Photo: Dublin Police Services
Matthew Muller, the man known for the infamous "Gone Girl" kidnapping case, is facing charges stemming from home invasions dating back to 2009. Muller, whose criminal acts were highlighted in the Netflix documentary series American Nightmare, was previously sentenced to 40 years in prison for the 2015 kidnapping of Denise Huskins in Vallejo, California.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said that Muller has been charged with two felony counts of committing a sexual assault during a home invasion.
Authorities said that Muller broke into a woman's home in Mountain View in September 2009. He attacked her and threatened to rape her. However, the woman persuaded him to stop, and he left after telling her to get a dog.
Then, on October 18, 2009, Muller allegedly broke into a woman's home in Palo Alto, where he bound and gagged her. He forced her to drink Nyquil and then began assaulting her. The victim also managed to persuade Muller to stop attacking her. After giving her crime prevention advice, he fled the scene.
After the unsolved cases were linked to Muller, investigators re-examined the evidence and found DNA that matched Muller's at the crime scene.
"The details of this person's violent crime spree seem scripted for Hollywood, but they are tragically real," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a news release. "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."
If convicted, Muller faces life in prison.
He is currently serving a 40-year sentence for the kidnapping of Huskins. On March 23, 2015, Muller broke into the home of Huskins and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn. He then kidnapped Huskins and demanded a ransom for her release. Two days later, he released her in Huntington Beach, California, which was nearly 400 miles from where she was taken. Initially, authorities doubted the couple's story, comparing it to the plot of the film Gone Girl. However, evidence later confirmed their account, leading to Muller's arrest and conviction on multiple charges.
After the incident, Huskins and her boyfriend reached a $2.5 million settlement with the city of Vallejo.