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The kidnapping of Denise Huskins is the subject of the Netflix docuseries American Nightmare. On March 23, 2015, Denise Huskins and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, experienced a home invasion orchestrated by Matthew Muller, who kidnapped Denise Huskins. The kidnapper, drugged and tied up Quinn while Huskins was taken away and s*xually assaulted over a two-day period.
According to the documentary, initially, when Quinn approached the police for help, his account was met with skepticism. The Vallejo Police Department and the FBI doubted their story, partly influenced by the recent release of the movie Gone Girl. The authorities even publicly declared the case a hoax.
“This event appears to be an orchestrated event and not a kidnapping,” the Police department told the media.
The breakthrough in Muller's capture came when he accidentally left his cell phone behind at a crime scene. This blunder provided law enforcement with crucial evidence. The couple's ordeal was proven to be real when Muller was arrested for a similar home invasion in Dublin, California. Evidence found during Muller's arrest confirmed his involvement in the kidnapping and assault of the Huskins.
What happened to Matthew Muller?
Matthew Muller, a Harvard-trained attorney, was sentenced in 2017 to a 31-year prison sentence for his confessed rape of Huskins and an additional 40-year term for kidnapping her. According to Vanity Fair regarding Muller's presence in the documentary, Felicity Morris, the co-creator of American Nightmare, emphasized their decision not to highlight Matthew Muller in the true story of Denise Huskins.
In her statement, Morris explained they deliberately avoided common docuseries practices, such as featuring a psychologist to discuss Muller's mental health or interviewing him in prison. Morris states that their intention was to completely exclude Muller from having any exposure in the series.
“It was important to us to not focus on Matthew Muller have a psychologist in to talk about his mental health,” for example. “We could have approached him in prison and requested an interview,” she continues, “but we did not want to give him any airtime whatsoever in this series.
She further said:
“Predators like Matthew Muller, they want that notoriety. They want people to be talking about them. They want their crimes to be spoken about in newspapers and in articles. And that is not what Bernie and I are interested in as filmmakers in the slightest.”
American Nightmare: What was Muller's approach to kidnapping Denise Huskins?
Muller's approach to the crime was notably sophisticated and deceptive. He employed various tactics to carry out the kidnapping. This included the use of a drone to survey Huskins and Aaron Quinn's home and playing a pre-recorded message to create the illusion of multiple kidnappers.
Initially, Muller's methods led the police to believe that Huskins and Quinn's account was fabricated, contributing to a significant delay in the investigation and a wrongful accusation against the victims.
The documentary series explores how Huskins and Quinn navigated the aftermath of their ordeal. The couple also filed a lawsuit against the Vallejo Police Department, which was reportedly settled for $2.5 million.
In addition, during a press conference, Lt. Kenny Park, a spokesperson for the Vallejo Police, expressed strong criticism towards Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins. In his statement, he accused the couple of diverting important resources and attention from the community.
According to Lt. Park, the couple's actions not only depleted valuable resources but also caused unnecessary fear among community members.
"Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins have plundered valuable resources away from our community and taken the focus away from the true victims of our community while instilling fear among our community members," Vallejo police spokesperson Lt. Kenny Park said during a press conference
The statement continued:
"So, if anything, it is Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins that owe this community an apology."
American Nightmare: Is Denise Huskins married?
Yes, Denise Huskins is married to Aaron Quinn, her boyfriend at the time of the kidnapping. The couple got married in 2018. Notably, they have co-authored a book titled Victim F: From Crime Victims to Suspects to Survivors, which details their harrowing experience and the aftermath of the kidnapping and assault.
American Nightmare docuseries is available to watch on Netflix.
