Twisted Tale

Summary

Dateline NBC: Twisted Tale – A Detailed Summary

Episode Release Date: July 8, 2025

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "Twisted Tale," NBC News' Dateline delves deep into a labyrinthine true-crime story that initially appears to be a fabricated kidnapping but unravels into a complex web of deception and real danger. Hosted by Lester Holt and featuring investigative journalist Josh Mankiewicz, the episode meticulously examines the case of Denise Huskins and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, whose dramatic disappearance and subsequent reappearance raised more questions than answers.

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The Mysterious Disappearance

The story begins on September 29, 2009, when Denise Huskins vanished under alarming circumstances. Denise and Aaron Quinn, both physical therapists residing in Vallejo, California, were reported missing after Aaron recounted a bizarre abduction scenario to the police.

Aaron Quinn detailed a harrowing account:

"At about 3am, I was awakened by a bright light and an electrical noise that sounded like a stun gun. A man's voice told us to lie face down on the bed. Denise was instructed to bind my hands and feet, and he put swim goggles over my eyes so I couldn't see."
[00:51]

This extraordinary tale included elements such as being monitored by a webcam, being given a sedative mix of NyQuil and Valium, and the kidnappers demanding sensitive financial information. Aaron's implausible story immediately cast doubt, leading authorities to suspect a hoax.

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Skepticism and Accusations of a Hoax

Police investigators, particularly Henry Lee from the San Francisco Chronicle, expressed significant skepticism regarding Aaron's account.

Henry Lee: "We were not able to substantiate any of the things that he was saying."
[01:10]

Denise's friends also found Aaron's story hard to believe.

Ashley: "In these kinds of situations, always look at the significant other. Is he a suspect? Is he making it up? What is going on here?"
[06:42]

Vallejo Police treated Aaron less as a victim and more as a potential suspect, especially questioning why he delayed calling 911 for 11 hours after Denise's disappearance. Aaron underwent intense scrutiny, including multiple polygraph tests.

Lester Holt: "Police treated Aaron less like a victim and more like a murder suspect."
[06:50]

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Denise’s Reappearance and Lingering Doubts

Approximately 33 hours after Denise's disappearance, reporter Henry Lee received a cryptic email with an audio file purportedly from Denise. In the recording, Denise calmly discussed unrelated news events and personal anecdotes, which perplexed investigators.

Ashley: "She sounded absolutely calm, not terrified, not distressed at all. As if she was talking to a friend over coffee."
[08:22]

Despite this evidence suggesting Denise was alive, suspicions lingered due to inconsistencies in her recounting of the事件 and the lack of ransom payment as Aaron had claimed his abductor demanded money. Denise and Aaron hired separate attorneys amid growing doubts about the authenticity of their story.

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A New Twist: The Dublin Home Invasion

The narrative took another startling turn on June 5, 2015, when Samantha, a woman from Mountain View, California, reported a similar home invasion. She described being restrained with zip ties and swim goggles, mirroring Denise's initial abduction story.

Samantha: "My hands were handcuffed behind my back. My feet were zip tied."
[36:06]

Further investigation led detectives to Matthew Muller, a former Marine and respected attorney with a troubled past, including disbarment and bankruptcy. Evidence connected Muller to both Denise and Samantha's cases through recovered items such as painted water guns and cell phones linked to his residence.

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Matthew Muller's Arrest and Confession

Law enforcement focused on Muller, whose background did not fit the profile of a typical serial kidnapper. During his interrogation, his demeanor raised suspicions.

Matthew Muller: "He looked at me intensely and said, can you imagine, you know, being woken up in the middle of the night, taken from your home, sexually assaulted, and then you're brave, and then it's used against you by the police."
[41:02]

In January 2025, Muller confessed to attacking Samantha and another woman in Palo Alto, receiving consecutive life sentences for his crimes. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to kidnapping Denise Huskins, securing a 40-year prison term.

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Aftermath and Institutional Apologies

Denise and Aaron remained convinced of deeper layers to their ordeal. The Vallejo Police Department initially branded their kidnapping story as a hoax, leading to public vilification of the couple. However, years later, significant developments forced the department to acknowledge their mishandling of the case.

In June 2021, Chief Shawnee Williams of Vallejo PD publicly apologized:

Chief Williams: "I am really sorry about this. This is going to mess you up."
[44:14]

Denise and Aaron settled a lawsuit against the city for $2.5 million, addressing the wrongful accusations and the emotional trauma inflicted upon them.

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Conclusion

"Twisted Tale" underscores the complexities of criminal investigations, the dangers of jumping to conclusions, and the profound impact such cases have on the lives of those involved. The episode masterfully navigates through the initial skepticism, the emergence of new victims, and the eventual uncovering of the truth, highlighting the resilience of the victims and the importance of meticulous investigative work.

As Lester Holt poignantly remarks,

"Sometimes the truest story is the one that sounds like a lie."
[45:08]

This episode of Dateline NBC serves as a compelling reminder of the multifaceted nature of truth in the face of deception and the enduring quest for justice.

