From the Office of the District Attorney
Martinez, California – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has filed a three-count
felony complaint against a convicted kidnapper and rapist 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.
Nice way to get some press coverage, that’s about it.
Firestone 11R
Makes you wonder how many other crimes have gone unreported.
💯
Interesting case with a lot of twists.
The most bizarre thing regarding this suspect is two women (at different times) on the peninsula talked him out of raping them. He told one woman to “get a dog” and he gave ‘crime tips” to the other woman. If only all rape victims were that fortunate. He needs to spend the rest of his life in prison with no parole.
The interesting thing is that it took a movie to enforce the idea that criminal investigations rarely happen as they do in the movies.
“criminal investigations rarely happen as they do in the movies”
And, the DA bats clean up. Some facts are not gathered or are not presented due to false assumptions. Investigations are sometimes screwed up. Testimony compromised. The DA inherits the mess and decides what can be prosecuted.
For just prosecution to succeed, a whole chain of police competence and dedicated work has to proceed the DA’s work.