Danicka Marie Bergeson.Photo:Go Fund Me
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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 Nowreported, citing prosecutors.
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.
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.
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 toldKARE11at 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 GoFundMefundraiserhas 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 tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
