Hopkins man pleads guilty to ex-girlfriend's gruesome murder

HOPKINS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Hopkins man pleaded guilty on Monday to murdering his one-time girlfriend days after he got out of jail for assaulting her.

Matthew Brenneman, 40, pleaded guilty on July 15 to second-degree murder in the killing of Danicka Bergeson in her apartment in July 2023. His guilty plea is in exchange for a prison sentence of 285 months (23.75 years), with all other counts, including first-degree murder, being dropped. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 23. 

Brenneman admitted to two aggravating factors: He killed Bergeson in her zone of privacy (her apartment bedroom) and he treated her with particular cruelty by letting her decompose and not rendering aid. Brenneman said there was a violent struggle in Bergeson's apartment and he pinned her down on the bed. Eventually, she stopped breathing. Days later, he realized she was dead and covered her in a plastic bag. 

He acknowledged in court he was legally barred from being with her because of a domestic assault no-contact order being in place at the time he killed her. 

READ MORE: Family of Hopkins domestic homicide victim rallies for justice

"We were hoping for a plea with a much stronger sentence, you know, upwards, closer to the 30. But maybe some play in there. But, you know, we certainly thought that we could get a stronger sentencing," David Bergeson, Danicka Bergeson's father, told FOX 9. 

A prison sentence of nearly 24 years is an upward departure for a second-degree murder conviction. But a first-degree murder conviction (he was indicted on first-degree murder) would carry a sentence of life in prison. 

"There's frustration with the way the system works. I mean, even if you're charged with first-degree murder, you only serve two-thirds of that, which is 20 years. And that in and of itself is a painful revelation," David Bergeson, Danicka Bergeson's father, said.

In court on Monday was a large group of supporters wearing purple, as well as St. Louis Park Police Department investigators, who worked the case.

Hennepin County Attorney's Office statement

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty released a statement Monday after the plea agreement was reached. She said: 

"Our thoughts today are with the family and community of Ms. Bergeson. Intimate partner violence leaves traumatized survivors and devastated families in its wake. This was a horrific instance of violence, and the long-term incarceration of Mr. Brenneman is appropriate for the sake of public safety. 

"While domestic violence cases can be difficult to prove, often relying on circumstantial evidence, the HCAO will continue aggressively prosecuting them and standing up for the safety of victims and survivors.  

"However, prosecution is only one component, and it is understandably limited by victims’ legitimate and rational fears toward participating in the process. This difficulty is not the fault of victims. We must do more to support them, including establishing earlier interventions tailored to the complexity of violent intimate partner situations and providing the tools and support that survivors need to escape dangerous situations." 

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office noted that at the time Bergeson was killed, Brenneman had two domestic assault cases pending against him. He had pleaded guilty to both. 

Previous charges, alleged abuse

Danicka Bergeson was found dead in her apartment on July 8, 2023. Prosecutors described a gruesome scene. She may have been dead in her bed a day, perhaps longer. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner was never able to determine her cause of death. But Bergeson had abrasions and bruising, and was wrapped in blankets and a plastic garbage bag.

Brenneman, who had attempted to take his own life by swallowing bleach, was also there when police arrived, according to the charges. Prosecutors say they have Brenneman on a jailhouse phone recording discussing the possibility Bergeson’s death was a "crime of passion."

Court records document a history of threatening behavior and physical abuse, including punching, biting, choking and deadly threats. Bergeson reportedly required medical care for her injuries. There were prior assault charges as well as time spent in jail, but Bergeson’s father believes there needed to be more consequences for Brenneman’s earlier attacks.

"To find out that he had been let out with really all his liberties, you know, or little or no restrictions, no ankle bracelet. There was a DANCO (domestic violence no contact order) put in place, but it had no teeth. And he was pretty much free to roam wherever he wanted to. And he did," David Bergeson told FOX 9’s Paul Blume last year.

David Bergeson described his daughter glowingly, a gifted, former state high school swimming champ at Edina. Danicka was also a medic in the military, who he said sometimes opened her heart and cared for others, maybe a little too much.

If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit the hotline’s website to chat with an expert.