The FBI, which also got involved in the case, gave Aaron Quinn a polygraph exam -- something he was eager to take to prove his innocence -- which they say he failed. 'Gone Girl' Kidnapper Matthew Muller Sentenced 40 Years - People It's entirely possible that he suffered from PTSD with the combination of bipolar disorder, which could lead to violent tendencies. In video recordings of the interview, detective Mathew Mustard could be heard asking if there was tension in the relationship and if Quinn was cheating. Quinn said he realized the interview was taking a turn when, about 45 minutes into it, Mustard leaned back in the chair and told him, I dont think youre being truthful, and I dont think anybody came into your house., Mustard could be heard telling Quinn in the videotaped interrogation he the story youre telling here, I aint buying at all.. But during the struggle, the kidnapper left his phone at the house. According to the Associated Press, in March 2022, Muller was sentenced to 31 years in a state prison. Police also were doubtful because Huskins allegedly did not meet with her parents in the days after her reappearance, according to the filing. Muller has since been charged in Solano County with kidnapping for ransom, two counts of forcible rape, robbery, burglary and false imprisonment. It might take time and it might be a lot of hard work, but there is hope.. Woman testifies about torture, rape in Vallejo kidnap-for-ransom case Although he once served as his own lawyer, Muller is now represented by the Solano County Alternate Public Defender. Mr. Mullerleft Quinn behind in the home with a warning that he was being watched on camera and told him not to call the police. THIS EPISODE'S SPONSORS . I knew that hed be a great partner but I could see that he was struggling.. The specific officers named in the suit are also protected by absolute immunity under state law, the citys attorneys said. Quinn later claimed in a federal lawsuit that he was initially held for an 18-hour interrogation after reporting Huskins missing, during which police accused him of killing her. Quinn said the first question the police asked him when he answered the door was, Are you on drugs?. He filed a 35-page speedy trial request on Feb. 13, 2019, citing, among other things, his health condition and saying he suffered assault while in custody. He points to some beer bottles that were neatly placed in the box next to the garbage, and I said, I put them there to take them out for recycling all at once., They clearly didnt believe him, said Nicole Weisensee Egan, the co-author of Victim F. It is soul-crushing for Aaron because hes out of his mind worried about Denise.. Matthew Muller was a Harvard-educated lawyer, which just goes to show ya, don't bother judging this book by its cover. Concerned that the camera the intruders installed was still monitoring him, he believed he could not call 911. It has never been made clear why Aaron Quinn and his ex-fianc were the targets of the abduction. I said, We have evidence thats going to dissipate And they said the most callous thing I think Ive ever heard somebody say from law enforcement, Rappaport said. ABC News shared that a similar break-in had happened but was thwarted by the victims. Here is a timeline of events in the Vallejo kidnapping case involving Muller and Denise Huskins: March 23, 2015 - Muller breaks into Aaron Quinn's Vallejo home at approximately 3am (Denise Huskins . Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The city of Vallejo and the Vallejo Police Department have not yet responded to the claims alleged in Whitney's lawsuit. He pleaded not guilty to his charges in Solano County, the article said. So, if anything, it is Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins that owe this community an apology, Park said during the press conference. Muller, who already is serving a 40-year sentence for federal crimes, was sentenced in Solano County Superior Court after pleading no contest to two counts of forcible rape of Denise Huskins, who was dragged from her Vallejo home in 2015, the county district attorney's office said. Muller was arrested in that case after dropping his cellphone in a scuffle with the homeowners. Matthew Muller pleaded no contest to two counts of forcible rape, robbery, burglary and false imprisonment in connection with the Vallejo kidnapping of Denise Huskins, according to, Vallejo Police had initially believed Huskins had faked her own kidnapping, publicly hinting that it had been a hoax due to the, On Friday, Solano County prosecutor Sharon Henry called the initial police response a travesty of justice and admitted mistakes were made,. The intruder says, We have a problem and he says to Aaron, Do Denise and your ex-fiance look-alike?, At that moment, Quinn said he released a guttural sigh., I was like, Yes, they both have long, blonde hair, Quinn said. What happened to Ms. Huskins and Mr. Quinn is horrific and evil, Chief Shawny Williams said in the statement. Quinn also told police there was a ransom demand for Huskins safe return. Vallejo police who apologized to