ST PAUL, Minn. — Prosecutors charged a man Monday with the murder of a woman after he originally reported she shot herself in the head.
Matthew P. Ecker, 44, of Fergus Falls, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 32-year-old Alexandra L. Pennig of St. Paul.
Police officers were called to an apartment in downtown St. Paul around 3:00 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 16.
Officers found the body of Pennig in the bathroom with a gunshot wound to the left side of her head and "her left hand on top of the gun," according to the court documents.
Ecker told 911 dispatch that he called four minutes after Pennig shot herself in the head.
Police say Ecker changed his story of what happened multiple times, according to the criminal complaint.
Ecker told police that he went out to the bars with Pennig that night and he got punched by the "other boyfriend," according to the complaint.
Ecker and Pennig stayed at the bar for another 45 minutes before they returned to the apartment. Within five minutes of returning, Ecker said Pennig grabbed his gun from his backpack and put the gun up to her head with her left hand, which he said was weird because she's right-handed.
Ecker said she walked backwards to the bathroom and told Ecker not to come any closer or she would pull the trigger. Ecker said she shot herself "two seconds" after she closed the bathroom door.
On Monday, Ramsey County attorneys charged Ecker with second-degree murder with intent, which is a felony and has a maximum prison sentence of 40 years.
