A former US Army medic from Minnesota was allegedly murdered and wrapped in a blanket by her boyfriend – just days after he was released from prison for previously assaulting her.
Police responded to the Hopkins home of 33-year-old Danicka Bergeson on July 8 after her building manager reported hearing moaning, screaming and banging coming from her apartment, according to the Star Tribune.
Her body was found on her bed — tightly wrapped in a thick blanket and blanket, the newspaper reported, citing court documents filed last Wednesday.
Police also heard noises and detected a “pungent odor of bleach” from the bathroom – where they found Bergeson’s 39-year-old ex, Matthew Brenneman, who had been drinking bleach, the document said.
He also had scratch marks on his face, arms and legs, as well as “distinctive scratches on his back consistent with fingernail scratches,” according to the filing.
Police also found bloody men’s clothing in another room as well as a note in the kitchen where Brenneman professed his love for the victim — and said he meant no disrespect to the way she wrapped her body, according to documents.
“I’m very sad and upset about all this, but that’s what happened. … I passed out and lost control and was sad to hurt a woman for the first time in my life,” he wrote in an early draft found in a trash can, according to the report.
Former US Army medic Danicka Bergeson, 33, was found dead, wrapped in a blanket in her bed.Courtesy of the Bergeson Family
Brenneman was just released from prison on June 27 after pleading guilty to assaulting Bergeson in April and May, when he punched, bit and choked her at their home — and threatened to kill her, according to the Star Tribune.
Under his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to “no extra time” on the attacker if Brenneman didn’t violate a no-contact order — but two days later, he was near their apartment, the Star Tribune reported, citing cell phone records.
Bergeson appears to have been killed between that day, June 29, and the day her body was found, July 8, according to the report.
Brenneman was initially arrested for violating a restraining order — but on Wednesday was charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
Bergeson worked at a veterinary clinic but had to quit due to an Army injury. Courtesy of the Bergeson Family
Bergeson’s father, David, ripped authorities for not making the accused killer face any “binding consequences” from his earlier attacks.
“This guy is just dangerous. There’s history there,” Bergeson told the newspaper.
Her father said she stayed with Brenneman despite the repeated abuse because “he has a very good heart.
“One of his big issues was that he would fix people. Then he ended up being kind of a taker, getting into his credit cards, getting into his life,” David Bergeson told the newspaper.
Matthew Brenneman faces two counts of second-degree murder. Hennepin County Sheriff
He said, he adopted Danicka when he was 9 years old after he joined the family at the age of 6 as an adopted child.
“He’s been through a lot, in and out of foster care his whole life, and had a traumatic upbringing, some scary stuff,” Bergeson said.
“She did well academically, and was a great tennis player and part of the state champion swim team,” he told the newspaper, adding that she studied at the University of Minnesota.
Danicka took a break to join the US Army and become a doctor before returning to finish her degree in animal science and work in a veterinary clinic, her father said.
He eventually had to quit due to a back injury sustained during his service, he added.
“He had a real zest for life. He has all the gifts you are proud of as a parent,” Bergeson said.
Danicka Bergeson “had a real zest for life,” her grieving father said.GoFundMe
Court records cited by the Tribune show that Brenneman was the subject of a protective order in 2021 for allegedly pinning a woman to a bed during a drunken rage.
A judge set his bail at $1.5 million on the murder charge but he remains held without bond pending sentencing on the domestic abuse case, KARE 11 reported.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty told the Star Tribune that domestic violence cases can be among the most difficult to prove “because of the ongoing romantic relationship between the victim and the defendant, and because the victim is often afraid to participate in the process.”
But he noted that “our office was able to obtain two convictions for his prior conduct. With no prior criminal history, probation is presumptive based on sentencing guidelines.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
