Sneak peek: Denise and Aaron Quinn Get the Last Word | Forensic Files

When you're 19, you think you know where you're going to end up, but then life has a way of taking its own
turns. Back in 1993, this young couple was camping. In the middle of the night, we were
awakened to someone hitting the back of our tent. They were ordered out of their tent by a
stranger with a gun. A towel was put over my head, and my hands and feet were tied up, and then my
boyfriend was tied up. The suspect then carried the female away. He brought her down to this bridge?
>> Yes. You were fighting him as best you could. Yeah. I was trying to squirm away, and then I
was actually assaulted. In the middle of what he was trying to do, he said that he saw a light, and said he
had to go. My boyfriend got me untied. We called the police. I told them what happened, and it very
much seemed like they maybe didn't believe me. I reached out to them many times trying
to find out, "Have you guys found anything? You know, do you know who did this?" And nothing.
She's worried for the last 30-plus years that he was out there, and he was going
to return. In March of 2015, there was this really high-profile kidnapping coming out of
Vallejo, California. Denise Huskins went missing from her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn's home.
Kidnappers stormed into Quinn's Vallejo house, bound and drugged him. We could hear what sounded like other
people downstairs. I was told that I was going to be taken. I'm told that there was a ransom demand
to get Denise back. For the next 48 hours, I was held captive and continuously drugged, and I
was raped twice. To my surprise, in the middle of the night, he woke me up and said that he
was going to release me. Relief and joy after Denise Huskins arrived home in Southern California.
I get my life back, only to have it all completely blown apart by the false accusations of law enforcement. Vallejo
police believed Denise Huskins and her boyfriend staged assault, sending their department on a wild and expensive goose
chase. Things like this never happen. So, therefore, we can't believe you. This was a massive story. For months,
the world believed that this was a hoax, and then suddenly there's another attack, and that's what finally leads to
an arrest. He was a Marine, then a Harvard law student, then a practicing attorney. Now, Matthew Muller is accused
of being a monster. Our hope was, now that one person's caught, they would continue to
investigate. There were still so many questions that were left unanswered. Was anyone else involved? And what other
victims are still out there? My name is Nick Borges. I did not investigate this case, but I
wanted to give Denise and Aaron answers. I told them, "I've always believed you guys, and words are not enough. I'm an
action guy, so I started writing letters to Matthew Muller." "Dear Mr. Muller, I
have followed and come to learn quite a bit about the Vallejo case involving Ms.
Huskins and Mr. Quinn." He ended up responding. This is incredible. I did not expect him
to start confessing.

ALL NEW: A couple is attacked as they slept. They later team up with law enforcement and get their assailant to confess to more crimes. "48 Hours" correspondent Tracy Smith reports Saturday, March 28 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

For video licensing inquiries, contact: licensing@veritone.com

Brief Summary

Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn recount their kidnapping ordeal and the disbelief they faced from law enforcement.

Key points

A Night of Terror. A young couple's camping trip turns into a nightmare when a stranger with a gun attacks.
The Vallejo Kidnapping. In 2015, Denise Huskins is kidnapped, leading to a shocking series of events.
False Accusations. After Denise's return, law enforcement accuses her of staging the assault, igniting public disbelief.
A Confession. Nick Borges reaches out to the accused kidnapper, leading to unexpected revelations.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Life has a way of taking its own turns.

0:07WatchMar 26, 2026

More from 48 Hours

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.