Tracing the hours before a young Minnesota woman became a murder victim

On December 15, 2022, Matthew Ecker was on his way to work when he said he received a frantic call from his former colleague and friend. Alex Pennig. He said Pennig told him she had an argument with her boyfriend Shane Anderson and was afraid of what he might do. So, Ecker took his gun, which he legally owned, and went to Pennig’s apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Ecker arrived around 2 p.m. He would later say that the only reason he went to Pennig’s house was to protect her.

Early the next morning, Pennig was shot to death in her apartment. Detectives used surveillance footage to piece together his final moments.

The altercation

Pennig and Ecker went out to a few bars that evening and ended up at Camp Bar at 12:30 a.m. on December 16, 2022. Anderson was at the bar. Surveillance video shows he walked up to Pennig and began talking to him. Ecker walked towards the two of them. Things got heated and when Ecker stepped between Pennig and Anderson, Anderson punched him. Anderson was kicked out of the bar and Pennig and Ecker stayed for about an hour drinking and talking.

Matthew Ecker and Alex Pennig go home for the night

At 2:05 a.m., Pennig and Ecker arrived at his building after walking there from Camp Bar.

A return to the lobby

At 2:24 a.m., Pennig and Ecker are seen in the lobby as they exit the building. Ecker would later say he was going to his car to get his headphones. Pennig (photo) returned first and waited for Ecker in the vestibule. She paces while looking at her phone.

Alex Pennig last seen alive

Ecker returns two minutes after Pennig at 2:30 in the morning. The two men then cross the hall and go back to Pennig’s apartment. This is the last time Pennig is seen alive.

Saint-Paul police officers arrive on site

At 2:50 a.m., Ecker called 911 and reported that Pennig had shot himself in the head. St. Paul police officers rushed to the building and Ecker let them in at 2:56 a.m.

Matthew Ecker’s story

After leading the officers to Pennig’s apartment, Ecker sat in the hallway, appearing upset and emotional. Officer Justina Hser approached him and began asking him what happened. Their conversation, which lasted almost an hour, was filmed by his body camera. Ecker told him that everything was fine between him and Pennig and that they had not had an argument. He said she took her gun out of her backpack, backed into the bathroom and locked the door. Moments later, Ecker said he heard a gunshot, so he opened the bathroom door to find Pennig lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to the left temple.

Tear

Responding officers located the weapon. It was on Pennig’s chest, with his left hand resting on it. They noted that it seemed strange. An officer then moved the gun to the sink (pictured) to place it in a safe position.

Notable evidence

Ecker told police he washed his hands after trying to help Pennig, which is why his hands were clean. But officers noticed the bathroom sink was dry when they arrived. If Ecker had just washed his hands, detectives believed the sink would probably still be wet.

A lack of evidence on Matthew Ecker

Ecker was interviewed by detectives around 6:30 a.m. on December 16, 2022. He had no visible blood on his body or clothing. It was later discovered that Ecker also had no gunshot residue on him.

The decisive proof

While Ecker was being questioned at the police station, the forensics unit handling the scene informed detectives that they had found a new piece of evidence once Pennig’s body was moved. It was a piece of metal from the bathroom door lock, and it was discovered on the floor where Pennig’s head was. Detectives suspected that when Ecker kicked in the door, that small piece of metal landed on the bathroom floor. According to detectives’ theory, Ecker broke the bathroom door, then Pennig was shot and fell on the piece. They say it proves the bathroom door was forced open before Pennig was shot and that Ecker had lied to them.

The accused: Matthew Ecker

On December 19, 2022, Matthew Ecker was officially charged with second-degree murder. Ecker denies killing Alex Pennig.

The trial of Matthew Ecker

On February 8, 2024, Ecker’s trial begins. Eight days later, on February 16, 2024, he was convicted of second-degree murder.

Conviction of Matthew Ecker

On April 3, 2024, Ecker was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is appealing his conviction.