EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office acknowledges the life sentence handed down today in Contra Costa County Superior Court to convicted offender Matthew Muller, 48, who pleaded no contest to one count of aggravated kidnapping and was sentenced to life in prison without the
possibility of parole by Judge David Goldstein.
This high-profile case, which drew national attention, was featured in the Netflix documentary American Nightmare, and South Tahoe now followed the bizarre story that followed after Muller brought Denise Huskins to a South Lake Tahoe home after the kidnapping.
Ten years after the Vallejo home invasion, kidnapping, and sexual assault of Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, Muller has now been convicted and sentenced to additional life sentences in connection with another home invasion, committed just weeks after the original attack.
This second home invasion occurred in Contra Costa County in 2015 but was never reported to law enforcement at the time. It came to light only after a joint reinvestigation by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. That effort was launched due to the persistence of Denise and Aaron Quinn, Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges, and Detective Misty Carausu.
During a multi-day interview in Tucson, Arizona, Muller drew a rough diagram of the crime scene location.
Using Google Maps, investigators were able to identify the residence he described. Muller stated that he carried a ladder a significant distance to access a second-story entry point, then disposed of the ladder in a nearby ravine during his escape. Contra Costa detectives later located the ladder, confirming the account.
Additionally, during the multi-day interview in Tucson, Muller also confessed to his earliest known crime, that of a kidnapping and sexual assault occurring near Folsom, California in 1993. Muller was convicted and sentenced to an additional life term on that case just a few weeks ago.
Furthermore, Muller admitted to committing two additional home invasions in Santa Clara County, as detailed in a letter he sent to Seaside Chief of Police Nick Borges.
“It’s a shame it has taken 10 years to correct the mistakes made in the original investigation that permitted Muller to terrorize two additional families,” said El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson. “Poor interview and investigation practices permitted these additional families to be victimized. Modern science-based interviewing and the diligence of the Quinns and multiple law enforcement agencies are now working to correct that wrong.”
In recognition of their perseverance and contribution to justice, Denise and Aaron Quinn will receive the California District Attorneys Association’s Witness of the Year Award in two weeks.
Muller brought Denise to South Lake Tahoe in 2015 after kidnapping her from her Vallejo home.