What Happened to Denise Huskins? ‘American Nightmare’ Case Explained – Hollywood Life

American Nightmare dives deep into Denise Huskins’ kidnapping and the following occasions that adopted. The three-part docuseries dropped on January 17 and options stunning twists and turns. Denise, her boyfriend Aaron Quinn, and extra communicate out in regards to the jaw-dropping sequence of occasions that had many considering this was a hoax impressed by the film Gone Lady.

So, what precisely occurred to Denise? Who’s answerable for her kidnapping? Hollywood Life is breaking down the stunning case that’s explored in American Nightmare.

What Occurred to Denise Huskins?

Denise was kidnapped in Vallejo, California, on the evening of March 22, 2015. The following morning, Denise’s boyfriend Aaron known as 911 to report her kidnapping. He advised police that kidnappers tied him and Denise up, after which took Denise. They gave him a sedative, so he didn’t get up till the subsequent morning.

Throughout his dialog with police, Aaron stated that the abductors advised him that the kidnapping was meant for Andrea, Aaron’s ex-fiancee. She had been dwelling on the home earlier than Denise moved in. The abductors had been nonetheless planning on taking Denise and needed $15,000 from Aaron. One of many kidnappers stole Aaron’s automobile and drove away with Denise.

After Denise had been lacking for 31 hours, Henry Lee, a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, acquired an audio file of Denise. “Hello, my title is Denise Huskins. I’m kidnapped. In any other case, I’m wonderful,” she stated.

Three days after her kidnapping, Denise resurfaced at her dad’s home in Huntington Seashore, California, over 400 miles from the place she was initially kidnapped. Denise may very well be seen in safety footage strolling to her dad’s place.

Whereas police had been interrogating Aaron and believed that he had harmed Denise, she was combating to remain alive. Within the second episode of the docuseries, Denise recalled her terrifying ordeal. She was put into the trunk of Aaron’s automobile after which transferred to a different automobile.

Like Aaron, Denise was drugged, tied up, and had her eyes coated with blacked-out swim goggles. She was delivered to a home, and her kidnapper stated this was “meant for Andrea.” He claimed to be “a part of this black market firm that kidnap folks for cash.”

The kidnapper advised Denise that there wasn’t any collateral to make sure that she wouldn’t speak to the police as soon as she was launched. He raped Denise and threatened to launch the footage on the web if she talked.

The following day, the kidnapper revealed to Denise that his associates had been on their means. He later stated that she wanted to report a proof of life, and that’s when she recorded the audio. He claimed his associates didn’t suppose the earlier footage of the primary rape was sufficient. He advised Denise that they needed to report them having intercourse once more and it needed to look consensual. Denise was raped a second time.

After being lacking for almost 48 hours, Denise’s kidnapper advised her that she was being launched. She was given one other sedative and brought to Huntington Seashore, California. Earlier than he let her go, the kidnapper advised her that she couldn’t inform the police that “one in every of us was within the army” and that that they had intercourse. “We’ll at all times be watching you,” the kidnapper warned earlier than threatening Denise and her household. She was dropped off in Huntington Seashore and walked to her dad’s home.

Who Kidnapped Denise Huskins?

Matthew Muller kidnapped Denise Huskins. Nonetheless, police didn’t discover Denise’s kidnapper and rapist till months after the kidnapping. In June 2015, there was a break-in in Dublin, California, about 40 miles from Vallejo. The proprietor of the home fought off the intruder who was making an attempt to rape his daughter. The intruder left his cellphone behind. The subscriber of the cellphone revealed that the cellphone belonged to her son Matthew Muller.

Matthew is a former Marine and a Harvard Regulation graduate. He had labored as an immigration lawyer however was disbarred. He had been a suspect in sexual batteries and tried rapes. Matthew’s mother advised police that he was staying at her cabin in South Lake Tahoe.

Matthew was arrested at his cabin for the Dublin housebreaking. Sgt. Misty Carausu, a detective for the Dublin PD, discovered a pair of blacked-out swim goggles with a single strand of blonde hair.

In the meantime, Aaron and Denise had been accused of constructing up the complete kidnapping story by the police and the media. Sgt. Carausu started investigating Matthew and circumstances that he was presumably linked to previous to the house invasion. She finally stumbled onto Denise’s kidnapping case. Sgt. Carausu put the proof collectively and linked Matthew’s stolen Mustang to Denise’s case.

Within the affidavit about Denise’s kidnapping, it was revealed that Aaron advised Vallejo police that the abductors had been going to contact him. Police put his cellphone on airplane mode and didn’t flip his cellphone on till the subsequent night. Throughout that point, Matthew had known as Aaron’s cellphone twice, and people calls had been traceable to inside 200 meters of the South Lake Tahoe cabin. Within the closing episode of the docuseries, Denise stated that she may have been “saved” from the second rape if police hadn’t turned Aaron’s cellphone off.

In courtroom, it was revealed that Matthew had used a “remote-controlled drone” to spy on Denise and Aaron earlier than the kidnapping, in keeping with CBS Information. He additionally performed a pre-recorded message that made it seem as if there was multiple kidnapper.

Are Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn Nonetheless Collectively?

Sure, Denise and Aaron are nonetheless collectively. After the horrific ordeal, Denise and Aaron bought married. They moved to the coast and “began a brand new life.”

They welcomed their first youngster, a daughter named Olivia, in 2020. They’ve since welcomed their second youngster, a daughter named Naomi. “It looks like our household is full,” Aaron stated within the docuseries.

Denise and Aaron sued the town of Vallejo for defamation in 2016. They settled out of courtroom for $2.5 million.

What Occurred to Matthew Muller?

In 2017, Matthew was sentenced to 40 years in jail for a federal kidnapping cost. He was not charged with the tried rapes in Palo Alto and Mountain View or the peeping tom incidences on Mare Island that Sgt. Carausu investigated.

In 2022, Matthew was sentenced to a further 31 years in state jail after pleading no contest to 2 counts of forcible rape, in keeping with CBS Information. He additionally pleaded responsible to theft of an inhabited dwelling, residential housebreaking, and false imprisonment. Matthew stated he was “sick with disgrace” for the “ache and horror” he inflicted on Denise and Aaron.