Martinez, California – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has filed a three-count felony complaint against a convicted kidnapper and rapist, Matthew Muller, whose crimes include a high-profile case featured in a documentary series.
Matthew Daniel Muller, 47, is currently serving a 40-year federal prison sentence in Tucson, Arizona, for the 2015 kidnapping and rape of Denise Huskins — a case that drew widespread media attention and became the focus of the 2024 season of American Nightmare, a Netflix true crime series.
The new charges filed today by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office stem from a previously unreported 2015 kidnapping for ransom at a residence in an unincorporated area of San Ramon. The crime came to light over the course of 2024 through correspondence between law enforcement and Muller, during which he confessed to multiple crimes in Northern California, including the 2015 incident in Contra Costa County.
After learning of Muller’s confession, detectives from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation, despite the lack of a reported crime in 2015. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office joined the investigation on December 13th, 2024, which included a meeting with Muller.
In the spring of 2015, Muller unlawfully held two John Does and one Jane Doe for ransom, demanding that one of the captives withdraw tens of thousands of dollars from their bank account to secure the release of the others. After obtaining the money, Muller fled the residence. Fearing retribution, the victims never reported the crime. To this day, they have chosen to remain anonymous.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office collaborated with the El Dorado and Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Offices to coordinate investigative efforts. These efforts resulted in three felony charges of kidnapping for ransom [PC 209(a)] filed in Contra Costa Superior Court.
“The trauma of crime can have lasting effects that some people endure for their entire lives—whether the crime is reported or not,” said Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton. “Muller committed serious offenses throughout Northern California, and my office will be resolute in seeking justice on behalf of the victims in Contra Costa County.”
Muller is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges at a future date in Contra Costa Superior Court.
The People of the State of California v. Muller, Matthew Daniel
Investigation into Alleged Crimes Committed by Suspect Matthew Muller
The Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office says an investigating into a man sentenced in a Vallejo kidnapping committed a home invasion robbery in San Ramon in 2015.
According to the Sheriffs Office, in November 2024, detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division were notified by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office about possible crimes in Contra Costa that were allegedly committed by Matthew Muller who was convicted and sentenced in a Vallejo kidnapping that occurred in 2015. He is currently serving a prison sentence for the Vallejo case.
Muller was also recently charged in Santa Clara County for home invasion sexual assaults in 2009. Muller has previously had numerous residences in California including Solano and El Dorado counties.
Using the information provided by the El Dorado D.A.’s Office, detectives conducted an investigation that included multiple interviews and as well as the examination of evidence. They confirmed that Muller committed a home invasion robbery in unincorporated San Ramon in early 2015. That incident was never reported to the Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation is ongoing and the case has been filed with the Contra Costa DA’s Office. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, email: [email protected] or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.
Previous Headlines
“Gone Girl” kidnapper charged with 2009 North County home invasions
Dec 30, 2024
Using advances in forensic DNA testing, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged a notorious kidnapping convict with a series of home invasion sexual assaults in Mountain View and Palo Alto 15 years ago.
The suspect, Matthew Muller, 47, is the subject of American Nightmare, a Netflix documentary series that chronicles his 2015 “Gone Girl Hoax” kidnapping of Denise Huskins from Vallejo.
Following a new lead, the District Attorney’s Office coordinated with the Palo Alto and Mountain View police departments to send all evidence back to the DA Crime lab for further testing. District Attorney Criminalists found Muller’s DNA on straps he used to bind one of the victims. The police agencies and the District Attorney’s Office then conducted follow up investigation that resulted in the current charges.
Muller now faces two felony counts of committing a sexual assault during a home invasion for the 2009 crimes. He will be arraigned today at 1:30 in department 23 in the Hall of Justice in San Jose. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
“The details of this person’s violent crime spree seem scripted for Hollywood, but they are tragically real,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “Our goal is to make sure this defendant is held accountable and will never hurt or terrorize anyone ever again. Our hope is that this nightmare is over.”
In the early hours of Sept. 29, 2009, Muller broke into a woman’s Mountain View home, attacked her, tied her up, made her drink a concoction of medications, and said he was going to rape her. After the victim, in her 30’s, persuaded him against it, he suggested the victim get a dog, then fled.
On Oct. 18, 2009, Muller broke into a Palo Alto home, bound and gagged a woman in her 30’s and made her drink Nyquil. He then began to assault her, before being persuaded to stop. Muller gave the victim crime prevention advice, then fled.
Both cases were investigated and went unsolved.
Six years later, Muller gained national infamy as the ivy-league educated Marine who perpetrated the so-called “Gone Girl” incident.
On March 23, 2015, Muller broke into a Vallejo home, where he drugged, and tied up a young couple. He kidnapped Ms. Huskins, brought her to a cabin in South Lake Tahoe, and sexually assaulted her. Two days later, Muller drove his victim to Southern California and released her. Police initially believed the invasion and kidnapping was a hoax perpetrated by the boyfriend, a twist that the media called a “real life ‘Gone Girl’,” referring to the hit film and novel Gone Girl. Muller, however, was arrested in June for both the Vallejo kidnapping and a violent Dublin home invasion.
