Denise Huskins’ kidnapper Matthew Muller was sentenced to 31 years in prison, in 2017, after he pled guilty to federal kidnapping charges. He was also charged with armed robbery, false imprisonment and inhabited dwelling. At the time of his sentencing, Muller had been serving a previous sentence of 40 years for federal crimes. He is currently at a mental health facility in Solano County, California, after he was found unfit to stand trial in November 2020.
Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of abuse. Readers’ discretion is advised.
The trailer for American Nightmare was released by Netflix and offers a glimpse into the story of Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins. It digs deeper into the case of the kidnapping and assault of Denise Huskins. It studies the investigation of the case which briefly took a backseat when the police believed that the entire case was a hoax. Matthew Muller is a Harvard-trained attorney.
In March 2015, masked intruders entered Aaron Quinn and his girlfriend, Denise Huskins‘ home. He allegedly threatened them with a fake gun, tied the couple up and forced them to consume a ‘sleep-inducing’ liquid. He reportedly went on to play a pre-recorded message to make it seem like there were multiple kidnappers. Denise Huskins’ kidnapper Matthew Muller held her hostage for two days after kidnapping her in the trunk of his car.
During this time, Aaron Quinn reportedly approached the police, seeking help. However, was met with hostility from the authorities who believed that the story was made up. Meanwhile, Muller held her in South Lake Tahoe. He then dropped her off at her hometown in Huntington Beach near Los Angeles. Her reappearance added to the police’s belief that the couple was lying before a similar case of home intrusion was recorded Dublin.
How was Denise Huskins’ kidnapper Matthew Muller caught?
Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins’ accounts of the intrusion and kidnapping were not investigated with any seriousness. This was until Denise Huskins’ kidnapper Matthew Muller was arrested by authorities for a similar intrusion of a home in Dublin, California. There were similarities in the accounts of Huskins’ and the other case. This made it evident that the kidnapping, robbery and false imprisonment, did indeed occur.
Denise Huskins’ kidnapper Matthew Muller, wrote e-mails to a San Francisco reported during the time he was holding her hostage. He claimed that a group on elite criminals kidnapped Huskins as part of their tactics. He allegedly operated a drone over Quinn and Huskins’ home before the intrusion to plan out the crime beforehand. It was the elaborate nature of the crime that also pushed the police to believe that the case was a hoax.
Authorities claimed to have found a cell phone which they could trace to Matthew Muller. The police then searched Muller’s home and car. An investigation of his belongings also exposed a computer that he had stolen from Quinn, which confirmed Quinn and Huskins’ accounts of what happened when Denise Huskins’ kidnapper Matthew Muller.
The Vallejo police went public with their claim that the case was a hoax. This attracted a fair amount of backlash after proving the incident true. Muller reportedly expressed shame about what he had done and the pain he had caused, CBS News reported. However, he was found unfit to stand trial, and it was argued that he expressed depressive and manic behavior.
American Nightmare will be streaming from January 17, 2024. A creation by the makers of Tinder Swindler, it is one of the most anticipated true crime releases of the month. You will be able to stream and watch the series on Netflix.