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Notable Quotes:

• Lester Holt: "Helping those closest to you think about their excessive drinking. Maybe that's what love sounds like."
  [00:15]

• Denise Huskins: "The details are so crazy. I just, you know, I really couldn't, I couldn't make sense of it."
  [16:58]

• Aaron Quinn: "They sound like something you typically see in movies."
  [36:17]

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Key Takeaways:

• Initial Doubts: Aaron Quinn's extraordinary kidnapping story raised immediate suspicions, highlighting the importance of evidence-based investigations.

• Samantha's Case: The similarity between Samantha’s home invasion and Denise’s abduction pointed to a serial offender, eventually leading to the identification of Matthew Muller.

• Institutional Response: The Vallejo PD's initial disbelief and subsequent apology illustrate the potential for institutional fallibility and the necessity for accountability.

• Psychological Impact: The episode sheds light on the long-term emotional scars endured by the victims, emphasizing the human aspect beyond the criminal narrative.

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For those intrigued by this case, "Twisted Tale" offers a meticulously crafted exploration of deception, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of truth in the realm of true crime.

Transcript

[Lester Holt]

If you could hear love, what would it sound like? Son, can we talk about your drinking?

[Aaron Quinn]

Yeah, Dad, I think we should.

[Lester Holt]

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[Denise Huskins]

The details are so crazy, I couldn't make sense of it.

[Lester Holt]

A successful young couple, ambushed, they said, in the dead of night. Attacked, abducted.

[Denise Huskins]

We're like, wow, where is she? I didn't have a clue what happened.

[Lester Holt]

But the real question, was their story even true?

[Henry Lee]

We were not able to substantiate any of the things that he was saying.

[Ashley]

They branded the couple as liars.

[Lester Holt]

Could this be some kind of hoax? Who was really behind it all?

[Aaron Quinn]

Normal people don't do things like this.

[Denise Huskins]

This whole story could take another crazy turn.

[Matthew Muller]

He said, I know that I need to pay for what I did.

[Lester Holt]

I'm Lester Holt and this is Date. Here's Josh Mankiewicz with twisted tail.

[Samantha]

I was asleep in bed. It was about 5 o' clock in the morning.

[Lester Holt]

Frightening doesn't begin to describe what she went through.

[Samantha]

And the next thing I knew, there was someone laying on top of me.

[Lester Holt]

She was instantly the losing player in someone else's game of power and control.

[Samantha]

Their hand was over my mouth, if you're wondering.

[Lester Holt]

There was no way to fight back.

[Samantha]

I must have been screaming.

[Lester Holt]

This woman doesn't want us to use her real name. We're calling her Samantha and she's sharing with us things she's told to very few people. This was a man. A man bigger than you felt.

[Samantha]

Very big and strong. I couldn't move.

[Lester Holt]

September 29, 2009. The sun wasn't up yet, and in Samantha's bedroom, a masked intruder was holding her down. She had no idea who the man was or what he was planning.

[Samantha]

He said, well, this is going to take a couple hours. I was, you know, I was, I think, just in shock.

[Lester Holt]

The details of what happened to Samantha are not only frightening, but but also deeply strange. She's come forward because she believes her long night of terror may shed light on a Different case in a different town with victims she's never met. It's a bizarre mystery that riveted California's Bay Area, then rippled across the country and around the world. March 24, 2015. A young woman was missing.

[Henry Lee]

Ms. Huskins stands at 5 foot 7, 150 pounds. She's got blonde hair and blue eyes.

[Lester Holt]

Her abductors wanted money in exchange for her return.

[Henry Lee]

We are treating this as a kidnap for ransom, and we're requesting the public's help in locating her.

[Lester Holt]

It happened 30 miles north of San Francisco in the city of Vallejo. Henry Lee was then a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle.

[Ashley]

I immediately was struck with the fact that you don't see these kinds of cases too often. And this crime victim did not strike me as someone who would usually be targeted.

[Lester Holt]

The kidnapped victim, Denise Huskins, had been staying with her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, at his house in Vallejo at the time, both were physical therapists at a nearby hospital. Erin was the one who reported Denise missing.

[Henry Lee]

We're doing everything that we can, and then some to ensure her safe return.

[Lester Holt]

Police dogs and dive teams were soon part of a huge search for Denise Huskins across the country. Denise's good friend Ashley saw the news.

[Denise Huskins]

There was an article posted online. Someone sent it to me and said, oh, my God, this is Denise. But I started just texting everybody, including Denise. I tried to text her. I figured, better than not doing anything.

[Lester Holt]

There was no reply. She texted another friend, Danika.

[Denise Huskins]

I couldn't even believe what I was reading. It didn't even seem real.

[Lester Holt]

That was pretty much the reaction the Vallejo cops had to the story Denise's boyfriend was telling them.

[Henry Lee]

We have a lot of information still to sift through. We don't have all of the facts in yet.

[Lester Holt]

The story Aaron told the cops that night, eventually spelled out in an FBI affidavit, would seem, frankly, preposterous. Something invented by someone with too much imagination and too much free time. Aaron said he and Denise were asleep at his house when, at about 3am, he was awakened by a bright light and an electrical noise that sounded like a stun gun. Then a man's voice telling them to lie face down on the bed. Aaron said the man told Denise to bind Aaron's hands and feet. Then he said his eyes were covered with swim goggles, which had been blacked out so he couldn't see.

[Ashley]

He's been blindfolded, zip tied.