Huskins in the summer of 2015 said they were initially skeptical of Huskins abduction because they didnt believe Quinns version of events, including that he had been drugged by intruders, according to an earlier court filing. The City of Vallejo. Victim F was absolutely kidnapped, one letter read. When they turned airplane mode off, the phone flooded with messages. The intruder placed blacked out goggles over their eyes and forced them to drink a sleep-inducing liquid, federal authorities said in 2016. Mullers latest court appearances come after a lengthy series of defendant motions, going back to October 2018, and a jury trial date that had long been set for fall 2020. He told the detectives about the goggles placed over their eyes, the specific directions they were given and the recordings that played on the headphones. Crime and Public Safety | Once police arrived, they discovered the suspect left a cell phone on top of a cabinet in the second floor hallway along with zip ties, duct tape and a fabric glove. Terror & Betrayal: They Were Attacked, She Was Abducted and Police Said It Was All Lies, Fla. The FBI even offered to fly Huskins back to Vallejo on its airplane. Soon after Huskins was abducted in March 2015, boyfriend Aaron Quinn called police saying shed been kidnapped from his home on Mare Island in Vallejo, California, according to court documents. Their lives seemed to be falling apart while living in a constant state of terror and preparing for a defense, Huskins said. Exhausted, worried about Huskins and anxious over the detectives refusal to believe him, Aaron Quinn said he began to doubt his own sanity. Case 245: Sherri Papini - Casefile: True Crime Podcast When Carausu researched the kidnapping, she remembered the so-called Gone Girl case that had gotten so much media coverage. Matthew is scheduled to be released in 2049. Little did I know, a quarter-sized bloodstain was going to mean that I was a murderer.. Looking back at all the evidence, there was just no denying that this wasnt his first time committing a crime, she said. The city of Vallejo now has a new lawsuit to contend with. Im just going to stay calm and be grateful for the life I had," Huskins said. Nicole Egan, co-author of "Victim F: From Crime Victims to Suspects to Survivors," discusses the 2015 home invasion and kidnapping of Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins. My life was coming to an end and I made peace with that., Once released, I couldnt fathom the pain that was to come, she continued. Although I was not chief in 2015 when this incident occurred, I would like to extend my deepest apology to Ms. Huskins and Mr. Quinn for how they were treated during this ordeal.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Rappaport said this new evidence still didnt deter police from their theory that Aaron Quinn and Huskins story was too unbelievable to be true. He said that the suspect bound them, placed blackened swim goggles over their eyes and monitored their heart rates and blood pressure. When they searched the cabin, the Dublin officers found several laptops, cellphones, a few stun guns, a lot of ski masks and an empty bed with no blankets but a sheet that appeared to have been slept on, Carausu and Campos said. The letter also said the comments from Lt. Kenny Parks were unnecessarily harsh and offensive. Bidou promised the department would apologize in public when Muller was indicted. My eyes are sore and red from uncontrollable tears. Matthew Muller Charged in 'Gone Girl' Kidnapping of Denise Huskins - People Woodrow said Quinn was moved downstairs, where he was placed on a couch and told that a camera on the wall would be watching him and that he couldnt leave a perimeter marked by tape on the floor. Campos said that Mullers mother told them he was staying at their cabin in the South Lake Tahoe area. Matthew Muller (left in 2015, right in 2019 via image by the Solano County Sheriff's Office) has agreed to a plea agreement in his state case. I grabbed my bags and started walking down that alley and I looked at the corner street name and I saw Utica, which is the street that I grew up on.. Quinn and Huskins continue to believe that there were others involved in the home invasion and kidnapping, but Muller is the only person who has ever been charged. When officers from the Vallejo Police Department appeared at his home, it had been more than nine hours since Huskins had been taken. I tell him no. I just wanted to tell her I was sorry, said Aaron Quinn. As the new Chief of Police, I am committed to making sure survivors are given compassionate service with dignity and respect. All Rights Reserved. Maybe we were into weird sex things and something went wrong.. Huskins and Quinn eventually won a $2.5 million settlement from Vallejo Police. Muller placed Huskins into the trunk of Quinns car then drove off and switched vehicles, with Huskins still blindfolded, driving her to a South Lake Tahoe family home, where he raped her twice. Source: Courtesy of Thomas A. Johnson Law Firm for ABC News. He also described some of his symptoms, which