Matthew Muller, the man at the center of the chilling Netflix documentary *American Nightmare*, has pleaded guilty to another violent crime—this one dating back over three decades.
On Wednesday, prosecutors announced that Muller admitted to kidnapping and sexually assaulting a young woman during a 1993 attack near Folsom Lake. At the time, the 16-year-old Muller ambushed a couple camping in the Sierra Nevada foothills, held them at gunpoint, and forcibly separated them before assaulting the woman. The case had gone cold until recently, when advances in forensic investigation helped authorities finally tie Muller to the crime.
This latest conviction adds to a disturbing pattern of violence. Muller is already serving a 40-year federal sentence for the widely publicized 2015 kidnapping of Denise Huskins in Vallejo—a case that initially baffled authorities and led to false accusations against Huskins and her partner, Aaron Quinn. That incident and the flawed investigation surrounding it were later detailed in the documentary *American Nightmare*.
In addition to the 2015 case, Muller was previously sentenced to life in prison for a pair of kidnappings and assaults that occurred in Santa Clara in 2009. His newest sentence—11 years to life—will be served consecutively with his existing terms, effectively ensuring he spends the rest of his life behind bars.
According to court records, Muller used drugs like Diazepam and over-the-counter sleep aids to sedate his victims and employed increasingly elaborate tactics over the years. Despite his background as a Harvard-educated lawyer and former Marine, Muller led a secret life marked by predatory violence.
Law enforcement officials say Muller eventually confessed to the 1993 attack during questioning, bringing long-awaited closure to one of Sacramento County’s oldest unsolved sexual assault cases. The breakthrough came as part of renewed efforts by the district attorney’s Cold Case, Science & Technology Unit, which used new evidence to finally crack the case.
“This case is a powerful reminder that justice can be delayed but not denied,” Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho said. “For the victims, the pain never left. But today, they finally have answers.”
The admission adds yet another layer to Muller’s dark history—one that has shocked and captivated the public while revealing serious flaws in how authorities initially responded to some of his crimes.