Hopkins man who killed ex-girlfriend days after release from jail is sentenced to prison

A Hopkins man has been sentenced to more than 23 years in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend shortly after he was released from jail.

Matthew Scott Brenneman, 40, was sentenced to 285 months in prison in Hennepin County court on Friday. He previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while under a restraining order in connection to the death of 33-year-old Danicka Bergeson.

Bergeson was found dead in her Hopkins apartment on July 8, 2023. She was wrapped in several blankets, a garbage bag and covered with a thick comforter, charging documents revealed.

Days before the incident, Brenneman had been released from jail, where he was being held over multiple instances of domestic violence — including hitting, biting, choking and making death threats against Bergeson.

According to her obituary , Bergeson served as a field medic in the U.S. military and earned a bachelor's degree in animal science from the University of Minnesota in 2007.

“All of our thoughts are with Danicka’s family today,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. “We will continue prosecuting those who commit intimate partner violence, knowing that while seeking justice is essential, nothing can return what is taken from devastated families.”