[Lester Holt]

Aaron said the intruder demanded his private banking and email information and then put headphones on him that played Calming music, along with instructions to use Denise's phone to text her work and say she'd be out for a couple of days. And to let his work know the same. Aaron also claimed he was given a mixture of Nyquil and Valium to knock him out and told to stay in one spot in his living room that was outlined in red duct tape and monitored by a webcam. Then he said the intruders left with Denise. His story sounded so implausible, police wondered if he'd made it up to hide something even more sinister. At first blush, when a woman is missing and her husband or boyfriend says, oh, yeah, she was abducted, well, certainly the first thing I think maybe because of what I do for a living, is the guy had something to do with this.

[Ashley]

In these kinds of situations, always look at the significant other. Is he a suspect? Is he making it up? What is going on here? What's the real story?

[Lester Holt]

Police treated Aaron less like a victim and more like a murder suspect. They confiscated his cell phone and read him his rights. They were suspicious about why he waited 11 hours before calling 911.

[Ashley]

Aaron Quinn, it took him hours. Wasn't until that afternoon that the Vallejo police were able to talk to him.

[Lester Holt]

After he came forward, Aaron's mother later told us police polygraphed him five times. He was put in jail clothing, given little food or water, and held in a small interrogation room for hours. Across the country, Denise's friends didn't know any of this, but they knew enough to be worried.

[Denise Huskins]

I mean, someone being kidnapped, to be honest, a lot of those stories don't end well, and you don't want to think about those things, but you think maybe they're not going to be alive then.

[Lester Holt]

About 33 hours after Denise Huskins disappeared, reporter Henry Lee was standing outside Aaron's home when his phone buzzed an email.

[Ashley]

And what was chilling so that this email came attached with an audio file. In this audio file, there was a woman's voice.

[Lester Holt]

Okay, my name is Denise Huskins. The soft spoken woman on the recording said she was Denise. This very strange tale was about to get murdered. Much stranger, what had happened to Denise. When we come back, we still don't.

[Denise Huskins]

Know where Denise Huskins is.

[Lester Holt]

That cryptic recording, exactly what kind of message was it?

[Ashley]

She sounded absolutely calm, not terrified, not distressed at all.

[Lester Holt]

Not like someone in fear for their lives, right?

[Ashley]

As if she was talking to a friend over coffee.

[Lester Holt]

When DATELINE continues. Denise Hurricane Huskins boyfriend said she'd been kidnapped, but his story seemed hard to believe. Police wondered if he'd murdered her and was now trying to cover it up. Then a day and a half after Denise disappeared, reporter Henry Lee received a mysterious email with an audio file attached. Okay, my name is Denise Huskins. I'm kidnapped. She talked about the day's biggest news. A German airliner had gone down earlier today. There was a plane crash in the house. 115 people died. She shared obscure biographical details. My first concert with Bethany and her mom. To blink what I do. Religion.

[Ashley]

It's a proof of life audio trying to prove that, A, she's Denise, and B, yes, she is the kidnapped victim.

[Lester Holt]

And she's aware of events that have happened that day, and she's aware of.

[Ashley]

Events that had happened to prove that she was, in fact, alive.

[Lester Holt]

So clearly this wasn't a murder case. But was it a kidnapping, as Aaron claimed? Lee found it odd that Denise didn't sound at all frightened.

[Ashley]

She sounded absolutely calm. Not terrified, not distressed at all.

[Lester Holt]

Not like someone in fear for their life, right?

[Ashley]

As if she was talking to a friend over coffee. I shared it with my editors and colleagues working the story, and I think the subject line was like, wtf? What is this?

[Lester Holt]

The recording soon hit the web where Denise's friend Ashley heard it.

[Denise Huskins]

It was sort of reassuring that she was making an audio that clearly dated that day, but also still scary because you still have no idea if the person's safe, how they're being treated. You know, people are putting her through.

[Lester Holt]

And if Denise didn't sound panicked, her friends say that made perfect sense. After all, the three of them had already lived through what should have been the most traumatic event of their lives. Ashley, Danika, and Denise went to watch the Boston Marathon in 2013. 13. They say it was Denise who remained calm that day.

[Denise Huskins]

We were all scared, and we were all sort of rocked by it. But I think of all of us, she was probably the best equipped to keep her cool. She was the one who kind of was my rock.

[Lester Holt]

She grabbed my hand, and she's like, let's go. But where was Denise? Now, this was a bizarre case with a lot of twists.

[Denise Huskins]

Very bizarre rise.

[Lester Holt]

Cheryl Hurd covered the story for NBC State kntv.

[Denise Huskins]

So day two, we still don't know where Denise Huskins is. We're really not sure what her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, is telling police. All we know is they can't find her.

[Lester Holt]

But then the story took another whiplash turn. About 45 hours after Denise was reported missing, police made a dramatic announcement.

[Henry Lee]

Approximately 10:30 this morning, Ms. Denise Huskins.

[Lester Holt]

Was Located safely, it seemed over. Denise's cousin told KNBC how thrilled everyone was. You hear these stories all the time and you watch TV about them and you never know. I just was happy to hear that she was alive and safe and home. But to police and reporters, all professional skeptics, this story hadn't smelled right from the start. And Denise's sudden reappearance did nothing to change that.

[Denise Huskins]

She was alive, she's well and they found her. That was great. But there was still something funny going on because no one had all the answers.

