ST. PAUL, Minn. – Opening statements were made in the murder trial of Matthew Ecker, accused of killing 32-year-old Alexandra Pennig with his handgun in her apartment in December 2022. Ecker, 45, faces a charge of second-degree intentional murder, not premeditated.
Ecker’s lawyer characterized Pennig as a troubled woman battling mental health and addiction issues, ultimately taking her own life. The defense attorney argued that Ecker, although involved with Pennig, is not a killer and that there is no physical evidence to support the claim of homicide.
The prosecution, however, painted a different picture, pointing out inconsistencies in Ecker’s narrative. According to Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Gordon Knobloch, the case initially appeared as a suicide, but inconsistencies led to a homicide investigation. Ecker, an emergency room nurse practitioner, claimed that he tried to stop the bleeding, but officers noted that he had no tears and later admitted to not performing CPR on Pennig.
Ecker’s defense maintained that he cared for Pennig and was in an open relationship with her, despite being married with children. The defense also argued that Ecker was trying to protect Pennig from an abusive boyfriend and insisted that both medical examiners found the manner of Pennig’s death to be undetermined.
The trial is expected to last two weeks, with both the defense and prosecution presenting their respective cases. Testimony from friends and family will provide insight into Pennig’s struggles with mental health and substance abuse, shedding light on the circumstances leading up to her tragic death.