Hopkins man pleads guilty to murdering ex-girlfriend he had a history of abusing

HOPKINS, Minn. — A Twin Cities man has pleaded guilty to murdering a woman who had a no-contact order against him for domestic abuse.

Matthew Brenneman, 39, of Hopkins entered a plea of guilty to second-degree murder, according to court documents filed in Hennepin County on Monday. He was originally charged with two counts of second-degree murder and later indicted with first-degree murder. Details of the plea deal have yet to be released.

According to a criminal complaint, a building manager called Hopkins police to an apartment building on the 420 block of Van Buren Avenue North last July. 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 wrapped in blankets.

Brenneman allegedly left notes in the apartment identifying the woman 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.

An autopsy was unable to determine the manner of the woman's death. Authorities have identified her as 33-year-old Danicka Bergeson.

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

Phone records show he went to the area of the woman'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, her mother received a message "but did not believe it sounded like [her]."

Brenneman's sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 23.

Local Domestic Violence Resources

Women's Advocates

• wadvocates.org
• Crisis Line: (651) 227-8284

St. Paul & Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project

• stpaulintervention.org
• Crisis Line: (651) 645-2824

Minnesota Day One

• dayoneservices.org
• Crisis Line: 1-866-223-1111

Esperanza United

• esperanzaunited.org
• Bilingual crisis line: (651) 772-1611.

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