[Lester Holt]

For one thing, Denise turned up in Huntington beach, which was 400 miles south of Vallejo and which was also her hometown. She was dropped off right by her mom's house.

[Ashley]

She wasn't released out of state, she was not released in the desert, she was not released in the middle of California. Where did she show up? Right near her parents house. That seemed too convenient.

[Lester Holt]

Another thing, the ransom the kidnappers supposedly demanded had never been paid. Denise told police in her hometown the same story her boyfriend had told up north about the swim goggles, the NyQuil, the threat of electric shot. But then when Vallejo police wanted to.

[Ashley]

Question her, Denise Huskins disappeared and wouldn't cooperate, would not fly up in a plane offered by the FBI to talk.

[Lester Holt]

To the police after she was released. After she was released, suspicion was building. Neither Denise nor Aaron made any public statement, but they did hire separate attorneys.

[Denise Huskins]

Everyone's thinking, why are they doing that?

[Lester Holt]

Lots of questions and not many answers. But then, less than 12 hours after Denise reappeared, then we get a tip.

[Denise Huskins]

That police are holding a news conference. So I jump in the car, photographer and I, and we haul ass back to Vallejo to be a part of this news conference.

[Henry Lee]

Let me know when you guys are ready.

[Denise Huskins]

And that's when the bombshell came down.

[Henry Lee]

Coming up, we were not able to substantiate any of the things that he was was saying.

[Lester Holt]

Was this all some kind of prank? Was there some chance that Denise and her boyfriend were going to be prosecuted?

[Ashley]

It was a very strong possibility.

[Lester Holt]

Emails, photos. Some strange new clues are about to emerge from the shadows when DATELINE continues.

[H]

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[Lester Holt]

From the Today show, here to tell you about our Jumpstart July event. The Start Today app has everything you need to do get and stay motivated on your wellness journey all in one place. Like walking challenges for all levels to get you moving. Healthy recipes that are easy and delicious and so much more. And now when you subscribe for an annual plan, you'll get your first month completely free with promo code Jumpstart. Just download the Start Today app now to get started offering 73125 must enter code at checkout must be 18 or up after first month. You will be automatically charged $65.99 a year plus tax for an annual subscription until you cancel. Cancel anytime through your device settings under Apple account. See website for full terms. It looked like a pleasant summer day, but was was in fact a spectacular summer day. Perfect for lounging and listening to Dateline. Subscribe to Dateline Premium and get a free one month trial ad, free listening, bonus episodes and early access to new original series. This special offer expires July 30th. So subscribe now to Dateline Premium only on Apple Podcasts. You don't want to miss out, do you?

[Denise Huskins]

I didn't have a clue what happened.

[Lester Holt]

Even Denise Huskins friends had to admit her sudden disappearance and reappearance seemed almost unbelievable.

[Denise Huskins]

The details of the story are so crazy. I just, you know, I really couldn't, I couldn't make sense of it.

[Lester Holt]

Neither could the Vallejo Police Department. A day after Denise came home, spokesman Kenny park held a remarkable news conference. First, he spoke about Denise's boyfriend, Aaron Quinn.

[Henry Lee]

The statement that Mr. Quinn provided was such an incredible story. We initially had a hard time believing it and upon further investigation we were not able to substantiate any of the.

[Lester Holt]

Things that he was saying then about Denise herself.

[Henry Lee]

Ms. Huskins indicated that she would be happy to meet with our police detectives and provide us a full detailed statement on what had occurred. As of right now, we have not heard from Ms. Huskins.

[Lester Holt]

And then finally, this Mr. Quinn and.

[Henry Lee]

Ms. Huskins has plundered valuable resources away from our community while instilling fear amongst our community members. So if anything, it is Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins that owes this community an apology.

[Lester Holt]

After a search and about 54 hours of investigation, Vallejo police had concluded that the whole kidnapping story was phony. That all of this was one of those made for California dramas, not so much Shakespearean as Kardashian. Police seem to think Denise and Aaron were for some reason known only to them. Seeking publicity and telling an elaborate lie left unanswered was why anyone would want to become famous for fooling the police.

[Aaron Quinn]

The stranger than fiction kidnapping story involving a young California couple.

[Lester Holt]

Remember, no ransom was ever paid. Aaron told police the kidnappers took his bank information, but no one tried to access his accounts. Someone did try to call Aaron's cell phone a couple of times while Denise was missing from a blocked number. According to Aaron's mother, police suspected Aaron had somehow programmed another phone to call his own cell while he was with investigators. Was there some chance that Denise and her boyfriend were going to be prosecuted?

[Ashley]

It was a very strong possibility. Based on those public pronouncements, Denise's friends.

[Lester Holt]

Didn'T know Aaron, but they had every confidence Denise was telling the truth.

[Denise Huskins]

Everyone that knew or that knows her personally and actually cares about her believed her.

[Lester Holt]

The day after police branded the kidnapping a hoax, Denise finally did show up at Vallejo PD to tell the cops they were wrong. She said that not only had she been kidnapped, she had also been raped. That same day, reporter Henry Lee received another email. A long message soon followed by more supporting Denise's claim that this was no hoax from a person claiming to have been one of the kidnappers.

[Ashley]

They were very articulate, clearly written by someone who's extremely intelligent.

