“American Nightmare” kidnapper convicted in 2009 North County home invasions
For release on January 17, 2025
CONTACT:
Brian King
Deputy District Attorney
Sexual Assault Unit
(408) 792-2581
[email protected]
“American Nightmare” kidnapper convicted in 2009 North County home invasions
A notorious kidnapping convict was convicted today of a pair of home invasion sexual assaults in Mountain View and Palo Alto 15 years ago.
Matthew Muller, 47, is the subject of American Nightmare, a Netflix documentary series that chronicles his 2015 kidnapping of Denise Huskins from Vallejo.
Muller pleaded guilty today to both charges. He will be sentenced Feb. 21 at 9 a.m. in Department 34 for the two felony counts of committing a sexual assault during a home invasion. He faces life in prison for each offense.
“This extremely dangerous person left a trail of traumatized and terrified victims,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “It took the collective courage of his victims and determined law enforcement officers to stop him. 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.
On March 23, 2015, Muller broke into a Vallejo home, where he drugged, and tied up a young couple. He kidnapped Denise 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. Muller was arrested in June for both the Vallejo kidnapping and a violent Dublin home invasion.
Muller pleaded guilty in 2016 to the kidnapping and in 2022 to the sexual assaults of Ms. Huskins. As part of the renewed investigation, Muller also faces kidnapping for ransom charges in Contra Costa County.
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