The Terrifying True Story Behind ‘American Nightmare’ on Netflix

A home invasion and kidnapping is one of the scariest things that could happen to a person. And it’s even worse when nobody believes you in the aftermath. Netflix‘s new true crime docuseries American Nightmare dissects the crimes that Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn suffered, and the unjust response from police enforcement and the media.

Created by Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins from The Tinder Swindler, the series consists of three episodes, all of which premiered January 17, 2024.

Huskins and Quinn, who penned the book Victim F: From Crime Victims to Suspects to Survivors in 2021, both appear in the docuseries and provide their recount of the events that occurred.

The case has often been referred to as the “Gone Girl” kidnapping as law enforcement suspected the victims of fabricating their story in light of the 2014 movie starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck.

Here’s everything you need to know about the terrifying true story behind American Nightmare.

The True Story Behind American Nightmare

On March 23, 2015, a masked intruder broke into the home of Aaron Quinn and his girlfriend Denise Huskins, and sedated them both. Quinn was blindfolded and disarmed with zip ties. When he woke up hours later, Huskins was gone. Quinn received a text message demanding a large ransom and cautioning him against contacting the police. But he did anyway, and would later say in the Netflix doc that he “trusted” them to help.

Quinn’s recollection contained many odd details, such as the assailant wearing a wetsuit and shining a light in their eyes. He also told police that he had an argument with Huskins the night before because she found text messages that he exchanged with his ex-girlfriend.

When Quinn finished his story, the police marked him as the prime suspect and subjected him to extensive questioning and a lie detector test. Quinn was told that he failed the test, despite later finding out that the results were inconclusive. 

During this time, Quinn sought out a lawyer. 

Two days later, Huskins was dropped off near her childhood home – after being raped twice – but wasn’t cooperating with authorities because the kidnapper threatened to harm her loved ones if she revealed any details.

In the aftermath, the police and media accused the couple of lying and wasting resources. The police said at a press conference, “Mr. 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. If anything, it is Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins that owe this community an apology,” per CBS News. 

The police also likened the crime to the movie and book Gone Girl, which features a woman who faked her kidnapping as a revenge plot against her partner.

In June 2015, 39-year-old Matthew Muller, a Harvard-educated lawyer with bipolar disorder, was arrested for an unrelated crime and a police detective connected the dots between the evidence they found in his home and Quinn and Huskins’ case. NPR reported in 2016 that Muller pleaded guilty to the kidnapping and “agreed as part of his guilty plea to recommend a maximum term of 40 years,” which he received in full.

Since, the couple has filed a lawsuit against the Vallejo Police Department which was settled in 2018 and saw the city compensating them with $2.5 million.

American Nightmare is currently streaming on Netflix.