Naman Shrestha
When Alex Pennig was found dead in the bathroom of his Minnesota apartment in 2022, her family and the rest of the community were left shell-shocked. Although the investigators first believed it to be a case of suicide, the mounting pieces of evidence found at the crime scene changed their minds. The episode titled ‘The Strange Shooting of Alex Pennig’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours’ delves deep into the intricate details of the puzzling case with the help of exclusive interviews with the victim’s loved ones and officials linked to the investigation.
Alex Pennig’s Murder Was Initially Deemed as a Suicide
It was in 1990 when Jim and Mary Jo Pennig welcomed a little bundle of joy into the world in the form of Alexandra L. “Alex” Pennig. Accompanied by her sister, Brittney, in their loving and caring household, Alex grew up to become a compassionate, empathetic, and smart woman. Given her helpful and kind nature, she realized that working in the healthcare industry was her calling. Thus, in order to achieve her professional goals, she got into Montana State University and earned her bachelor’s degree in Public Health. Her education then took her to St. Paul College, where she got her Licensed Practical Nursing degree before earning her Registered Nursing degree from Alexandria Technical & Community College.
After achieving her dream of becoming a public servant in the healthcare industry, Alex constantly looked for a chance to care for the forgotten and the disadvantaged. With so much to look forward to, her life ended abruptly in the early morning hours of December 16, 2022, inside her Saint Paul, Minnesota, residence. When the authorities arrived at the crime scene, they found the 32-year-old woman in the bathroom with a fatal gunshot wound to her head. Initially, it was reported to be a suicide, but when they found certain discrepancies in that theory — the gun being on her left hand despite being right-handed — the detectives suspected foul play. Upon inspecting the crime scene, they came across a broken piece of the bathroom door lock beneath Alex’s body, which would eventually lead them to the perpetrator.
Alex Pennig Had Allegedly Attempted Suicide on Numerous Occasions Before Her Death
It was Alex Pennig’s friend, Matthew Ecker, who called 911 and reported the alleged suicide in the early morning hours of December 16, 2022. When the police questioned him about what had transpired, he claimed that Alex took his gun from his backpack and locked herself in the bathroom before shooting herself in the head. Despite his claims of them being in good spirits before she took her own life, the detectives found several inconsistencies in his story. For one, as per his claims, he called the police within four minutes of the shooting. However, when the investigators arrived, her blood had already dried up.
Moreover, Matthew told the police that he washed his bloody hands after trying to save her and then called 911, but the sink was dry when they arrived at the residence. What really put Matthew on the list of suspects was the fact that the piece of broken bathroom lock was found beneath Alex’s body, which meant that the lock was already broken before she was shot to death. This contradicted the suspect’s claims of breaking the door open after he heard the shot. Upon digging deep into Alex and Matthew’s life, the police learned that they worked in the same clinic and had met a couple of years earlier. It turned out that Alex was battling depression and addiction and had tried taking her life in the past. However, according to her family, she had gotten out of the spiral and was doing well at the time of her murder.
Someone Close to Alex Pennig Emerged to be the Killer
When Matthew was questioned about the details of the fateful night, he told the police that they went to a few bars and returned to her place. On the other hand, the investigators believed that the two got into a heated argument, and she locked herself in the bathroom to get away from him. According to the evidence they found, the detectives believed that Matthew then broke open the bathroom door, which is when the metal part of the lock broke and fell to the ground. As per their theory, he shot Alex in the head, and she landed on top of the broken metal piece on the floor. In light of all these pieces of evidence against him, the police arrested and charged him with the second-degree murder of Alex Pennig.
Around February 2024, the killer stood trial for his crimes. According to Matthew’s defense attorney, Alex and Matthew were in an open relationship at the time of her death, despite the latter being married to a woman named Elizabeth. The defense also alleged that she was dating Shane Anderson, with whom she reportedly argued that morning. In order to be there for her, Matthew traveled to St. Paul. While the two were out at a bar just a few hours before the shooting death, they reportedly came across Shane with another woman. When they confronted him about it, Shane punched Matthew, according to the defense. Throughout the trial, the defense argued that there was no bad blood between the defendant and the victim.
On the flip side, Matthew and Elizabeth parted ways soon after the shooting death of Alex Pennig. Making the most of the situation, the prosecution listed her as one of their key witnesses in the trial. With enough incriminating evidence against him, in February 2024, the jury returned with a guilty verdict and convicted Matthew Ecker of second-degree murder with intent. A few months later, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his crimes.
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