Man Indicted in Connection with Accusations He Killed Ex 11 Days After Being Sprung from Jail

Man Indicted in Connection with Accusations He Killed Ex 11 Days After Being Sprung from Jail Matthew Brenneman, 39, allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend, Army veteran Danicka Bergeson, 33,

prosecutors say

Bergeson.Credit :

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Content warning: The following article contains disturbing descriptions of alleged domestic violence.

A Minnesota man has been indicted on murder charges in connection with the death of his Army veteran ex-girlfriend, 11 days after being released from jail on parole for beating her

previously, authorities say.

Matthew Scott Brenneman, 39, was indicted on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder in a domestic-violence- related homicide, which allegedly occurred on

July 8, 2023, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Wednesday.

In June, Brenneman pleaded guilty in two separate domestic violence cases as part of a parole deal in which he agreed not to contact his ex-girlfriend, Danicka Bergeson, 33, when he got out

of jail, Fox 6 Now reported, citing prosecutors.

He was scheduled to attend a sentencing hearing in August 2024. But now he's accused of killing Bergeron, who was found dead in her Hopkins apartment on July 8, according to the statement of

probable cause, obtained by PEOPLE.

Officers had come to her apartment at the request of  her building manager who said he had heard “groaning, yelling, and banging” sounds coming from her unit, according to the statement of

probable cause.

The building manager allegedly told police that the woman who lived in the apartment had been the recent victim of multiple incidents of domestic violence by her boyfriend, Brenneman,

according to the statement of probable cause.

Man Was Released from Jail After Pleading Guilty to Abusing Girlfriend. Days Later, He Murdered Her: Police Inside the apartment, police allegedly found  Brenneman inside the bathroom

“grunting, and growling” and smelling of bleach, the probable cause statement said.

He was incoherent and disoriented, the statement alleged.

Officers then noticed a lump in the bedding of the primary bedroom and went to see if Bergeron was asleep. She was covered with a thick comforter and was wrapped tightly with blankets,

authorities said in the statement.

One of the officers pulled back one of the blankets and found her hand, which showed signs of decomposition. They pulled the rest of the blankets back and saw Bergeron’s head covered with a

plastic garbage bag, the statement of probable cause said.

She had been dead for a few days, according to police.

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Officers took Brenneman to the hospital because he had ingested bleach, before arresting him and booking him into jail.

Six days before Bergeron’s remains were found, Bergeron’s friends and family began worrying about her because they couldn't reach her. 

On July 7, Bergeson’s mother said she had received correspondence from Bergeron on her phone that didn't sound like it was coming from her daughter.

The complaint cited phone records showing that Brenneman was allegedly in the vicinity of Bergeson’s address on June 29, two days after he was released from jail following his prior assault

on her. At the time he was allegedly spotted in her area, there was an active restraining order against him from the court. 

According to the complaint, there were numerous alleged incidents of assault on Bergeson in the past, when Brenneman bit and punched her multiple times. Following an attack in April,

Brenneman allegedly sent text messages to a friend claiming he gave Bergeson a black eye and she “deserved it, if any woman ever has.”

Police also found what appeared to be bloody clothing in a guest bedroom in the apartment. Brenneman allegedly left a series of notes strewn about the apartment, claiming his innocence and

claiming that he had never been physically abusive with a woman before.  

“I never loved any woman I was romantically involved with as profoundly and honestly as [Bergeron],” he allegedly wrote in the note.

He also wrote, “I can’t try to live after this. The end, Matthew.”

Brenneman's attorneys maintain that he is innocent.

On Dec. 6, his attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the two counts of second-degree intentional murder for lack of probable cause.

The medical examiner was unable to determine a cause or manner of death, Sarah Koziol Assistant Public Defender for the Fourth Judicial District, tells PEOPLE.

"There's no evidence he caused her death," she says. “We believe the state can’t charge a murder with no medical evidence of murder,”

The motion also states that "Despite months of investigation, the State cannot establish a cause or manner of Ms. Bergeson's death. The State's investigation produced no medical evidence

that another person — including Mr. Brennaman — caused Ms. Bergeson's death. The State's case lacks the evidence necessary to proceed to trial, and accordingly, the Court should dismiss both

counts."

The motion doesn't address the first-degree murder charge which was included in the indictment when prosecutors filed it on Dec. 8.

The judge has not yet ruled on the motion.

Brenneman is currently in custody and his bail has been increased to $2 million. His next court appearance is scheduled on Dec. 18.

“Our thoughts are with the victim's family as they navigate this terrible chapter of their lives,” Moriarty said. “Intimate partner violence requires a powerful response. It is an act that

leaves traumatized survivors and devastated families in its wake. We are aggressively prosecuting those who commit this violence.”

In the aftermath of her death, Bergeson’s father, David Bergeson, recalled her as being “really engaging” and someone with a clear moral compass.

He told KARE11 at the time. “She knew exactly what was right and wrong.”

Friend Nancy Andrews shared on her obituary page in July that "Danicka's smile was infectious. Her compassion for animals and passion for learning were admirable."

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been created to support Bergeson’s family with funeral costs.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is

available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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