Stephen Matthews, a former cardiologist who was sentenced over the summer, for drugging 11 women and sexually assaulting nine of them, he faces sentencing Friday afternoon in a Denver courtroom. Prior to this conviction, one of the women he was convicted of drugging shared her story in an on-camera interview with CBS News Colorado.
The woman, Allie, 34, says her “date” with Matthews in January 2023 “was the scariest day of my life.” …The only time I thought I might die, honestly. I didn’t know what was going to happen. to me if I lost consciousness.”
Allie, who asked that her last name not be used, said she hopes telling her story “will give one more survivor the courage to come forward, seek justice for themselves and heal.” .
Matthews was convicted in August of 35 of 38 counts related to drugging and sexually assaulting numerous women between 2019 and 2023. He met the women on dating apps like Hinge and Tinder. But women who testified against Matthews – including Allie – told remarkably similar stories of having a drink with Matthews and then losing their memory of what happened next. Some said they remembered waking up naked after having nonconsensual sex with Matthews.
Allie said that although she lost her memory after having a drink at Matthews’ west Denver home, she did not believe she had been sexually assaulted, but believed she had been drugged.
“I was excited to go on a first date and get to know him,” she said after the two connected through the Hinge app.
She said she liked that he was a doctor whose profile showed he was a dog owner who loved the outdoors. Allie works in healthcare, is a dog owner, and also enjoys hiking.
But after meeting Matthews at a bar for drinks, she agreed to accompany him to his townhouse to let his dog out. Once there, she said she went to the bathroom but when she came out he made her a drink which she never asked for.
“I didn’t want to be rude and I didn’t want to offend him, so I took the drink,” she recalls.
After drinking about a quarter of it, she quickly began to feel physically ill, her speech was slurred, and she began to lose her memory and motor skills.
“I remember at one point I fell to the ground and looked at him as he was about to film me,” she said.
She said the cardiologist put his arm around her neck and shoulders, put her in a headlock and pulled her head back to forcibly kiss her. She said it was “painful” and she couldn’t escape.
Allie said she thought she had to leave “Or I wouldn’t be able to leave. I felt like I had to get out. I knew my ability to control my body was disappearing quickly and if I didn’t make it go away in a few minutes, I didn’t think I would ever be able to leave.”
During the interview, she said she ran away from Matthews’ home, leaving behind her coat, purse and shoes.
“I just had this intense desire to escape,” she said.
She said she called an Uber and vomited “uncontrollably” while in the car. Several other women who say Matthews drugged them also said they vomited.
The next day, Allie went to an urgent care center in Denver, hoping to get tested to see if she had been given a date rape drug. She said after 20 minutes, the center said it did not have the equipment to conduct a drug test.
“I felt completely rejected,” Allie said, “like they weren’t taking it seriously.”
She believes urgent care centers like the one she visited need to be better equipped to care for women who think they may have been drugged.
For several months, she felt isolated by what had happened.
“I absolutely did everything I could to make it my fault. I thought I was alone, I thought there was something wrong with me that made him want to do me bad,” she said.
But after discussing her experience with a friend, she was directed to a Facebook group where women had shared similar experiences after dating Matthews. She felt validated by seeing that she was not alone, and later reported her experience to the Denver Police Department.
Testifying against Matthews proved difficult, as Allie now says the trial was “retraumatizing” because Matthews’ lawyers made her feel like she was on trial.
But the jury’s guilty verdicts were a major milestone.
“It was a huge relief to have the jury say they believed me and the other women.”
She says she has suffered from anxiety, depression and nightmares since her single date with Stephen Matthews and is now hypervigilant about her safety.
“It’s exhausting,” she says.
She plans to talk about those issues when she testifies again Friday at Matthews’ sentencing.
“I’m going to ask the judge for the maximum sentence. Every day, there is at least one moment of my day that revolves around this person who hurt me.”
Allie says she has “no doubt” that there are other victims of Matthews who have not come forward or been identified. She pointed out the number of women Matthews met on dating apps.
“I believe the survivors who have come forward are just the tip of the iceberg.”
Allie said she found helpful resources for coping with what she experienced through advocacy organizations such as Blue Bench, which works to prevent sexual violence, and Jane Doe No More, which aims to empower survivors of sexual abuse.
Matthews is being held in the Denver jail on $5 million bail. His lawyer, Douglas Cohen, declined to comment.