Cardiologist receives 158 years to life in prison for drugging, sexually assaulting multiple women
Stephen Matthews, the Denver cardiologist convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women he met online, has been sentenced to 158 years to life in prison.
“You have diminished this world,” Judge Eric Johnson said as he announced the sentence. “You hurt our society. It is a darker place because of you.”
Brian Maass, a CBS News Colorado reporter who has followed this story closely since the beginning, shared updates from the courtroom as the sentencing went on. He noted that the prosecution described Matthews as a “prolific serial rapist” before requesting he receive a life sentence. Multiple victims also shared statements, with many saying they liked the fact that Matthews was a cardiologist; it made him seem safe and trustworthy. Matthews' family also spoke, though he himself did not make any sort of statement. Click here for much more additional context from CBS News.
The defense is planning to appeal Matthews’ conviction. For now, however, he has been ordered to immediately begin serving his sentence.
“Given the despicable nature of those crimes, I am very pleased with the sentence imposed today by Judge Johnson,” Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said in a statement. “I hope this sentence sends the message to everyone in Denver that people who take advantage of others in the way that Mr. Matthews did will be prosecuted by my office to the fullest extent of the law.”
After first victim spoke up, it became clear there were many more
This case first made headlines in 2023, when a victim came forward with her story of getting into a hot tub with Matthews during a date and then losing consciousness for several hours. She did not immediately go to the police with her story. However, after learning that a friend’s mother had a similar encounter with Matthews a few years prior, she reached out to the authorities.
The Denver Police Department quickly determined there could be a large number of victims who had previous encounters with Matthews. In the end, he was accused of drugging 11 different women and then sexually assaulting nine of them. The actions all occurred from 2019 to 2023.
He pleaded not guilty to all 38 counts brought against him.
The jury in this case deliberated for more than three days before finding Matthews guilty of 35 different counts. The three counts that did not lead to a guilty verdict were all linked to the same individual. He was ultimately convicted for drugging 10 women and then sexually assaulting eight of them.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.