Man sentenced to 15 years in Cottonwood County murder case
- Radio Works
- 8 hours ago
- 1 min read
A Cottonwood County court has sentenced a defendant who legally changed his name to “Happy” to 15 years in prison, according to a press release from the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Happy was sentenced to 180 months for second-degree murder, and a concurrent 18 months for threats of violence, following a New Year’s Eve stabbing and assault outside a bar in Windom. A jury had convicted Happy of second-degree murder and threats of violence in June.
On Dec. 31, 2024, Happy made threatening comments about a gun to patrons at the Phat Pheasant Pub in Windom. After being escorted outside, Happy retrieved a knife and stabbed Ben Matter twice. Matter was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Ellison’s office prosecuted Happy upon a referral from former Cottonwood County Attorney Deja Weber under Minnesota Statutes Sec. 8.01.
“I am pleased to see justice served in this case, and I hope that brings some measure of solace to all those affected by this tragic violence," Ellison in the press release. "I worked for years to expand my office’s Criminal Division so we could take on cases like this and help improve public safety across Minnesota. My Office stands ready to assist Minnesota’s county attorneys in securing justice and holding violent offenders accountable for their actions."
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Windom Police Department investigated this crime.

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