Tearful testimony in former Denver cardiologist date rape trial: "I believed I had been drugged"
A 32-year-old Denver woman who believes she was drugged and raped during a "date" with a Denver cardiologist cried on the witness stand Thursday as she recalled blacking out for roughly ten hours after having a drink at the home of Dr. Stephen Matthews.
She called what happened "really scary."
The woman, a veterinary nurse, is one of eleven women who say that after going on a date with Matthews between 2019 and 2023, they believe they were drugged. Nine of the women — including the one who testified Thursday — then say Matthews sexually assaulted them.
Matthews, facing 38 counts, has pleaded not guilty. Testimony in his trial began Monday.
The veterinary nurse recounted meeting Matthews via the Hinge dating app and agreeing to meet him for brunch in January 2023.
She said his profession as a doctor made her comfortable and put her at ease, and she "felt a little bit of safety there." On a cold, snowy day, the two met at a restaurant near his home.
The woman said she had coffee, a mimosa, potatoes, and avocado toast. He then invited her to his home where they played Jenga before getting into his hot tub.
The woman testified that at his home, Matthews gave her some Prosecco and then gave her a shot of tequila, but she was unable to see him pour it into a glass. She said after she put on a bathing suit and got in his hot tub, "I don't remember anything after that."
Prosecutors' theory is that he tampered with her drink. Other alleged victims have also offered similar testimony of Matthews making them a drink and then losing memory of what happened next.
She said hours later, she regained her memory when she was at her home. "Never blacked out in my life," she said.
She recounted "being very confused" about where she was and how she got there and "I felt really sore."
Dabbing at tears during her testimony, the woman said she believed she "had been drugged and raped." She testified she did not consent to ingesting anything from Matthews beyond the alcohol, and testified she did not consent to sexual contact with the doctor.
Matthews later told police the two had what he described as "consensual sex," which the woman said she does not recall.
After the date, the woman underwent a rape exam at an area hospital. Following that, she and Matthews exchanged text messages.
Under lengthy cross-examination from one of Matthews' attorneys, the woman acknowledged sending a text message to Matthews saying she believed she had been drugged, but, "I don't think it was you." She apologized to Matthews via text message saying she was sorry for drinking like that and said she was sorry and embarrassed at what occurred.
Doug Cohen, Matthews' lawyer, challenged the woman about those text messages. She said she "wanted to see what he would admit to. I wanted to see if he would lie and I believe he did."
Cohen asked if she put together a "ruse to bait him to say something that would get him in trouble?" She said that was her aim as she "knew it was him (who drugged her) and couldn't have been anything else."
Cohen also pressed her about her use of marijuana, which showed up when she was tested during her rape exam. She said she would smoke marijuana before bed to help her sleep. Earlier on Thursday, the woman's mother testified at length about what happened to her daughter.
Matthews is being held in the Denver jail on $5 million bond. Testimony will continue Friday, and the trial is expected to run until the end of July.
