Matthew Muller

Matthew Daniel Muller (born March 27, 1977) is an American kidnapper, former immigration attorney, and Marine veteran.

He is known for carrying out the kidnapping in Vallejo, California referred to in the media as the 'Gone Girl' kidnapping, as later depicted in the Netflix docuseries American Nightmare.

Muller is a decorated United States Marine Corps veteran.

He was honorably discharged after developing mental health issues in the Middle East.

He was a Harvard-educated immigration lawyer who gained prominence after he halted a deportation by using an online petition.

He was voted one of the American Bar Association's "Techiest Lawyers."

Muller was diagnosed with bipolar disorder with psychotic features and schizophrenia.

In 1995, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps to get in shape and to earn money to attend college.

He played trumpet in the United States Marine Band across the world, including Australia, Abu Dhabi, and the United Arab Emirates.

While stationed in Okinawa, Japan, Muller started a nonprofit to teach locals about the internet and worked at an off-base bilingual newspaper.

Muller graduated from Bella Vista High School in 1995.

Muller attended a community college and transferred to Pomona College.

In 1999, he was deployed to train soldiers in the Middle East where he became a decorated marine.

He earned several medals, including a National Defense Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Nave—Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

He was promoted to a sergeant.

Muller developed severe mental health issues he referred to as Gulf War syndrome, despite never having been in combat.

He requested a discharge, which was granted, honorably.

While serving, Muller said he witnessed discrimination and harassment against fellow marines who were suspected of not being heterosexual.

He served for four years.

Muller is fluent in English, Spanish, Russian and German.

In 2001, he participated in an academic summer abroad in Prague.

He graduated with summa cum laude honors as a double major in economics and science, technology, and society within the Public Policy Analysis program.

His undergraduate senior thesis in the program was titled Once Again Waiting: Implementation of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act.

While at Pomona, he volunteered helping homeless people obtain government services, organized Orientation Adventure trips, and contributed to political campaign finance research.

After graduating in 2003, he moved to Boston and enrolled in Harvard Law School.

While in law school, he volunteered at Harvard’s Legal Aid Bureau, where he began to work with immigrants and low-income rental tenants who had been victims of domestic violence.

In October of his first year, he spoke at a teach-in about the implications of the Solomon Amendment and advocated for Harvard to change its policies around military recruitment in accordance with its anti-discrimination policies.

He obtained a juris doctor in 2006.

He married a woman he met while studying abroad Prague; she filed for divorced in December 2012.

He remarried while incarcerated in Sacramento County Jail.

His mental health cost him his career and in 2015, his delusions developed into the belief he should engage in vigilante justice against the wealthy to give to the poor.

He committed two home invasions and kidnapped and raped Denise Huskins, originally deemed a hoax by authorities, during his psychosis.

He was caught on June 9, 2015 after leaving his cell phone at the second home invasion.

He is being held in Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson until 2049.

Muller grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento.

His mother is Joyce, a middle school English teacher, and his father is Monty, a school administrator who served as a wrestling coach.

He has one younger brother, Kent.

His parents divorced his senior year of high school after an affair.

Muller was introverted and bullied for being overweight growing up; he was also known as someone who "fought for the underdog".

He played the trumpet in his Fair Oaks, California high school band, participated in computer club, and earned over a 3.8 GPA taking high achiever coursework.