California Prosecutors File New Charges Against Convicted Kidnapper and Rapist Matthew Muller
California prosecutors have filed new charges against Matthew Muller, 47, a convicted kidnapper and rapist, in connection with a 2015 abduction and ransom case in the Bay Area. Muller is already serving a 40-year sentence for the kidnapping and rape of a Vallejo woman in 2015, dubbed the “Gone Girl” kidnapping.
According to authorities, Muller kidnapped two unidentified men and a woman in San Ramon, held them hostage, and demanded “tens of thousands of dollars” in ransom from one of the victims to release all three. The victims were so afraid that they never contacted police, and prosecutors say they still wish to remain anonymous.
The charges against Muller stem from a previously unreported 2015 crime in San Ramon, where he allegedly held three victims captive and demanded a ransom. This revelation came to light in 2024 after Muller confessed to multiple crimes in Northern California, including this incident.
Muller also allegedly confessed to all three of the newly revealed crimes in letters he exchanged with law enforcement. If convicted on the latest charges, he 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 Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has filed three felony charges of kidnapping for ransom against Muller, and the district attorney said, “The trauma of crime can have lasting effects that some people endure for their entire lives – whether the crime is reported or not. 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.”