[Lester Holt]

Ms. Huskins was absolutely kidnapped. We did it. We will provide incontrovertible proof. The writer claimed to be part of a group more than two and fewer than eight in number.

[Ashley]

They go into extreme length about a series of crimes that they say they pulled, including car thefts, break ins, home invasions, you name it.

[Lester Holt]

Some of us have a tech background and are very good at overcoming electronic anti theft measures, stealing late model cars. According to the email, the group decided to try kidnapping because we wanted something with a high payout that we only had to do once or a few times.

[Ashley]

What is going on? Why are you apparently confessing?

[Lester Holt]

The writer admitted that the reality of the kidnapping was much more upsetting than expected. We fancied ourselves a sort of Ocean's 11 gentlemen criminals who only took stuff that was insured from people who could afford it. The horrifying reality of what we had become and what we were doing did not set in until being confronted directly with Denise's suffering and humanity.

[Ashley]

At least one of the abductors seemed to, you know, sympathize with Denise.

[Lester Holt]

And now the email said they were angry that Denise was being accused of making the whole thing up. We will not stand by and see the life of a really good person ruined. Attached to the emails were photos. One showed a water gun spray painted to look more threatening, at least in the dark, with a laser pointer and flashlight duct taped to it. Another showed a room with cardboard partially covering a window where Denise was supposedly held. Was this visual proof of Denise and Aaron's story or an elaborate deception you thought legit or more hoax?

[Ashley]

I thought it was certainly part of a prank.

[Lester Holt]

In fact, the emails were so cleverly written, Henry Lee wondered if they might have been sent by an attorney hired by Denise or Aaron.

[Aaron Quinn]

That so called Gone Girl Mystery reporters.

[Lester Holt]

Started referring to the case as the Gone Girl Kidnapping after the book and movie about a young blonde who fakes her own disappearance. That reference infuriated Denise's friends.

[Denise Huskins]

But when you know it's not accurate, it makes you mad. It was sort of like a fictional character created out of a good person. So then suddenly you stop being Denise Huskins and you start being labeled as Gone Girl.

[Lester Holt]

The Gone Girl that wasn't Denise at all, they said. But to the rest of the world, Denise and Aaron were portrayed as liars, schemers, maybe even criminals themselves. That is until the next big twist.

[Aaron Quinn]

Coming up, he said, we have your daughter.

[Lester Holt]

Another story as strange and eerie as Denise and Aaron's Terrifying yes, they were terrified. Had the mysterious kidnapper struck again? When DATELINE continues. This began as a high tech kidnapping that sounded like a TV movie.

[Henry Lee]

We were not able to substantiate any.

[Lester Holt]

Of the Then police announced it was really an elaborate hoax. Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, branded as liars or attention addicts, retreated from sight.

[Henry Lee]

Thank you.

[Lester Holt]

And that might have been the end of it. Until a little over two months later, this story took another unbelievable turn. June 5, 2015, 3:34am she thinks that.

[Samantha]

They possibly have her daughter.

[Lester Holt]

Police were called to a house in Dublin, California. Locked herself in the bedroom. An intruder was inside. Husband possibly has a head injury. We're having medical start. By the time police arrived, the man was gone, leaving behind a shaken family with a frightening story. The woman told police that she and her husband woke up in the early morning hours to find a man standing at the foot of their bed, a flashlight shining in their faces.

[Aaron Quinn]

He told them that, face down. Get face down in your bed and don't look at me. Terrifying, yes, they were terrified.

[Lester Holt]

Dublin police detectives Miguel Campos and Rafael Alvarez led the investigation.

[Aaron Quinn]

He said, we have your daughter and she's okay.

[Lester Holt]

The couple's 22 year old daughter had been sleeping in the next room.

[Aaron Quinn]

He tells the parents that I'm going to tie you up. Father jumps on him, says, you know, I'm not going to let you tie me up. You know, something's going on with my daughter. A struggle ensues on the ground.

[Lester Holt]

His wife grabbed her cell phone and locked herself in the bathroom to call 91 1.

[Aaron Quinn]

The husband yells out at her, honey, go get the gun. Go get the gun. Now this was very smart on the father's part because they have no gun. But he had to say anything to try to scare this guy away.

[Lester Holt]

The father continued to fight until finally the intruder fled. But in the struggle, he left some things behind. Zip ties for one. And what turned out to be the key to the case, a cell phone. Which led the Dublin detectives to a home near Sacramento. They called the family there and the woman who answered said the phone belonged to her adult son, a man named Matthew Muller.

[Aaron Quinn]

And it said, he told me he lost it this morning. And then we said, okay, where is he? We'd like to give it to him. They told us, well, he's on his way to South Lake Tahoe to our cabin.

[Lester Holt]

The Dublin cops knew their next stop was South Lake Tahoe. First they put in a call to the local sheriff to ask if there had ever been trouble at the Cabot. There hadn't. But a stolen car had just been found right near it. And in the car was a driver's license for 38 year old Matthew Muller.

[Aaron Quinn]

I said, okay, you just kind of made my day now. Now we have some more information to go on.

[Lester Holt]

With a search warrant and an arrest warrant, the Dublin cops went to find Matthew Muller. The neighbors watched it happen. You know, I'm just peeking out my window, trying to get an idea what's happening. More cars are coming.

