According to a report by Law and Crime on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, a Colorado jury has convicted Stephen Matthews, a 36-year-old former cardiologist, of drugging and sexually assaulting nearly a dozen women he met through dating apps. Matthews was found guilty on August 8, 2024, on 35 out of 38 charges brought against him, following a month-long trial that featured testimony from over 60 witnesses and overwhelming evidence.
Described by former Denver District Attorney Beth McCann as “one of the most prolific serial rapists in the history of the state of Colorado,” Matthews carried out his assaults between 2019 and 2023. His method involved using his profession and charm to lure women into a false sense of security before drugging and assaulting them.
Matthews’ arrest in March 2023 came after a woman accused him of drugging and assaulting her following a date. This arrest triggered a wave of similar allegations, leading to additional charges in April 2023. By October, more than a dozen victims had come forward, revealing the extent of Matthews’ predatory behavior.
During the trial, 11 of Matthews’ victims bravely testified, recounting harrowing experiences of being lured to his home, drugged, and assaulted. Prosecutor Bree Beasley detailed how Matthews meticulously planned his assaults, ensuring his victims were compliant and unable to resist. Matthews would invite the women to his home under innocent pretenses, such as walking his dog or playing a board game. Once inside, he would offer them a drink, secretly laced with drugs. Beasley described how Matthews would insist that his victims stay “just five more minutes,” knowing that within that time, the drugs would take effect.
“When the defendant insists, ‘No, just stay for five more minutes,’ that stands out to her because the defendant knows how quickly this is going to act. And he knows if she just waits five more minutes, he’s got her. And he did. Because the next thing that she remembers is waking up completely naked on the floor, screaming, ‘What did you do?’ She’s terrified,” Beasley told the jury, according to KDVR.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, Matthews’ defense attorneys attempted to cast doubt on the victims’ accounts. However, the jury was not swayed by these arguments, finding Matthews guilty on nearly all charges.
Matthews is currently being held in a Denver jail on a $5 million bond and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 25, 2024. Following the verdict, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann expressed her gratitude to the victims for their courage and resilience. “Stephen Matthews took advantage of nearly a dozen women in the most egregious way imaginable, and for that he will now pay a significant price. I hope today’s verdict provides a measure of comfort to all the victims, whose courage throughout this case should be an inspiration to us all,” McCann said in a statement.