The Shocking True Story of American Nightmare

Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins met in 2014 while working as physical therapists in Vallejo, California. Huskins was conflicted about her feelings for Quinn, who had recently broken off an engagement with Andrea Roberts. Quinn claims that his ex-fiancée cheated on him, effectively ending their relationship. To make matters even more complicated, Roberts worked with Quinn and Huskins. Nevertheless, Huskins and Quinn were drawn to each other. Although Roberts tried to distance herself from him, Quinn struggled to move on from his ex. Huskins considered ending things with Quinn in February 2015, discovering that he had messaged Roberts about potentially giving their relationship another chance. On March 22, 2015, Huskins went to Quinn’s house to discuss the future of their relationship. Huskins spent the night at Quinn’s on March 23 when their lives forever changed. At least one other person was in the house, but the couple could only make out a bright light shining in their eyes. Armed with a fake gun, the intruder had the two restrained and blindfolded with goggles covered in duct tape. The intruder also gave them headphones with pre-recorded messages explaining that this was a kidnapping. Both would be given sedatives with Huskins being taken in the trunk of the intruder’s car. Quinn was left behind to pay the ransom of $17,000 within 48 hours. Although Quinn was instructed not to call the police, he eventually decided that this was better left in the hands of professionals. The Vallejo PD was anything but professional. Finding the story far-fetched, Detective Mathew Mustard concocted a narrative in which Quinn murdered Huskins. The police did send a search party of more than 100 to Mare Island, but they remained fixated on Quinn while ignoring potential leads. The authorities spent 18 hours attempting to force a false confession out of Quinn until he was let go. All the while, Huskins endured an even more traumatic experience. The intruder held Huskins captive for two days, during which time he indecently assaulted her twice on videotape. While the ransom never arrived, Huskins was released roughly 400 miles from Vallejo in Huntington Beach where her family lived. Although her father wasn’t home, Huskins was taken in by a neighbor.

True Crime or Crime Fiction?

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Huskins corroborated that she was kidnapped and a medical test backed up her accusations of assault. While Quinn didn’t murder Huskins, the authorities cooked up another narrative. They found it suspicious that Huskins disappeared only to turn up alive after 48 hours. Rather than follow up on Huskins’ claims, the police, as well as the FBI, were quick to label this as an “orchestrated event.” Doug Rappaport, Huskins’ lawyer, recalls speaking with FBI Agent David Sesma, who compared the case to “Gone Girl.” In that film based on Gillian Flynn’s novel, Amy Dunne fakes her death with the intent of framing her husband. Deciding to give the marriage another shot, she returns home and emerges a media darling. It’s a gripping work of fiction, but the word fiction should be emphasized. Huskins and Quinn’s ordeal mirrors “Gone Girl” in one way. Amy’s husband, ​​Nick Dunne, is initially vilified in the press despite being innocent of murder. The media also failed Quinn and especially Huskins, making her out to be a “Real-Life Gone Girl.” Journalist Nancy Grace ironically went from being parodied in “Gone Girl” to commentating on Huskins’ story. As most outlets ran with the “Gone Girl” angle, The San Francisco Chronicle received a series of emails from the kidnapper, which seemed to back up Huskins’ claims. Although the authorities continued to push the “hoax” theory, their narrative started to unravel in June when Matthew Muller, a former marine and disbarred lawyer who graduated from Harvard, was arrested for a home invasion robbery. Sergeant Misty Carausu, who brought Muller in, noticed parallels between this home invasion and Huskins’ kidnapping. Searching his South Lake Tahoe cabin, Carausu found, among other things, a fake gun, goggles with duct tape, and blonde hair resembling Huskins’. Carausu eventually got in touch with the FBI, who were compelled to revisit the case after seeing the new evidence. The FBI also uncovered videotapes of Muller with Huskins, who identified him as her assailant. Huskins testified against Muller in 2017, saying that she still has “nightmares every night.” Pleading guilty, Muller was sentenced to 40 years in prison with another 31 years being added in 2022. Quinn and Huskins also pursued legal action against the city, settling out of court for $2.5 million in 2018.

Is the Nightmare Over?

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Although Muller was brought to justice, the case isn’t without several loose ends. Among the lingering questions is why Muller broke into Quinn’s house and kidnapped Huskins. One might assume that it was a random home invasion, but Muller has claimed that Huskins wasn’t his intended target. That distinction goes to Andrea Roberts, but Muller didn’t elaborate beyond that. Roberts has maintained a low profile, opting to not participate in “American Nightmare.” Making her potential connection even more curious, Roberts used to date Agent David Sesma. While no other arrests were made, Huskins and Quinn have speculated that Muller might’ve had accomplices. Whether or not Muller acted alone, it’s been argued that several authority figures got off with no repercussions. Mathew Mustard continued to rise through the ranks at Vallejo PD, being promoted to the head of the department’s Investigations Division and the Evidence and Property Unit. He was even named Officer of the Year in 2016. His mishandling of Huskins and Quinn’s case isn’t the only blemish on Mustard’s career, being accused of racism and withholding evidence. The “American Nightmare” crew attempted to interview Mustard and David Sesma, but they declined. Bernadette Higgins, one of the docuseries’ co-directors, says that she doesn’t think David or Andrea Roberts were directly involved in what Muller did to Huskins and Quinn. However, Higgins added, “There should be a bar when it comes to integrity and that clearly was not reached on many, many occasions during this investigation.” While we wouldn’t say that this story has been wrapped up in a tidy bow, Huskins and Quinn would get the happiest ending possible given what they’ve endured. The two were married on September 29, 2018, about six months after reaching their settlement. They became parents two years later with the arrival of their daughter Olivia. Between Olivia’s birth and the delivery of their second daughter, Naomi, Huskins and Quinn collaborated with journalist Nicole Weisensee Egan on the book “Victim F: From Crime Victims to Suspects to Survivors.” With “American Nightmare” releasing in 2024, the couple is focusing on recovery and moving forward with their new family. In many respects, the true story of “American Nightmare” isn’t quite like anything we’ve seen. In others, Quinn and Huskins aren’t alone. For every Misty Carausu who follows the evidence, there’s a Mathew Mustard who chases the easiest answer. The Innocence Project has found that “25% of wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence involve a false confession.” The police didn’t break Quinn, but numerous others have been pressured into false confessions under similar circumstances. Likewise, Huskins is far from the first assault survivor to be ignored and demonized by the authorities, as detailed in another Netflix documentary, “Victim/Suspect.” Stories like this happen every day, but they rarely dominate the headlines because they aren’t as catchy as “Real-Life Gone Girl.” The next time a crime like this is reported, the question shouldn’t be, “Have you seen ‘Gone Girl?,’” but rather, “Have you seen ‘American Nightmare?’” What did you think of “American Nightmare?” Let us know in the comments.