Matthew Muller, 'American Nightmare' kidnapper, arraigned in alleged San Ramon home invasion

'American Nightmare' predator appears in Contra Costa court in kidnap case

Matthew Muller, 48, pleaded not guilty to charges he kidnapped two men and a woman for tens of thousands of dollars in ransom near San Ramon.

MARTINEZ, Calif. - The man behind the 2015 kidnapping and sexual assault of Denise Huskins pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges related to an alleged kidnapping for ransom case that occurred in San Ramon the same year.

Since his conviction in Huskins' case, which was the subject of a Netflix docuseries, Matthew Muller has been charged – and convicted – in several similar cases dating back to the 1990s.

Muller, 48, was arraigned in Contra Costa County Superior Court on three felony charges of kidnapping for ransom.

The charges were filed in January when authorities announced they had linked the man to an alleged home invasion that happened in unincorporated San Ramon in 2015.

Muller is currently serving a 40-year prison sentence in Tucson, Arizona for the crimes he committed against Huskins, which were later detailed in the Netflix series "American Nightmare."

‘American Nightmare’ case

The backstory:

Muller broke into Huskins' Vallejo home on March 23, 2015, where he tied up Huskins and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn. Muller then took Huskins to a cabin in South Lake Tahoe where he sexually assaulted her and held her for two days, before releasing her near her family's home in Orange County.

In 2022, Muller was sentenced in Solano County to 31 years behind bars, and a concurrent 40-year sentence in federal court.

Huskins and Quinn, now married, later sued Vallejo and were awarded $2.5 million.

The "American Nightmare" series, released in 2024, detailed the 2015 kidnapping and law enforcement suspicions over whether the case was a hoax fabricated by Quinn. 

The series re-ignited investigations into Muller across several Northern California counties, with authorities saying in January that he allegedly committed his first kidnapping and assault at the age of 16. 

Matthew Muller to get 31 years in Vallejo kidnapping, rape

Matthew Muller, the man who invaded a Vallejo home and sexually assaulted and kidnapped a woman in a case that was initially deemed a hoax by police, is expected to plead no contest to state charges.

San Ramon home invasion allegations

What we know:

In January, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office said they had learned from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office that Muller confessed to the 2015 San Ramon home invasion. 

Authorities said that in 2024, Muller confessed to multiple crimes during conversations with law enforcement, including the East Bay case.

In the spring of 2015, Muller allegedly held two men and one woman for ransom at a San Ramon home and demanded one of the victims withdraw money from their bank account to release the others. 

Contra Costa County prosecutors say Muller successfully obtained the ransom and fled the home. 

The victims told authorities they feared retaliation, so they chose not to report the crime at the time. The victims' identities have not been released.

'American Nightmare' rapist Matthew Muller convicted of 1993 Folsom kidnapping, sexual assault

Matthew Muller, the man whose kidnapping and raping of a Vallejo a couple was highlighted in a Netflix crime documentary, has been convicted and sentenced again for kidnapping and sexual assault in Sacramento County.

Convictions in Santa Clara and Sacramento counties

Muller, 48, has been convicted of similar crimes throughout Northern California, including in Santa Clara County, where he was sentenced earlier this year in Palo Alto and Mountain View home invasions that occurred in 2009. He pleaded guilty in that case and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms, which will begin after his 40-year sentence in Huskins' case ends in 2049.

Just last month, Muller was convicted and sentenced in Sacramento County in a 1993 case where - at age 16 - he kidnapped and sexually assaulted campers near Folsom Lake. He was sentenced to 11 years to life in prison, which will be served consecutively to his 40-year sentence.