Muller, who pleaded guilty in 2016 to the kidnapping and in 2022 to the sexual assaults of Ms. Huskins, is currently incarcerated in federal prison in Tucson, Arizona.
Former Attorney and U.S. Marine Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison in Vallejo Kidnapping
March 16, 2017
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Matthew Muller, 39, of South Lake Tahoe, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on March 23, 2015, in Vallejo, Muller broke into the Mare Island home of Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins. Armed with a stun gun and a simulated firearm with a laser sight, Muller ordered the victims to lie still while he bound them, blindfolded them, and forced them to drink a sedative. Muller played the victims a prerecorded message, which threatened that any noncompliance would be punished by face cutting or electric shock. Muller then placed Ms. Huskins in the trunk of a car and drove her to his residence in South Lake Tahoe. Once there, Muller kept her under his complete control, at times bound and blindfolded. Muller sent Mr. Quinn two emails demanding ransom for a total of $17,000. Muller released Ms. Huskins on March 25, 2015 in Huntington Beach, with no ransom ever being paid.
During and after the kidnapping, Muller sent emails to a reporter in San Francisco that falsely claimed, among other things, that the kidnapping had been carried out by a group of elite criminals who were perfecting their kidnapping-for-ransom tactics.
The case remained unsolved until after June 8, 2015, when Dublin Police Services of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department arrested Muller and searched his South Lake Tahoe residence. The officers had been investigating a home invasion burglary, which led them to Muller’s residence where they located and seized evidence related to the Vallejo kidnapping.
The FBI then conducted its own follow-up investigation and searches that included Muller’s South Lake Tahoe residence, a vehicle in Reno, two other residences, and Muller’s Vallejo storage locker. The storage locker, which contained aerial drones referred to in Muller’s email to the media, had been located by an officer of the Vallejo Police Department.
FBI analysis of Muller’s computers uncovered a sound recording that simulated people whispering to each other and a sound recording consistent with the instructions given to Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins. FBI analysts also discovered video recordings of Muller together with Ms. Huskins in his South Lake Tahoe residence. She was blindfolded and fully under Muller’s control. FBI analysts also discovered video recordings of Muller in his South Lake Tahoe residence arranging cameras in a bedroom, trying out their viewing angles, and then twice sexually assaulting the blindfolded Ms. Huskins.
In sentencing Muller, Judge Nunley referred to the defendant’s actions as heinous and held him responsible for his actions.
U.S. Attorney Talbert said, “The sentence imposed today reflects the egregiousness of Muller’s conduct in this case. Muller had advantages in life that most people only dream of, yet he used his considerable intelligence to plan and execute the physical assault and psychological torture of two innocent strangers. It is difficult to imagine the level of suffering that Muller inflicted on his victims. The sentence handed down today takes into account that suffering and strives to ensure that Muller will never again commit such crimes.”
U.S. Attorney Talbert also said, “This serious violent crime was solved because Alameda County authorities responded so effectively to the Dublin burglary and then provided the evidence necessary for the effective federal investigation and prosecution of this case. The quality of local and federal investigative work is reflected in Muller’s two criminal convictions in Alameda County and in the Eastern District of California. I am grateful for the outstanding cooperation between the FBI, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, the Alameda County District Attorney, and the Vallejo Police Department.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI, the Dublin Police Services of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, and the Vallejo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Segal and Heiko P. Coppola prosecuted the case.
Vallejo Kidnapping Defendant Pleads Guilty
September 29, 2016
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Matthew Muller, 39, of South Lake Tahoe, pleaded guilty today to one count of kidnapping, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on March 23, 2015, between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., Matthew Muller broke into a home on Mare Island in Vallejo and using a stun gun and a simulated firearm, ordered the occupants, Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins, to lie still while he bound them, blindfolded them, and had them drink a sleep-inducing liquid. Muller played a prerecorded message to the victims that threatened that any noncompliance would be punished by face cutting or electric shock. Muller then placed Huskins in the trunk of a car and drove her to his residence in South Lake Tahoe where he kept her under his control for two days, at times bound and blindfolded. Muller sent Quinn emails demanding ransom amounts totaling $17,000, but ultimately released Huskins in Huntington Beach on March 25, 2015, with no ransom ever being paid.
During and after the kidnapping, Matthew Muller sent emails to a reporter in San Francisco, that claimed, among other things, that the kidnapping had been carried out by a group of elite criminals who were perfecting their kidnapping-for-ransom tactics.