[Denise Huskins]

My whole front area is filled with.

[Lester Holt]

Dark sedans, like something out of the movies. The neighbors were surprised, but maybe Matthew Muller was not.

[Aaron Quinn]

When we broke down the front door, it didn't open all the way because it was barricaded with chairs and just various household items. And upon entry, I could hear my detectives, you know, screaming, you know, get on the ground, get on the ground. And, you know, your, your heart rate kind of jumps up. Okay, he's there.

[Lester Holt]

This is Mueller just after he was arrested. He did not put up a fight in the house. Detectives found a room with cardboard on the windows, blocking out the light. They searched that stolen car and found a few more items of interest.

[Aaron Quinn]

One was a BB gun. One was a Super Soaker that was painted black with a flashlight duct taped to it with a laser pointer.

[Lester Holt]

So these have been made to look like real guns.

[Aaron Quinn]

If you were in the dark and all you saw was the shape and the bulkness of it, then yes, absolutely.

[Lester Holt]

There were also swim goggles with tape covering the lenses. A long blond hair stuck to the tape. And when they traced the stolen car.

[Aaron Quinn]

That vehicle comes back. It comes back stolen out of Vallejo.

[Lester Holt]

So the Dublin cops called Vallejo PD and started comparing notes.

[Aaron Quinn]

We're showing pictures of everything we've recovered at the search warrant. And they're showing us pictures that, you know, had been sent to them.

[Lester Holt]

Those would be the photos emailed to reporter Henry Lee from that anonymous address. Shots of spray painted water pistols and a room with cardboard on the windows.

[Aaron Quinn]

That's kind of when the light really clicked on and we all kind of went, uh, oh, here we go.

[Lester Holt]

Coming up, Ivy League, former Marine, respected attorney.

[Aaron Quinn]

I would much more have suspected Matt to be sitting behind the desk in some elected capacity.

[Lester Holt]

Who was this guy? When DATELINE continues.

[Denise Huskins]

As the day wraps up, get the scoop on what's been happening with here's the Scoop, the new podcast from NBC News. With me, your host, Yasmin Dasugian, along with Morgan Chesky and Brian Chung. We'll take a deep dive into the day's top stories with NBC News trusted journalists. It's a fresh take that sharp, thoughtful, and it's informative, bringing you closer to the headlines and conversations that are shaping our world. From the front page to the zeitgeist, all in 15 minutes or less. Here's the Scoop from NBC News. Listen daily on Apple Podcasts.

[Lester Holt]

I'm Josh Mankiewicz and I hope you'll join us for season four of Dateline, Missing in America. In each episode of Dateline's award winning series, we will focus on one missing persons case and hear from the families, the friends and the investigators all desperate to find them. You will want to listen closely. Maybe you could help investigators solve a mystery. Search Dateline Missing in America to listen on Apple Podcasts.

[Denise Huskins]

Hey everyone, I'm Jenna Bush Hager from the Today show and I'm excited to share my podcast Open Book with Jenna. It is back for season two. Each week, celebrities, experts, friends and authors will share candid stories with me about their lives and new projects. Guests like Rebecca Yarros, Kristin Hannah, Ego Wodom and more. Like a good book, you'll leave future feeling inspired and entertained. Join me for my podcast Open Book with Jenna. Listen now on Apple Podcasts.

[Lester Holt]

When the strange tale of Denise Huskins and Erin Quinn first made headlines, another.

[Denise Huskins]

Bizarre twist in a kidnapping case we've been following out of California.

[Lester Holt]

And Dublin police detectives Miguel Campos and Rafael Alvarez found it just as puzzling as everyone else did. There were a lot of reasons to sort of think that the Vallejo story, at first blush, was a very strange story.

[Aaron Quinn]

It was. Yeah, it does sound like it could be fabricated.

[Lester Holt]

But now they found themselves working a home invasion that seemed to link the man they'd arrested, Matthew Murphy Mueller, to the alleged kidnapping of Denise Huskins. Not just the photos of toy guns painted to look real or the room in the suspect's home they saw during the arrest that matched the photo sent to Henry Lee. There was more significant clues pointing to a real kidnapping that Vallejo cops seem to have overlooked or ignored from the start. Window screens at Aaron's house had been slit and the window locks drilled and the missed calls made to Aaron Quinn's cell phone while he was being interrogated that first night, calls the Vallejo cops suspected Aaron had somehow faked. Turns out they were placed from this intersection right near Mueller's cabin in Tahoe, where Dublin police later found that stolen car. When law enforcement hacked into the car's navigation history, they found this address in Huntington beach, the exact spot where Denise said she'd been left by her kidnapper. As they continued to investigate, detectives learned their suspect was just as unusual as the crimes he was implicated in. Maybe more so.

[Aaron Quinn]

I haven't dealt with somebody like him. You know, this is kind of stuff that you typically see in movies.

[Lester Holt]

A California native, Mueller served in the US Marine Corps, where he was a trumpet player. He then attended Pomona College. Alex Volberding was a classmate. I would much more have suspected Matt.

[Aaron Quinn]

To be sitting behind the desk in some elected capacity as opposed to be.

