A former Denver cardiologist named Stephen Matthews was sentenced to 158 years in prison on Friday. The court hearing ended with tearful smiles and applause from Matthew's victims and their families. The over-a-year-long legal battle ended with justice being served to the victims. Per the case, Matthews drugged and s*xually assaulted about a dozen women from 2019 to 2023.
Matthews was arrested in March 2023 after a woman reported to Denver police that she had been drugged and assaulted during a date at the defendant's home. Investigators further found out that Matthews might be involved in other heinous crimes and urged his victims to speak up.
As nine more women brought similar allegations to the police, Matthews was rearrested in May 2023. According to the arrest affidavit, it was later revealed that Matthews met all his victims via dating apps. He then met them for drinks and assaulted them after spiking their drinks.
As 11 women reported against Stephen Matthews, nine of them were allegedly s*xually assaulted by him. The allegations resulted in the former doctor facing 38 charges, although he pleaded not guilty. This then sent the case for trial.
In August, the jury found Matthews guilty of 35 counts out of 38 charges. These included second-degree assault in connection with drugging, multiple s*xual assaults, and assaults of about a dozen women.
What happened in the Friday trial of Stephen Matthews' case?
According to CBS, many women and their family members shared their stories in the court hearing on Friday. One of the women also revealed how she has been in therapy for the last 18 months, saying:
"Stephen Matthews took away what normal looks like for me."
The victims revealed how they lost their memory of what happened after the former doctor spiked their drinks.
One of the women also mentioned how all survivors of these heinous crimes have come together against Matthews. She said, "We are now a powerful army of survivors," and called the accused "nothing." She also called him a "narcissistic monster," describing him as a "serial r*pist."
During the Friday trial, Judge Eric Johnson said, "Evidence in this case overwhelming," as he pronounced the sentence. The judge further added that Matthews had "diminished" the world.
In his closing comments, the judge addressed the victims' experiences, telling them they were "believed" following the verdict. Johnson also added that he could not help the victims in the healing process from what they had faced but wished them happiness and peace in their lives. He ordered Stephen Matthews to begin serving his jail time immediately.
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Matthews was also seen in tears when his mother asked the judge if he could be rehabilitated.
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