(KRON) — Matthew Muller, the infamous rapist who was convicted of kidnapping Denise Huskins in Vallejo, pleaded responsible on Friday to victimizing extra ladies within the South Bay.
Muller, 47, was featured in a Netflix documentary, “American Nightmare,” that chronicled Huskins’ harrowing expertise in 2015 when Muller broke into her dwelling, kidnapped and raped her, and held her for 2 days inside his South Lake Tahoe cabin.
On Friday, Muller pleaded responsible to sexually assaulting ladies throughout a pair of dwelling invasions in Mountain View and Palo Alto 15 years in the past. He’ll face life in jail when he’s sentenced on February 21 within the Santa Clara County courthouse.
“This extremely dangerous person left a trail of traumatized and terrified victims,” District Legal professional Jeff Rosen stated. “It took the collective courage of his victims and determined law enforcement officers to stop him. This nightmare is over.”
Denise Huskins arrives on the 2024 Critics Selection Actual TV Awards on June 15, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Photograph by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)
On Sept. 29, 2009, Muller broke into a lady’s Mountain View dwelling, attacked her, tied her up, made her drink a concoction of medicines, and stated he was going to rape her. After the sufferer persuaded him in opposition to it, he advised the sufferer to get a canine for defense and fled.
On Oct. 18, 2009, Muller broke right into a Palo Alto dwelling, sure and gagged a lady in her 30’s and made her drink Nyquil. He sexually assaulted her till she additionally persuaded him to cease. Muller gave the sufferer crime prevention recommendation and fled.
Matthew Muller confessed to South Bay chilly circumstances: courtroom paperwork
On March 23, 2015, Muller broke right into a Vallejo dwelling, the place he drugged, and tied up a younger couple. He kidnapped Huskins, introduced her to his cabin in South Lake Tahoe, and recorded movies of rapes. Two days later, Muller drove Huskins to Southern California and launched her. Muller was arrested in June of 2015 for each the Vallejo kidnapping and a violent Dublin dwelling invasion.
Denise Huskins (proper) and her husband, Aaron Quinn, seem at a legislation enforcement coaching occasion in Seaside in March 2024. (KRON4 / Amy Larson)
Muller pleaded responsible in 2016 for the Huskins case and was sentenced to serve many years in a federal jail. Following his responsible plea in Santa Clara County this week, the serial predator will now face kidnapping for ransom prices in Contra Costa County.
The investigation into Muller was reopened earlier this 12 months when Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges teamed up with Huskins. Borges stated he had by no means heard of the unsolved 2009 South Bay chilly circumstances till he watched “American Nightmare.” Chief Borges started sending letters to Muller, who was an inmate at a federal jail in Arizona.
How Denise Huskins helped discover extra victims of ‘American Nightmare’ kidnapper
Borges obtained reply letters from Muller through which he confessed to victimizing Huskins in Vallejo, in addition to a lady in Palo Alto, and a 3rd girl in Mountain View, courtroom paperwork obtained by KRON4 present.
In a single jail letter, Muller defined why he first started breaking into the houses of younger ladies, courtroom paperwork state. His prison life started with voyeurism. Over time, it escalated into dwelling invasions, tried rapes, and kidnapping.
“The concept to raid a house and rape a lady developed in August or September 2009 and he was in a manic state,” courtroom paperwork state.
Muller served as a Marine, graduated from Harvard College, and labored as an legal professional in California. Investigators described him as “exceptionally intelligent.” He meticulously deliberate out his crimes and practiced earlier than “terrorizing” victims who had been woken up in the course of the night time by a house intruder, investigators stated.
Denise Huskins talks to reporters in Seaside, Calif. on Jan. 7, 2025. (KRON4 Photograph)
In one other jail letter, Muller described “how it’s strange that he used to protect and enable women, and was somehow driven to hurt them instead.”
Along with the jail letter confessions, advances in DNA expertise allowed chilly case investigators to make a DNA match from proof discovered on the Palo Alto crime scene. Muller’s DNA was detected on one of many bindings that was used to tie the sufferer up, Rosen stated.
Timeline: Matthew Muller and the ‘American Nightmare’ case
Huskins spoke to reporters at a information convention earlier this month. “This man had all the markers of a serial predator. It’s something he crafted and perfected over a long period of time. This is just the tip of the iceberg,” she stated. Tears flowed down Huskins’ face as she talked about discovering extra victims whom had been beforehand unknown to legislation enforcement, and serving to them search justice.
Borges stated Huskins is just not solely a survivor, she’s a hero for searching for justice past her case.