[Lester Holt]

Sitting in A jail cell right now. Muller married in 2002 and graduated from Pomona summa cum laude a year later. His next stop was another place you might have heard of Harvard Law School. He graduated in 2006, then stayed on as a teaching fellow. Andrea Saenz was a student of Mueller's at Harvard's Immigration and Refugee Clinic.

[Denise Huskins]

Matt, as I remembered him at Harvard, was incredibly intelligent, hard working, and someone who was really dedicated to the work that we were doing.

[Lester Holt]

After Harvard, Mueller moved back to California and practiced immigration law in San Francisco. But soon, Mueller's life seemed to go off the rails. In 2013, he lost his privileges to practice law and was eventually disbarred. He got divorced, stopped paying rent. In 2014, he filed for bankruptcy. It's not clear what went wrong. His defense lawyer says Mueller suffers from bipolar disorder. He's unimposing, nearly forgettable, certainly not someone to fear. Doesn't really fit the profile of your typical guy who's doing home invasions.

[Aaron Quinn]

If you're looking at typical home invasions, it doesn't. But when you're looking at the type of crimes that he's committing, it does more fit the profile.

[Lester Holt]

It seems to be done for the thrill of the crime, the thrill of the game. Glenn Lipson is a forensic psychologist. He has not met Matthew Mueller, but he has read those emails that were sent to reporter Henry Lee. Emails that Lee suspected at the time were written by a lawyer, a lawyer police now believe was Matthew Mueller. What emerges from the emails is a complex picture of someone who needs attention, who needs to be perceived a certain way. For example, the way the writer of the emails was outraged when Denise was accused of a hoax. So when he says, how dare you not believe Ms. Huskins, that she was kidnapped? What he's really saying is, how dare you not believe that I committed this crime and pulled it off? You can't see my handiwork because you lack talent. Because the police here are failing miserably and they need to recognize how flawed they are and how wonderful I am. He's a master criminal. He is a master criminal and he is running circles around everyone else. Maybe he was. Remember, from the beginning, Vallejo police apparently just couldn't believe the elaborate details of the kidnapping. When Aaron told them he took so long to call 911 because he was drugged and confined to a square of red tape and monitored by a webcam, they didn't buy it. And when Denise wouldn't get on that plane to talk to Vallejo pd, they thought it was because she had something to hide. She says it was because she was afraid the cops would treat her as they'd treated her boyfriend Aaron, like a suspect. Now everything was about to change. Three months after Vallejo police accused Denise and Aaron of concocting a hoax, the FBI announced that Matthew Mueller was the prime suspect in Denise's very real kidnapping. I was glad, you know, and I never doubted that there was someone who kidnapped her. Neither did the woman we're calling Samantha. To her, Denise's story was very real. Coming up.

[Samantha]

My hands were handcuffed behind my back. My feet were zip tied.

[Lester Holt]

Could Matthew Muller be behind this crime, too? We're about to ask him.

[Matthew Muller]

He kind of opened his eyes really wide. He couldn't believe that I was bringing this up.

[Lester Holt]

When DATELINE continues. Mountain View, California. The heart of Silicon Valley, the headquarters of Google. And in September 2009, the scene of a strange and terrifying crime.

[Samantha]

I was asleep in bed, and the next thing I knew, there was someone laying on top of me. Their hand was over my mouth.

[Lester Holt]

The woman we're calling Samantha hadn't heard the names Denise Huskins or Matthew Muller until we contacted her. But as you'll see, the details of what happened to her seem frighteningly familiar.

[Samantha]

My hands were handcuffed behind my back. My feet were zip tied. Then he put swim goggles on that were blacked out. I couldn't see.

[Lester Holt]

Zip ties, blacked out. Swim goggles. Her captor claimed he was part of a group. And the point of it all he said was money. You give him the information that we're all taught not to give to anyone, right?

[Samantha]

Exactly. My Social Security number, mother's maiden name.

[Lester Holt]

Account numbers.

[Samantha]

Account numbers. My bank account number, my pin.

[Lester Holt]

As with Denise and Aaron, the intruder made sure no help would be coming anytime soon.

[Samantha]

He figured out who my boss was from my emails, and he emailed my boss that I was sick and I couldn't come into work that day.

[Lester Holt]

She says, just as Denise and Aaron did, that she was sedated. In her case, it was just nyquil. She became drowsy but never passed out. She was completely helpless, completely in his control. When it got even worse, the intruder.

[Samantha]

Told her, I have some bad news for you, and now I'm going to have to rape you.

[Lester Holt]

Tied up, blindfolded, she pleaded with her captor not to do it. His response?

[Samantha]

He got very quiet and he kind of muttered, I can't do this.

[Lester Holt]

And then the man who had terrorized her for hours suddenly seemed remorseful.

[Samantha]

He said, you know, I'm sorry. About this. You know, I been through this, too.

[Lester Holt]

He even offered some helpful home security advice.

[Samantha]

He recommended that I get a dog so that I could have protection in the future.

[Lester Holt]

So he's advising you how to keep this from happening again?

[Samantha]

Yeah, I know. It's incredible.

[Lester Holt]

The man soon left without letting Samantha see his face. And when she called the police, the response she received might sound familiar to Denise Huskins. Did police believe you?

[Samantha]

I don't think so. What they told me was they thought maybe I just had a bad dream and that I had called 911 after my bad dream.

