Attack survivors, not believed by police, get the last word against kidnapper

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In the pre-dawn hours of March 23, 2015, Aaron Quinn and his woman Denise Huskins were dormant successful his Vallejo, California, home, unaware they were being watched.

Denise Huskins Quinn: … astir 3 a.m., we were awoken to a unusual antheral saying "This is simply a robbery. We are not present to wounded you, enactment calm."

They ne'er saw his face, but, oddly, helium was wearing a bedewed suit. He said helium was portion of a radical of radical determination to rob them, but helium did each the talking. In recalling what happened to them, Denise and Aaron telephone him "The Voice."

The kidnapping of Denise Huskins

Denise Huskins Quinn: My eyes changeable unfastened and I saw flashing achromatic airy connected the walls, and reddish laser dots scanning the walls … "The Voice" … instructed maine to necktie Aaron up with zip ties, near them connected the borderline of the furniture …

Aaron Quinn: I'm tied up. He makes maine hop to my closet. I could perceive radical downstairs going done the room cabinet. I could perceive a drill running.

Denise was ordered to spell into the aforesaid closet. There, "The Voice" besides tied her up, and made them portion a sedative.

Denise Huskins Quinn: … blacked-out aquatics goggles were placed implicit our eyes and … eventually, I was told that I was gonna beryllium taken for 48 hours and … I was gonna beryllium held until Aaron could "complete immoderate tasks" for my release.

Those tasks included going to a slope for ransom money. "The Voice" took Aaron downstairs to the surviving room, wherever a information camera had been mounted to show him.

Aaron Quinn: "The Voice" tells maine that … if I effort to spell to the police, they'll termination Denise. So, I could perceive him enactment Denise successful the trunk of my car … I conscionable perceive Denise say, "OK," and I'm conscionable hoping that's not gonna beryllium the past happening I perceive from her. …

Aaron says helium soon passed retired from the sedative. He woke successful a stupor aboriginal that morning. "The Voice" had taken Aaron's laptop, but had near his compartment phone, saying they would interaction him. Aaron says helium wiggled his hands escaped from the zip ties but past struggled with whether helium should telephone for help.

Tracy Smith: What was that similar weighing that decision?

Aaron Quinn: … my thought was if I telephone the police, I cognize I'm gonna beryllium safe. But past my fearfulness is, uh, americium I really sidesplitting Denise?

911 OPERATOR: Emergency.

AARON QUINN: My, uh, woman got kidnapped past night.

Aaron took the accidental and called 911. The Vallejo Police Department responded. As Aaron told them what happened, helium says investigators began to question his story.

Aaron Quinn: I don't blasted them for being a small skeptical, but … I gave them support to hunt everything and I agreed to spell down to the presumption to supply a statement, origin my full goal, which I thought everyone's goal, was to find Denise.

Aaron gave the constabulary his compartment telephone and his apparel to trial for evidence. He was fixed situation covering to alteration into. And past the pb detective, Mathew Mustard, began to question him.

Aaron Quinn: And it's astir 40 minutes into our interview, helium fundamentally leans backmost and says … what I'm telling him is far-fetched and helium doesn't judge me.

DET. MATHEW MUSTARD: I don't deliberation she was kidnapped from your home… I deliberation thing atrocious happened successful your house…

Not lone did helium look not to judge Aaron, helium seemed to beryllium accusing Aaron of sidesplitting Denise.

DET. MATHEW MUSTARD: Denise is going to beryllium recovered … And erstwhile I accidental she's found, she's dead. … They did not travel into your location and kidnap her and instrumentality her for ransom. That did not happen! It didn't! No it did not!

AARON QUINN: I person thing to admit to … I didn't bash thing … What the f--- is going on?

Meanwhile, connection got retired to the media that Denise was missing.

Julie Watts is an investigative analogous for CBS News California.

Julie Watts: And I deliberation instantly radical were captivated. …

Julie Watts: … folks assumed from the opening that she was dead. … And immediately, her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, was the suspect.