include being "hyper-focused, a high achiever, and extremely productive to suicidal tendencies, paranoia, and psychosis." Duct-taped goggles found at Muller's cabin. Huskins recalled sitting in the airport fearful for her life, paranoid that the kidnapper might find her and take her away again. The goggles that Dublin Police Department Detective Misty Carausu found with a strand of blonde hair attached. Muller put Huskins in the trunk of his car, drove her to his home in South Lake Tahoe and held her there for two days before driving her nearly 500 miles and releasing her in her hometown of Huntington Beach, near Los Angeles. The authorities were able to corroborate the details of Aaron Quinn and Huskins case, even finding Aaron Quinns computer at the South Lake Tahoe cabin, Aaron Quinn said. The comparisons began after Vallejo Police announced that Huskins abduction appeared to be an orchestrated event and not a kidnapping.. Court records did not indicate the doctors determination but, typically, if a defendant is sent from Solano County Jail to a mental health services agency, they are likely deemed incompetent. However, proceedings were put on hold last year when Muller was admitted to Napa State Hospital and ordered to take antipsychotic medication until he was declared mentally competent. Huskins said that while walking to the closet she noticed two sets of legs from what she believed to be two different people in the bedroom. The case became erroneously known as the Gone Girl kidnapping, in reference to the popular book and movie about a deceitful disappearance. As a former decorated officer with qualifications that proved his intelligence, Matthew was able to get a stable job as an immigration attorney at a San Francisco law firm. It wasnt until another similar home-invasion burglary in Alameda County on June 5, 2015 that investigators would discover the truth. After all that theyd gone through, Marianne Quinn said she knew the couple would stay together forever. While searching his South Lake Tahoe home, investigators discovered evidence connected to Huskins abduction. In June 2015, federal prosecutors charged Harvard-educated lawyer and former Marine Matthew Muller with her abduction. No ones going to understand what they went through except each other., The two married near the water in Monterey, California. I peeled the tape off my eyes and I was by myself in this alleyway, she said. His defense argued that Muller had spiraled into mental illness. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Harvard-educated attorney pleads guilty in bizarre Vallejo kidnapping ZipRecruiter - Post your jobs . Matthew Muller was implicated in a separate but similar crime in Dublin, California. The detectives called Huskins parents and alerted them that something terrible mightve happened to their daughter. On Dec. 21, the judge received an update regarding placement alternatives and care from MHM Services and earlier this month learned the defendant had been placed in the treatment program. We do not know anything about Muller's childhood, but we do know he was a former marine. Review: Couple traumatized by crime set the record straight on Vallejo Matthew Muller receives federal kidnapping charge in Denise Huskins Matthew Muller abducted Denise Huskins from her boyfriend's Vallejo home, holding her captive and sexually assaulting her over a two-day ordeal. Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins married in 2018 and have a daughter together named Olivia. During the incident, Muller dropped his cellphone which led authorities to a cabin where he was staying in the South Lake Tahoe area. Denise Huskins made a promise to herself in the last moments she believed her kidnapper would allow her to live. So now, lets find out all that there is to know about him and his current whereabouts, shall we? I slowly counted to 10. Vallejo police called the reported abduction a complete fabrication for which the couple should apologize. Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, the California couple falsely accused of staging a kidnapping in 2015, say they believe the real abductor didn't act alone . Aaron Quinn said their first song together as husband and wife was Dierks Bentleys Riser. It is, he said, very much about overcoming a tragedy and rising like a phoenix from the ashes., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Juliette Goodrich, the interviewer, was not allowed to have a camera, pen, or paper during the conversation. Huskins alleged she was offered a proffer of agreement for immunity and told that Quinn was cooperating with cops, and that whoever accepted first would get immunity.. He also pleaded guilty to robbery of an inhabited dwelling, residential burglary and false imprisonment. In 2015, Matthew Muller Kidnapped Denise Huskins. Where Is He Now? Huskins maintains that other suspects were involved in the incident, according to the FBI. Matthew Muller gets 31 years for kidnapping and rape victim - 24ssports Matthew Muller, 38, is accused of kidnapping Denise Huskins and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn