A Minnesota man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend just days after being released from jail for previously assaulting her has been indicted on enhanced murder charges.
Matthew Brenneman, 39, was indicted on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder in the death of Danicka Bergeson, Hennepin County Prosecutor Mary Moriarty said Tuesday.
“Intimate partner violence requires a powerful response,” Moriarty said. “It is an act that leaves traumatized survivors and devastated families in its wake. “We are aggressively prosecuting those who commit this violence.”
Brenneman, who was originally arrested on a second-degree murder charge, also had his bond increased to $2 million.
He now faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years if convicted.
The enhanced first-degree charge was for murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse. One of the second-degree charges was for murder while he was under a restraining order for protection.
Former US Army medic Danicka Bergeson, 33, was found dead, wrapped in blankets in her bed. Courtesy of the Bergeson family
Police found the body of Bergeson, a former U.S. Army medic, on July 8 wrapped in blankets in his bed after the building manager of Ramsgate Apartments in Hopkin reported hearing moans, screams and bangs coming from his apartment.
Officers detected “an overwhelming odor of bleach” in the bathroom, where they found Brenneman convulsing on the floor after drinking bleach, according to court documents.
The accused killer, who also had scratch marks on his face, arms and legs, as well as “distinctive scratches on his back consistent with fingernail scrapes,” had been released from jail just 11 days earlier after pleading guilty to domestic abuse. for hitting Bergeson. .
A judge had ordered him to stay away from her.
His attorneys, Emmett Donnelly and Sarah Koziol, sought to dismiss the case, citing Hennepin County Coroner Andrew Baker’s report, which could not determine the cause or manner of death, KARE 11 reported.
Bergeson worked at a veterinary clinic but had to leave due to an injury in the military. Courtesy of the Bergeson Family Matthew Brenneman was indicted on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. Hennepin County Sheriff
But prosecutors cited other evidence, including alleged suicide notes Brenneman wrote related to the crime.
“I blacked out, lost control and unfortunately hurt a woman for the first time in my life,” one allegedly said.
He also allegedly wrote: “I do not wish to divulge everything that happened, personal things exclusive to [Bergeson] and to the best of my knowledge or belief that I am trying to justify the many terrible, absurd or unacceptable things that happened between us.
Danicka Bergeson “had a real zest for life,” her grieving father said. GoFundMe
“I have never loved any woman I had a romantic relationship with as deeply and honestly as [Bergeson]”he added.
Brenneman and his father also discussed the legal theory of manslaughter that included the comment that a “crime of passion could get a lighter sentence,” according to court documents cited by the outlet.
Bergeson had taken a break to join the U.S. Army and became a doctor before returning to complete her degree in animal sciences and accept a job at a veterinary clinic, according to her father, David Bergeson.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn