What did Matthew Brenneman do? Ex-boyfriend charged as Army medic found dead in Minnesota apartment

On Wednesday, August 23, the Hennepin County court announced that 39-year-old Matthew Brenneman has been charged with the murder of his ex-girlfriend, 33-year-old Danicka Bergeson. According to the New York Post, Bergeson was found dead in her apartment on July 8. Officials claimed that Brenneman murdered the former US Army medic before unsuccessfully attempting to take his own life.

Trigger warning: This article concerns homicide, domestic abuse and attempted suicide, the reader's discretion is advised

According to CBS, Matthew Brenneman had been the primary suspect in Bergeson's murder from the beginning. Prior to her slaying, the 39-year-old had a court order not to communicate with the victim. Brenneman, who had a history of criminal violence, had been accused of abusing Bergeson in the past.

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The timeline of the allegations against Matthew Brenneman

As per reports, Matthew Brenneman had a history of domestic violence. In 2021, an order of protection was filed against him after he allegedly pinned an unidentified woman to a bed. On June 27, 2023, he pleaded guilty to two counts of domestic violence after he reportedly assaulted Danicka Bergeson in April and May. Two days later, on June 29, 2023, Brenneman was near the apartment he shared with the victim.

Bergeson appears to have been murdered between June 29 and the day her body was discovered on July 8.

According to the deceased woman's father, David Bergeson, he believed his daughter would still be alive if officials hadn't taken the prior charges against Brenneman so lightly.

In an interview with the New York Post, Bergeson said:

“This guy was just a danger. There was a history there."

David Bergeson also provided a reason as to why his daughter stayed with the suspect despite the abuse.

“One of her big issues was that she was going to fix people. Then he ends up being kind of a taker, getting into her credit cards, getting into her life."

According to Mary Moriarty, the Hennepin County Attorney, officials did not come down hard on Matthew Brenneman due to the complex nature of domestic violence cases.

Moriarty said:

“Our office was able to secure two convictions for his prior conduct. With no criminal history prior to that, probation was the presumptive outcome based on the sentencing guidelines.”

On July 8, 2023, authorities responded to reports that they heard a commotion in Danicka Bergeson's Hopkins apartment. Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered the victim's body lying on the bed. Investigators noted that it had been tightly wrapped in several blankets and plastic sheets.

In the bathroom of the apartment, they discovered Brenneman struggling on the floor. It was eventually revealed that the suspected killer had consumed bleach in an attempt to die by suicide. As they probed the scene further, they discovered a suicide note in which the suspect stated his love for the victim.

“I’m very sad and remorseful about all of this, but it is what it is. … I blacked out and lost control and sadly hurt a woman for the first time in my life,” Brenneman wrote.

Matthew Brenneman is currently under police custody. He has been formally charged with two counts of second-degree murder.