[Lester Holt]

Then, less than a month later, a similar case in nearby Palo Alto. A man broke into this house and restrained the woman living there with zip ties and swim goggles. Then he threatened to rape her. Was it the same man? Was it Mueller? Police investigating Samantha's assault weren't sure, but Lieutenant Zach Perrin with the Palo Alto police believed the same person was responsible for both crimes.

[Aaron Quinn]

We were able to identify one suspect.

[Lester Holt]

In the case, and he's our prime suspect.

[Aaron Quinn]

Matthew Mueller.

[Lester Holt]

We want to hear from Mueller himself. His attorney did not want Mueller to do an interview. However, Mueller agreed to see a visitor. Dateline associate producer Kayla Ward spent 30 minutes talking with Mueller in jail through glass, on the phone. No camera, no recording, no note taking allowed. What's your initial impression of him?

[Matthew Muller]

Extremely talkative. It was like he was in his element. He was laughing. We were joking about the books that he was reading.

[Lester Holt]

What's his answer to whether or not he is guilty of the crimes that he's accused of?

[Matthew Muller]

He wouldn't say. He wouldn't deny anything, but he wouldn't say that he was guilty of anything.

[Lester Holt]

She asked him about Samantha, and I.

[Matthew Muller]

Said, well, we recently interviewed a woman, and her case matches Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn's case. And he kind of opened his eyes really wide and he hit the like in a way. He couldn't believe that I was bringing this up.

[Lester Holt]

But he denied knowing anything about Samantha's case or the one in Palo Alto. Then Kayla asked about Denise Huskins.

[Matthew Muller]

He looked at me intensely and said, can you imagine, you know, being woken up in the middle of the night, taken from your home, sexually assaulted, and then you're brave, and then it's used against you by the police. And there was, I mean, you know, tears in his eyes. He was. He was very emotional about it.

[Lester Holt]

Putting on a show.

[Matthew Muller]

He might have been putting on a show. He's very smart.

[Lester Holt]

Very, very smart and very eager to talk about his own troubles.

[Matthew Muller]

He Wanted to be very clear that the last six years of his life have been spent in depression. He's had a few suicide attempts. He said, you know, he's in jail now and he's happy to be there because it's a safe place for him, a safe place for the community.

[Lester Holt]

Mueller did say that in his professional life, he'd always wanted to do good for others.

[Matthew Muller]

He told me my, you know, my hope for my life was that my primary identifier would be helping people. I wanted to be the guy that helped people.

[Lester Holt]

So what went wrong?

[Matthew Muller]

I asked him, you know, how do you feel now sitting here? Because you've now done the opposite. You've hurt people. And he kind of just stared at me for a minute. And then he said, I don't even know where to begin with that. And then he kind of like put his head down and he started to cry. And he said, I'm so sorry.

[Lester Holt]

Exactly what he was sorry for, he didn't say. But Mueller did say he thought he was exactly where he belonged.

[Matthew Muller]

He had said, the facts are pretty clear. You know, I think I'll spend a few decades in jail and I'm fine with.

[Lester Holt]

About a year after he spoke with dateline, Mueller pleaded guilty in federal court to kidnapping Denise Huskins. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, and he also pleaded no contest in the home invasion. In 2018, Mueller faced new state charges of kidnapping for ransom, rape, robbery, burglary, and false imprisonment. He pleaded no contest. Then in January 2025, Mueller confessed to attacking Samantha and the woman in Palo Alto. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault during a home invasion and received two consecutive life sentences. There is plenty we still don't know. For example, Denise and Aaron are convinced there was more. More than one kidnapper. You have any reason to believe there were other people out there?

[Aaron Quinn]

I don't, no. He used we. I believe it was to instill more fear in the. In the victims.

[Lester Holt]

Another unknown how the victims were chosen. Denise may not have been the target of the kidnapping. The email sent to Henry Lee claimed the kidnappers were after Aaron's ex fiance who had previously lived with with him, but then grabbed up Denise instead. Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn will live forever with the emotional scars of their ordeal. Home invasion, kidnapping, and then public humiliation. Their attorney was Jim Wagstaff.

[Aaron Quinn]

They were innocent of their of their alleged crimes, yet they were painted to the world as having been involved in a terrible hoax.

[Lester Holt]

Vallejo pd so eager to talk in those first few days. Soon clammed up. The department did send Denise and Aaron each a letter of apology, but made no public statement to correct the impression of these two as liars and publicity hounds. Denise and Aaron sued the city of Vallejo, and In March of 2018, they settled that case for $2.5 million. It took years and a new police chief for the city to publicly admit its mistake. In June 2021, Chief Shawnee Williams issued a statement acknowledging the case wasn't handled with sensitivity. He also extended his deepest apology to Denise and Aaron for how they were treated. He said to you right at the end was, I'm really sorry about this. This is gonna mess you up. Yeah, he was right about that, wasn't he?

[Samantha]

Yeah. Yeah, it definitely messed me me up for quite a while.

[Lester Holt]

Sometimes the truest story is the one that sounds like a lie. Why'd you want to talk to us?

[Samantha]

If I can contribute in any way to making sure that this is taken seriously and just basically say, this is not a hoax, I lived firsthand through this, and I know for a fact that it's true.

[Lester Holt]

That's all for now. I'm Lester Holmes Holt. Thanks for joining us.