Charges filed against 'Gone Girl' kidnapper in 2015 ransom case that was previously unreported.
Matthew Muller is accused of three new counts of kidnapping for ransom.
Authorities announced that California prosecutors have filed new charges against a convicted kidnapper and rapist for a 2015 abduction and ransom case with three victims in the Bay Area, which the police had never been informed about until he confessed.
In 2015, a Vallejo woman was kidnapped and raped by Matthew Muller, who is currently serving a 40-year sentence for his crime. Initially, her abduction was believed to be a hoax, and was referred to as the "Gone Girl" kidnapping, after the book and movie.
At the time, it was not reported to police that Muller allegedly kidnapped two unidentified men and a woman in San Ramon and held them hostage until one of them paid "tens of thousands of dollars" in ransom to release all three.
Prosecutors claim that Muller, a Harvard graduate, ex-Marine, and former immigration lawyer, took the money and fled, leaving the victims too scared to contact authorities and wishing to remain anonymous.
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The Contra Costa District Attorney's Office has filed three felony charges of kidnapping for ransom against Matthew Daniel Muller, a convicted kidnapper and rapist currently serving a 40-year federal prison sentence, according to a Facebook announcement by Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton's office.
"The new charges against Muller were prompted by a previously unreported 2015 crime in San Ramon, where he held three victims captive and demanded a substantial sum of money for their release. This information was disclosed in 2024 when Muller confessed to multiple crimes in Northern California, including the incident in Contra Costa County."
In the San Ramon case, three charges of kidnapping for ransom were filed in Becton's office.
Authorities said last month that Muller is also suspected in two home invasions in 2009, which were solved through state-of-the-art forensic DNA testing.
According to prosecutors, Muller allegedly confessed to all three newly revealed crimes in letters exchanged with law enforcement.
"Despite the absence of a reported crime in 2015, detectives from the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation after learning of Muller's confession. The Contra Costa District Attorney's Office joined the investigation on December 13th, 2024, which involved a meeting with Muller."
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. Becton's office did not specify a court date.
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"The lasting effects of crime can impact victims for their entire lives, regardless of whether the crime is reported or not, as Becton stated. My office will remain steadfast in pursuing justice for the victims of Muller's serious offenses in Contra Costa County."
In the Vallejo case, Muller drugged a woman and her boyfriend, tied up the female victim, sexually assaulted her, held her for two days, and then released her in Southern California.
Planet Chronicle' Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
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