Hopkins man sentenced to prison for murdering ex-girlfriend

HOPKINS, Minn. — A Twin Cities man has been sentenced to over 20 years in prison for murdering a woman who had a no-contact order against him for domestic abuse.

On Friday morning, 39-year-old Matthew Brenneman of Hopkins was sentenced to 286 months in prison — nearly 24 years — for second-degree murder, which he pleaded guilty to last month . He was originally charged with two counts of second-degree murder and later indicted with first-degree murder. He was given credit for a year and a day already served.

Brenneman killed 33-year-old Danicka Bergeson inside her apartment last summer.

Before the sentencing, Bergeson's mother said her family fought to get her the help and security she needed, but "despite our efforts the system failed her in the most profound way."

Brenneman also made a statement before the sentencing: "I wish we weren't here and this wasn't happening. Unfortunately, we are where we are. I want to apologize to the Bergeson family."

The judge says he chose an upward departure sentence due to the murder happening in the victim's "zone of privacy," which was her bed in her bedroom, which he said makes it especially cruel.

According to a criminal complaint, a building manager called Hopkins police to an apartment building on the 420 block of Van Buren Avenue North in July 2023. The manager said he heard "groaning, yelling and banging coming from an apartment," the complaint states. He also told police the woman who lived in the apartment in question had been abused by a man — identified as Brenneman — multiple times.

Police entered the apartment and found Brenneman in the bathroom "yelling, grunting, and growling," the complaint states. Police learned he had consumed bleach and he was taken to a hospital.

In the bedroom of the apartment, police found a dead woman, later identified as Bergeson, wrapped in blankets.

Brenneman allegedly left notes in the apartment identifying Bergeson as his romantic partner. In the notes, he also expressed remorse for "the many terrible, absurd, or unacceptable things that happened between us," the complaint states.

At the hospital, officers noted bruising, swelling and scratches on Brenneman's face, arms and legs.

According to the complaint, Brenneman pleaded guilty on June 27 to two domestic assault charges involving Bergeson. The no-contact order stems from those cases.

Phone records show he went to the area of the Bergeson's apartment on June 29. On July 2, "victim's friends and family became concerned about her wellbeing," the complaint states. She stopped responding to messages from her best friend, and on July 7, Bergeson's mother received a message "but did not believe it sounded like [her]."

For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.