in the Bay Area city of Vallejo in March a case police initially dismissed as a hoax and subsequently . He deserved justice, and Denise Huskins Quinn also deserved justice related to the sexual assault crimes that were committed against her, Henry said, according to KTVU. This is not a dream.. "Bipolar disorder has many different stages and levels. Dublin police were able to trace the phone to a woman who told them that it belonged to her son, a man named Matthew Muller, whod lost his phone a day earlier. I felt like a little girl, scared, wanting to hear the voices of my parents saying, Its okay. , Quinn told Muller that he strategically destroyed our lives., I cannot and will not ever be the same, he said. As the new Chief of Police, I am committed to making sure survivors are given compassionate service with dignity and respect, Chief Shawny Williams said at the time. Muller wasn't caught until police in Dublin, Calif. had a similar case. The state-level case had initially been delayed after Mullers mental health had been called into question. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. We fancied ourselves a sort of Oceans Eleven, gentleman criminals who only took stuff that was insured from people who could afford it.. But, this time, the attempted break-in quickly went awry. Eventually he would be caught but it was certainly not because of the diligent detective work of the Vallejo, Calif. police. It only took a day from her reappearance for the San Francisco Chronicle to receive a new message from the kidnapper, whod become irritated after seeing news reports that police were portraying Huskins kidnapping as a hoax. I heard him drive off. The Psychiatric Times notes that instances of violence amongst people with bipolar disorder are often linked to previous trauma. While she waited, her father said he heard the voicemail and got word to the Huntington Beach Police Department. When police asked if shed been sexually assaulted, she told them she hadnt. This also begs the question: Where is Matthew Muller now? Matthew Muller Now: Where is Denise Huskins' Kidnapper Today? Update Muller has yet to stand trial in a state case stemming from Huskins's rape and kidnapping for ransom the case was filed in Solano County Court in 2018, over a year after the federal. Muller pleaded not guilty to the charges. Investigators dropped that theory after Muller was arrested by police in Dublin for a similar home invasion. TIMELINE: Denise Huskins, Matthew Muller Vallejo kidnapping case "I don't think so based on some of the evidence we had at the time," said Whitney. He is charged with what can only be described as a crime so incredible that Vallejo police at first considered it an elaborate hoax. Upon looking deeper into him, it came to light that even though hed never been charged or arrested, he was named a suspect in various other home invasion and burglary cases in the cities of California. Once in custody, Muller told detectives he served as a Marine from 1995 to 1999, attended Harvard from 2003 to 2006 and taught there from 2006 to 2009. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Quinn said he was shoved into a closet, drugged with a mixture of NyQuil and Valium and made to listen to a prerecorded message instructing him about how to handle the kidnapping demands. She and Aaron were both gaslit by the Vallejo police, each being treated like a criminal. Federal court records indicate thatMullerrestrained them with zip ties, blindfolds and headphones, then drugged them both. Initially Denise and Aaron were issued an apology privately by Vallejo police, who eventually issued a public statement of apology. Matthew Muller pleaded no contest to two counts of forcible rape, robbery, burglary and false imprisonment in connection with the Vallejo kidnapping of Denise Huskins, according to Law & Crime. Yet, in 2015, following filing for bankruptcy and being accused of neglecting to refund roughly $1,250 to a client when a court ordered it for failure to provide competent representation, he was disbarred for good. To make matters worse, the detectives had also found a small bloodstain on Quinns sheets. Six years ago, Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn survived a terrifying, prolonged attack in Quinn's Vallejo home. Unfortunately, it was all too real and was orchestrated by a man named Matthew Muller. Vallejo police apologized for initially discounting the couple's story. I said, Yes, the kidnappers drugged me, he said. The only difference was that the victims successfully managed to attack and scare their assailant into running away before any damage was done. My family will not ever be the same.. Muller gave an interview to KPIX in July 2015 from Dublin, Calif. where he was imprisoned at the time. They ultimately settled out of court for $2.5 million with no party admitting any wrongdoing. Related Articles Matthew Muller, 38, was arrested in connection with the March 23 kidnapping of Denise Huskins after authorities noticed similarities to a separate home invasion last month in Dublin,. Kidnapping survivor