Muller was identified as a suspect in the Vallejo kidnapping following an investigation into a home-invasion burglary that occurred in Alameda County on June 5, 2015. Dublin Police Services of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department arrested Muller and searched his South Lake Tahoe residence. They located and seized evidence from the Vallejo kidnapping. An officer of the Vallejo Police Department located Muller’s Vallejo storage locker and a search revealed aerial drones that Muller referred to in his emails to the reporter.
FBI analysis of Muller’s computers uncovered a sound recording that simulated people whispering to each other, a sound recording consistent with the instructions given to Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins, and a video recording of Muller together with Huskins in Muller’s residence. She was blindfolded and fully under Muller’s control.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI, the Dublin Police Services of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, and the Vallejo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew D. Segal and Heiko P. Coppola are prosecuting the case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said, “Muller committed a serious and violent crime that terrorized the victims in this case. He violated the sanctity of their home and caused fear and panic for all those affected by the kidnapping. My office is grateful that Alameda County authorities responded so effectively to the Alameda County break-in and then provided the information that led to the investigation and charges in this case. The high quality of the work by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, the Alameda County District Attorney, the Vallejo Police Department, and the FBI is reflected in the two guilty pleas Muller has entered, first in Alameda County and now in the Eastern District of California. We are committed to continuing to seek justice in this case as it continues to sentencing.”
Muller is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on January 19, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. Muller faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
As long as Muller accepts responsibility and adheres to his promises in the plea agreement, the plea agreement provides that the Government will recommend a sentence of no more than forty years of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Under the plea agreement, upon release, Muller should be subject to the most intensive supervision, surveillance, and monitoring that is technologically available at the time of his release. The plea binds only the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and cannot bind any other federal, state, or local prosecuting, administrative, or regulatory authorities.
Man Charged with Kidnapping May Have Committed Other Similar Offenses
July 13, 2015
On June 29, 2015, the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained a warrant for the arrest of Matthew Muller, 38, of Orangevale, California for the alleged kidnapping of an adult female victim from a residence in Vallejo, California. The case remains an active, ongoing investigation by the FBI, the Vallejo Police Department, and Alameda County Sheriff’s Department. A sworn affidavit containing allegations against Muller was unsealed earlier today.
Information obtained during the course of the ongoing investigation indicates Muller may have committed similar crimes elsewhere. The FBI is issuing this release containing information from the affidavit concerning acts allegedly committed by Muller so that members of the public aware of similar crimes may bring such information to attention of law enforcement.
According to the affidavit, on March 23, 2015, at approximately 1:53 p.m., a male victim called the local Vallejo Police Department to report that his residence in Vallejo had been broken into during the early morning hours, and an unknown subject or subjects forcibly drugged both him and the female victim and then used the male victim’s car to take the female victim to an unknown location.
According to victim statements to Vallejo Police Department officers and FBI agents, the male and female victims fell asleep in the master bedroom during the early morning hours of March 23, 2015. The male victim was awakened by a bright light shining in his eyes, a noise that was similar to a “stun gun,” and the voice of man who demanded that both victims lie face down on the bed.
The subject ordered the female victim to bind the male victim with zip ties and told both to enter the bedroom closet. The subject covered the male victim’s eyes with swim goggles with tape-covered lenses to restrict vision and, once the victim was in the closet, placed a pair of headphones over the male victim’s ears. The headphones were used to play a prerecorded message that provided instructions, indicated that the break-in was being performed by a professional group on-site to collect financial debts, and threatened that both victims would be hurt by electric shock or by cutting their faces if either of the two victims did not comply.
The subject then obtained financial account numbers and passwords from the male victim. He also obtained information for the residence’s Wi-Fi router, the male victim’s laptop, and certain Internet accounts.
The male victim was placed on the couch and was told he was being watched on camera and to not try to free himself. He requested a blanket because he was cold, and the subject replied that he was unaware of the temperature because he was wearing a “wet suit.” The male victim fell asleep on the couch for a period of time, and, upon awakening later the same day, he freed himself. The male victim then noticed that the female victim, his laptop, and his car were missing. He was able to locate cell phones belonging to both he and the female victim. His phone contained a voicemail message with a financial demand and instructions to tell those who inquired about his transactions to say the funds were for purchase of a ski boat.
On the morning of March 25, 2015, the female victim was released in Huntington Beach, California.
During the early morning hours of June 5, 2015, deputies from the Dublin Police Services, of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a report of a home invasion robbery. During the course of their investigation, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office detectives were able to identify Matthew Muller as the subject of the investigation.
On June 8, 2015, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office detectives conducted a search of a South Lake Tahoe, California residence associated with Muller. Upon entry, they located Muller and placed him under arrest.
On June 25, 2015, the FBI met with investigators of the Dublin Police Services, of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, where it was determined that there were similarities with the June 5, 2015 case and elements of the March 23, 2015 kidnapping.
Individuals who believe they are a victim of a similar crime and law enforcement agencies aware of similar crimes are urged to contact agents with the Sacramento Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
Previous Stories (Unrelated)
