What did Matthew Ecker do? Minnesota nurse practitioner found guilty of mistress' murder

Matthew Ecker, 45, of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, was found guilty of killing his girlfriend, Alexandra Lee Pennig, 35, in December 2022. Pennig was found dead in her apartment with a gunshot wound in her head, and Ecker was considered the prime suspect. Ecker, who was married while also in a relationship with Pennig, initially claimed that the latter had died of suicide.

Despite Ecker's claims, law enforcement officials believed that foul play was involved in the girlfriend's death. The eight-day trial came to an end on Friday, February 23, after the jury declared the guilty verdict. The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 29, 2024.

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Former Minnesota nurse practitioner Matthew Ecker was convicted of second-degree intentional murder

The murder trial surrounding Alexandra Lee Pennig's death, with the suspect being her boyfriend, came to an end on Friday. The jurors took about seven hours on Thursday and Friday to deliberate and announced the guilty verdict on Friday. The jury convicted Matthew Ecker of a sole count of second-degree intentional murder.

As per Pioneer Press, in December 2022, Alexandra was found dead with a gunshot wound to her head at an apartment in St. Paul. While her boyfriend, Matthew, claimed that she had taken her own life, the police found it difficult to believe the same. Several inconsistencies were discovered by the investigating officers.

Alexandra's body was found in the bathroom with her feet in a straddled position near the door. This raised eyebrows among the police. The victim was declared dead on the scene. It was Ecker who called 911 shortly before 3 am on December 16, 2022.

As per KARE 11, Ecker claimed that he made the call about four minutes after the victim shot herself. Upon arrival, cops discovered the wound on Alexandra's left side of the head, and her left hand was on the firearm.

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Prosecutors relied heavily on Ecker's inconsistent statements

During the trial, Matthew Ecker's lawyer, Bruce Rivers, mentioned in his opening statement that the victim had mental health issues and was dealing with addiction problems as well. As reported by The Pioneer Press, Rivers added,

"In this case, you're going to see there is absolutely no physical evidence supporting that this is a homicide."

Matthew Ecker claimed that she threatened to pull the trigger if he came near her. As per his narrative, Alexandra locked herself in the bathroom and then took her own life. The Pioneer Press further reported a statement by Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Gordon Knoblach, according to which,

"He (Ecker) said he tried to stop the bleeding by plugging Alex’s head. When officers asked why his hands were clean, he said he washed his hands in the bathroom sink. Officers found the bathroom sink to be dry."

Knoblach further questioned the inconsistency in Matthew Ecker's claim, where he mentioned that he didn't know how to stop the bleeding despite being a nurse. After the verdict, Rivers stated that they would appeal the court's decision.