Kidnapper and Rapist Faces New Charges in Unreported 2015 Case

Kidnapper and Rapist Faces New Charges in Unreported 2015 Case

Matthew Muller, a convicted kidnapper and rapist currently serving a 40-year sentence, has been charged with three additional counts of kidnapping for ransom in connection with a previously unreported 2015 incident in San Ramon, California.

The new charges stem from a confession Muller made to Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges, who had invited the couple central to Muller's federal kidnapping conviction to speak about police evidence gathering and victim interviews. After meeting them, Borges suspected Muller had committed more crimes and sent him a letter.

In response, Muller confessed to multiple crimes, including the 2015 San Ramon kidnapping. According to prosecutors, Muller allegedly kidnapped two unidentified men and a woman, holding them hostage until one of them paid "tens of thousands of dollars" in ransom. The victims were so afraid that they never contacted authorities and still wish to remain anonymous.

Borges shared the information with Contra Costa investigators, leading to the charges announced this week. If convicted on the latest charges, Muller could face life in prison. He is currently serving his sentence in a federal prison in Arizona but is expected to return to California to be arraigned on the new charges.

"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 County 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."

In addition to the San Ramon case, Muller is also suspected in two home invasions in 2009 in Santa Clara County. State-of-the-art forensic DNA testing led detectives to him in those cases. He allegedly confessed to all three of the newly revealed crimes in letters he exchanged with law enforcement.