and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.

Balmer, 38, admitted his guilt in the overnight attack on Shapiro's official residence, which took place just hours after the governor and his family had celebrated Passover there. Police said Balmer walked for more than an hour from his Harrisburg home to the downtown estate around 2 a.m., scaled a fence, and lit several fires using incendiary devices before fleeing the property undetected by security.

The blaze broke out as the governor and his family slept. They were awakened by state troopers and escaped unharmed with the two family dogs. The fire did significant damage to the property that officials say will cost millions to repair.

Balmer was arrested the next afternoon after turning himself in. He carried a hammer and beer bottles filled with gasoline on the evening of the attack, police said, and told investigators he harbored a "hatred" for Shapiro and that he would have attacked the Democratic governor had he encountered him.

The crime drew national attention and some, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, questioned whether Balmer had antisemitic motivations because he set the fire on the Jewish holiday at the home of a governor who has visibly embraced his religion. In the days after the blaze, an emotional Shapiro condemned the violence and said the arson would not deter him from practicing his faith.

Balmer told authorities he targeted Shapiro because he disagreed with his stance on the war in Gaza and his support for Israel amid the suffering of Palestinians. Balmer's family said he struggled with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia had not been taking his medication. They said he had not been motivated by political ideology, and on social media, Balmer espoused conflicting political views.

In court Tuesday, Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo played chilling security footage of Balmer's assault on the governor's residence in which he was seen strolling casually across the well-lit, manicured lawn, then using a sledge hammer to break the window and throwing a Molotov cocktail inside. A second exterior camera captured the blaze that erupted inside, quickly eventually engulfing part of the home.

Balmer then made his way inside through another window, the footage showed, then kicked at a door several times before moving into the dining area to light another firebomb. Had Balmer successfully broken down that door, the prosecutor said, he could have entered the wing of the home where the governor, his family, and 15 houseguests — eight of them children — slept.

Although Shapiro, his family, and everyone else in the home escaped safely, Chardo said, the crime left them feeling shaken and vulnerable. Shapiro, he said, feels guilt that his children and others were put at risk in a place where they should have felt secure and added that the governor now fears for his own safety, both at home and during public appearances.

Balmer appeared in the Dauphin County courtroom of Common Pleas Court Judge Deborah Curcillo wearing a maroon prison jumpsuit and calmly answered "yes" when asked whether he understood the consequences of his plea. In addition to attempted murder, he pleaded guilty arson, terrorism, reckless endangerment, and related crimes.

Before handing down her sentence, Curcillo called the security footage "horrific."

"That was very frightening," she said.

Members of Balmer's family were in the courtroom as Chardo read a statement on their behalf.

They wrote that Balmer was a "beloved" father, brother, and son who had struggled with mental health issues after stopping his medication because he believed he was well again. The family was "desperate to get him help," they wrote, and said they had previously reported Balmer to authorities for his erratic behavior, but were told he was not a danger to himself or society.

They also offered apologies to Shapiro family.

Balmer's attorney, Bryan S. Walk, said his client was "deeply remorseful" for the attack and plans to pursue mental health treatment in prison.

In the decade preceding the April 14 attack, Balmer, who had worked in auto mechanic, has faced criminal charges including for assault and forgery. He pleaded guilty to a forging a paycheck in 2016 and was sentenced to 18 months probation in Dauphin County.

As recently as 2023, Balmer was in and out of court in a custody battle involving his children. He was charged with simple assault that year for a domestic violence incident involving his former wife and stepson. The case is pending.

Balmer's online political musings were largely critical of Democratic officials including former President Joe Biden, though he appeared to support some other Democratic candidates. He was not registered to vote with either major political party.

Balmer's disdain for Shapiro, however, was palpable.

He told police he would have beaten the governor with the hammer he carried had he encountered him on the evening of the attack. After scaling the mansion's fence and breaking inside the residence, Balmer lit a Heineken bottle filled with gasoline and started a fire in the piano room before moving on to the dining room, where Shapiro and at least 25 others had celebrated the first night of the Jewish holiday just hours earlier.

Balmer told an ex-girlfriend shortly after the attack he had attempted to set the governor's residence ablaze and asked her to report him to the authorities.

And less than an hour after the setting the blaze, Balmer called police to admit the crime and criticized Shapiro, one of the country's most prominent Jewish officials, saying he needed the governor to know he will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people." He also called the governor a "monster."

While Balmer's girlfriend alerted authorities, it was Balmer who ultimately turned himself in.

In addition to the prison sentence, Balmer was ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution. He will not be eligible for parole until 2050, according to the district attorney's office.