To Aaron, investigators were truthful focused connected him, helium wondered if anyone was looking for the radical who had really taken Denise. After being placed successful the trunk of Aaron's car, she was driven for a bit, transferred to the trunk of different car, and driven for hours.

Denise Huskins Quinn: … you deliberation of each the imaginable things that are gonna happen. Where americium I gonna beryllium taken? … Am I gonna beryllium tortured? Am I gonna person to withstand God knows what?

"The Voice" took Denise to a secluded location wherever she was kept blindfolded and sedated. He told her helium would support her determination until his radical received the ransom money. She was successful and retired of consciousness but remembered him telling her they'd done this before. He past raped her. The adjacent morning, Denise says she heard idiosyncratic travel to the house.

Denise Huskins Quinn: I heard his car thrust disconnected and … started walking down this alley and turn, and I spot the thoroughfare that I grew up on.

A neighbour called the Huntington Beach Police, and the quality of Denise's reappearance spread.

NEWS REPORT: A Bay Area pistillate reportedly kidnapped for ransom is harmless tonight. What precisely happened to her? That's inactive precise overmuch a mystery.

Although Denise and Aaron hadn't communicated since the attack, Denise told the Huntington Beach officers the aforesaid communicative Aaron had. But she excessively began to consciousness she wasn't being believed.

Denise Huskins Quinn: And it was, "OK. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But … we request to fig retired what's going connected with Vallejo." … And truthful it conscionable felt similar thing wasn't right.

Worried, Denise hired an attorney. That night, arsenic she was making her mode backmost to Vallejo, the Vallejo Police Department gave a property league saying they could not substantiate thing Aaron had told them, and that Denise would not speech to them.

LT. KENNY PARK | Vallejo P.D. (to reporters): Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins has plundered invaluable resources distant from our assemblage …

They fundamentally called the lawsuit a hoax. The media came up with different label.

Julie Watts: In the archetypal fewer days aft … the kidnapper released her, each of the headlines had the connection "Gone Girl" successful it. … relating it to the blockbuster movie that had conscionable travel out, I deliberation the twelvemonth before, wherever a beauteous blonde fakes her ain kidnapping. … and it stuck.

That aforesaid night, Denise says her lawyer told the Vallejo Police Denise had been raped and asked to acceptable up a intersexual battle exam hoping DNA grounds could assistance place her attacker. But Denise says Vallejo Police refused to bid an exam until she talked to them.

Denise Huskins Quinn: I could perceive whoever what was connected the telephone say, well, however bash we cognize she was raped? She won't adjacent speech to us. … You know, conscionable archer her not to shower, support her apparel on, don't lavation her hands, brushwood her teeth …

Denise says Vallejo Police made her hold until the adjacent greeting to travel in.

DET. MATHEW MUSTARD (speaking to Denise): We're not present to judge, um, and we are conscionable looking to fig retired the truth.

They interviewed Denise for six hours earlier she went to a infirmary for the exam.

Denise Huskins Quinn: So, successful a way, it's like, yeah, I had to — to beryllium to them that I was worthy capable to person it scheduled.

Tracy Smith: To person — to person the exam.

Denise Huskins Quinn: (nods to affirm)

The archetypal investigating led nowhere. After cooperating with the investigators, Denise and Aaron feared they mightiness beryllium charged with lying to police. All the while, knowing the radical who attacked them were inactive retired there.

Denise Huskins Quinn: … that was I deliberation the astir terrifying thing, knowing … They volition bash this again. … we cognize that the lone mode that we'll beryllium vindicated and the information volition travel retired is if they onslaught different family.

Another onslaught leads to an apprehension and confessions

In June 2015, astir 3 months aft Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn were attacked, a location penetration was reported successful Dublin, California, astir an hr southbound of Vallejo.

Julie Watts: An intruder came in. … The woman called 911 portion the hubby fought back.

