Denise Huskins, who was kidnapped from her Vallejo, California, home in 2015, was compared to the character of Amy in the popular book and movie “Gone Girl” due to the circumstances surrounding her abduction. Huskins was blindfolded, tied up, and taken to a remote location after being woken up in the middle of the night by a male voice and bright light. Her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, was suspected of the crime when he called the police, but it was later revealed that Huskins was released after spending days with her captor. Huskins returned home without the payment of a ransom demand for $17,000.
One year prior to Huskins’ kidnapping, the movie “Gone Girl” starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike was released, based on the book of the same name by Gillian Flynn. The plot revolves around a man who becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of his wife, who has set up an elaborate scheme to frame him. Due to the similarities between the movie’s storyline and Huskins’ ordeal, she was immediately compared to the character of Amy when news of her kidnapping made headlines. However, Huskins did not watch the movie until several months after her abduction.
It was not until a detective connected Huskins’ kidnapping to an attempted abduction in Dublin, California, that the truth behind her ordeal was revealed. The suspect, Matthew Muller, had left his phone at the scene, leading law enforcement to a cabin in the woods where evidence, including strands of blonde hair, was discovered. Muller pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping and received a 40-year prison sentence in 2017. In 2022, he pleaded no contest to two counts of rape and pleaded guilty to three charges in Solano County, resulting in an additional 31 years in prison.
Despite the trauma of her kidnapping, Huskins eventually found closure and release from self-blame after watching “Gone Girl” and realizing that her actions would not have changed the beliefs of those who doubted her. In 2018, Huskins married Quinn, her boyfriend at the time of the abduction, and they now have two children together. The couple has since moved forward with their lives, while the perpetrator, Muller, remains behind bars serving his multiple prison sentences. The story of Huskins’ abduction and the ensuing investigation has been documented in Netflix’s “American Nightmare,” shedding light on the harrowing experience she endured and the strength she found in moving past it.
