Brittany Layman spoke with Liz Collin on her podcast about how “the real story” behind her brother’s murder has been ignored by mainstream media and many others for months.
Layman explained how her brother, Ben Matter, was celebrating New Year’s Eve at the Phat Pheasant Pub in Windom, Minn., when he was stabbed and killed.
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In retelling the tragic events, Layman explained that her brother’s killer stopped at the bar and had been drinking there for hours. He then made threatening comments and “got kicked out eventually,” she said.
After getting kicked out of the bar, “he had a scuffle with somebody else outside, which had nothing to do with my brother, and he came back in with a knife after he went to a semi [truck] to arm himself, leaving the sheath behind in the semi and then stabbed my brother and two others,” Layman said.
Mainstream media referred to the killer as “a man,” or a “California truck driver.”
A murderer with a California CDL—and a questionable immigration status
Layman said her brother’s killer did have a California commercial driver’s license (CDL). But she told Collin that the media and many others ignored an important part of the story: the fact that the “California truck driver” was in the United States illegally.
Court records from the murder trial earlier this month indicate that the man’s name is “Happy”: that is, “Happy, No Name Given” aka “No Name Given Happy.”
During the six-day trial, Happy told the court he came to the U.S. from India six years ago.
But Layman said she had been asking about Happy’s immigration status for months. She said she even tried to get answers from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“I tried to get answers from him on why he was issued a commercial driver’s license with no responses. I’ve also very much informed him I feel Ben’s blood is on his hands just as much. He allowed him to have this driver’s license, commercial driver’s license at that,” Layman said.
Even though Happy was found guilty by a jury in June, Layman told Collin that she feels that more needs to be done in seeking justice for her brother.
“It’s really unfortunate that they just give anybody a driver’s license, much less a commercial driver’s license, especially when you’re not legally present here. And I can back up those claims. Because he should have never been here in the first place. My brother should still be alive,” Layman said.
“Minnesota is just as bad at this point as California,” she added.
Layman also told Collin that in the past several months, she was able to piece together at least some information about Happy, including his aliases, and how it seemed that he was in the country illegally.
After the interview, Collin reached out to Happy’s attorney, Stephanie Skoro, who said she “couldn’t comment” on her client’s immigration status. Happy was sentenced to 15 years in prison earlier this month.
ICE confirms immigration status
Alpha News began investigating further and also reached out to officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
An ICE official told Collin that Happy was not legally present in the country when Matter was stabbed and killed on New Year’s Eve.
Records indicate that Happy entered the United States in 2019 on a student (F1) visa and that status was terminated shortly after on Feb. 8, 2019. However, he remained in the country. In February 2024, Happy filed an application to register as a permanent resident—but his application was denied.
ICE also confirmed that a detainer was placed on Happy. This development comes at a time when another tragedy—involving an illegal immigrant with a California CDL—has made headlines recently.
Trying to move on after a tragic loss
Layman also shared with Collin how she remembers her brother and the kind of man he was. “He was an amazing person, truly one of a kind, hardworking, loving family man, just going out of his way to do good deeds every single day on his lunch breaks,” Layman recalled.
A fund has been set up in memory of Ben Matter and to help his family, as he left behind his fiancé and two children.
Dr. JC Chaix
Dr. JC Chaix is an editor, educator, and an expert in media studies. He wrote and directed the Alpha News documentary "The Fall of Minneapolis" and "Minnesota v We the People."
Liz Collin
Liz Collin is a multi-Emmy-Award-winning investigative reporter, news anchor, and producer who cares about Minnesota. She is the producer of The Fall of Minneapolis and Minnesota v We the People documentary films, and author of the Amazon best-selling book, They’re Lying: The Media, the Left, and The Death of George Floyd. Her work has prompted important state laws. Yet perhaps most of all, Liz has been giving a voice to the truth—and helping others tell their stories—for more than 20 years.
