"He had the reputation of being a player -- Girl after girl after girl": Neighbor of cardiologist Stephen Matthews recounts what she saw
A neighbor who lived near Denver cardiologist Stephen Matthews has turned over to Denver police detectives a picture she took of a woman appearing to be passed out, topless, on Matthews' doorstep. The woman was wearing only a pink bikini bottom and appeared to be in an uncomfortable position.
"Face down, topless, completely passed out," said the neighbor who took the picture in February of 2020. She asked that she not be identified.
But she felt the newly released photo might be evidence for police and prosecutors who have accused Matthews, 35, of being a pattern rapist. He is facing 34 felony charges in connection with 16 women he allegedly drugged, starting in 2019. Prosecutors also contend Matthews sexually assaulted most of the women after they blacked out.
Matthews is being held at the Denver jail on $5 million bond and faces a preliminary hearing Thursday that will determine if the case should proceed. Matthews' attorney has previously said the doctor is innocent and is merely facing allegations.
In 2020, Matthews was living in an uptown Denver apartment building where his neighbor said he was "a charmer" but also "narcissistic, arrogant.' She told CBS News Colorado, "Almost every time I came home there were girls' shoes outside his apartment." She said there was a constant stream of "girls in, girls out. It was just a lot of girls and the girls that came out also didn't seem sober but we all just assumed they were drunk."
She said published accounts suggesting women Matthews met on dating apps were drugged during dates, has made her reconsider what happened to the unidentified woman seen laying on Matthews' doorstep. "So I snapped a picture and then another neighbor came out and tried to start helping her up."
The neighbor said she had recently turned the photo over to Denver police detectives who are looking into the multiple accusations against Matthews.
While Matthews has not made any public statements about the slew of accusations against him, CBS News Colorado has obtained a series of text messages from earlier this year between Matthews' phone and a woman who briefly dated him. The messages came after womens' suspicions about Matthews began circulating on a social media site, but before he had been criminally charged.
"I have made many mistakes before," said one of the messages from Matthews' phone, "I am sorry. I do want to be and do better. I swear." Another message read, "I 'm just f-d up/not perfect".