details moments she thought were her last. Muller, a former Marine who had once studied at Harvard Law School, was sentenced to 40 years for federal kidnapping charges in 2017. There is hope. Matthew Muller broke into the home of Denise Huskins and her boyfriend, tied them up, and took Denise. Mullerwas arrested in South Lake Tahoe on June 8, 2015, after evidence, including a video ofMullerand Huskins, was found at his mothers home. I am thoroughly exhausted, every inch of my body is tired from the fit of terror it was battling., All I did was survive, Huskins wrote, and I was criminalized for it.. The kidnapper, later identified as Muller, then drove Huskins to his South Lake Tahoe home, where he held her for two days and sexually assaulted her, before ultimately driving her to Huntington Beach and letting her go near her parents home. Crime and Public Safety | . Huskins turned up two days after Quinn said she was abducted, in her hometown of Huntington Beach, California, hundreds of miles from Vallejo. 2015, abduction of Denise Huskins from her home in Vallejo, . I was just more so afraid that speaking to them was going to put me or my family in harm[s way].. Huskins was held captive for just over 48 hours before being released, but the couple continued to fear for their lives with a kidnapper on the loose and the police dismissing their account of the incident as too incredible to be believed. . Huntington Beach police officers arrived at the neighbors apartment where Huskins was waiting and began questioning her, who recounted everything that had happened two nights earlier, including the events that unfolded after she was taken from Aaron Quinns home. Denise Huskins. He is 44 today and his full name is Matthew Daniel Muller, his prison records show. 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. They demanded two payments of $8,500, he said. He responded to the kidnappers message but when he didnt hear back, he began to panic. Crime and Public Safety | Harriette Cole: My friend's mom didn't recognize me at my job, and she was very rude, Ask Amy: I put a security camera in my room, and what I saw was creepy, Ask Amy: My fiancee's family says I'm not invited, and she's going without me, 'Total dominance': Steph Curry breaks NBA Game 7 record, leads Warriors over Kings, Dear Abby: The reason her fiance hid his phone was something she never guessed, Mortgage fees to rise for buyers with high credit scores, fall for those with lower scores, Kurtenbach: Game 7 is likely not win-or-go-home for the Warriors it's win-or-break-up, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The state was finally able to proceed with the case last week and Muller appeared via Zoom from the Napa State Hospital, where he pleaded no contest to the charges against him. He used a remote-controlled drone to spy on Huskins and Aaron Quinn before he broke into their home with a fake gun on March 23, 2015, tied up the couple and made them drink a sleep-inducing liquid. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. He has since sought to have the conviction vacated, claiming ineffective. Then they continued to question Quinn about what hed been doing before calling for help. She said that after their conversation, as they went to bed around midnight, it felt like a fresh start.. [In] the Dublin home invasion, none of them had blonde hair.. Police soon called a news conference and declared the couples report of an abduction a hoax, saying there was no evidence to support that anything had happened. It was devastating to see both of them, said Marianne Quinn. TIMELINE: Denise Huskins, Matthew Muller Vallejo kidnapping case An unexpected beginning to their love story Huskins and Quinn met in 2014 in Vallejo, California, located in the Bay Area, where. In December 2020 former Vallejo Police Captain John Whitney filed suit against the city and the police department alleging he was wrongfully terminated for speaking out on a variety of issues that he characterized as misconduct, including ones related to Huskin and Aaron Quinn's case. Matthew Daniel Muller who was sentenced in 2017 in a Sacramento federal courtroom to 40 years in prison for kidnapping a couple and raping the female victim before releasing her near her familys Southern California home was scheduled to appear March 24 for a mental health placement review in Department 2 in the Justice Building in Vallejo. I knew there was an old stain on my sheet, Quinn said. Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn had a daughter, Olivia, who was born five years to the day that Huskins was released by her kidnapper, she said. Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn live with their own trauma. Muller, a former U.S. Marine, attended Harvard University where he also taught, according to court documents. Huskins borrowed a cellphone from a stranger and called her father, who did not answer. Mine is extreme," Muller explained. After initially being found mentally incompetent to stand trial, Matthew was ordered to take antipsychotic medication until he was declared mentally competent.