The intruder escaped, but successful the chaos helium near his compartment telephone behind. Detectives traced it to a location successful South Lake Tahoe.

Julie Watts: So they get their investigators unneurotic and they amusement up astatine the Tahoe cabin.

Inside was 38-year-old Matthew Muller. He was arrested connected the spot for the Dublin attack.

Julie Watts: He is simply a Harvard-educated lawyer. He is formerly a Marine. He is not the benignant of idiosyncratic that you would expect.

And erstwhile they searched the house, they recovered immoderate absorbing evidence.

Julie Watts: They recovered Aaron's laptop astatine Muller's cabin.

Authorities besides searched a stolen car parked nearby.

Julie Watts: Investigators … looked astatine the car GPS. And they saw that it had the GPS constituent wherever the kidnapper had dropped disconnected Denise Huskins.

And successful the backmost of the car —

Julie Watts: They recovered goggles, blacked retired aquatics goggles … with a … azygous strand of blonde hair.

The hairsbreadth was aboriginal confirmed to beryllium Denise's. The goggles, the GPS code and the laptop — each of it was beardown grounds supporting the bizarre communicative Denise and Aaron had been telling each along.

Julie Watts: The lone mode they were vindicated was not by constabulary work, it was by different radical being harmed.

"The Voice" yet had a name. Matthew Muller would beryllium charged with Denise Huskins' kidnapping and rape.

Tracy Smith: Did Muller's apprehension marque you consciousness safe?

Denise Huskins Quinn: A small safer. …

Aaron Quinn: The apprehension made america consciousness a small safer but we inactive judge there's different radical retired there.

But nary 1 other was charged. Denise and Aaron steeled themselves to look Muller successful court.

Tracy Smith: So you're preparing … for him to spell to trial. What happened?

Aaron Quinn: Well, helium ended up taking a plea deal.

Muller yet received a condemnation of 40 years full for the Dublin onslaught and their attack. Denise and Aaron had hoped for a beingness sentence.

Denise Huskins Quinn: The thought that he'll beryllium excessively aged erstwhile helium gets retired to bash thing similar this again … I don't deliberation that's true.

Around this clip Denise and Aaron filed a civilian suit against the City of Vallejo claiming defamation and affectional distress. They yet settled for $2.5 million.

Tracy Smith: Did the Vallejo Police ever vindicate you?

Denise Huskins Quinn: No. …

Aaron Quinn: It was always … this lawsuit was excessively unusual to believe.

The Vallejo Police Department did not respond to "48 Hours"' petition for a comment, but they did contented a connection aft the colony saying, "The Huskins Quinn lawsuit was not publically handled with the benignant of sensitivity a lawsuit of this quality should person been handled with…" Although their lawsuit seemed to beryllium over, Denise and Aaron hoped authorities would proceed to analyse Muller for different crimes and imaginable accomplices.

Denise Huskins Quinn: And determination was inactive truthful galore questions that were near unanswered … a large portion of that was, what other was helium progressive in? … We conscionable knew that our lawsuit … wasn't the lone one.

Tracy Smith: You knew, but did you consciousness similar anyone was listening to you?

Denise Huskins Quinn: Well, no. That's the problem.

Denise and Aaron spent years trying to determination forward. They got joined and started a household and yet decided it was clip to archer their communicative successful their ain words.

Denise Huskins Quinn: We tin … instrumentality backmost power of — of our trauma and possibly usage it for good.

They wrote a publication and participated successful the Netflix bid "American Nightmare," which was watched by millions of radical successful 2024.

Chief Nick Borges: I was hooked arsenic soon arsenic it started.

One of those radical was Nick Borges… the constabulary main successful Seaside, California.

Chief Nick Borges: I'm watching this, conscionable thinking, I privation to scope retired to these people. I privation to hug her. I privation to hug him and conscionable like, ohio my God, I'm truthful sorry.

Though helium wasn't progressive successful their case, Chief Borges reached retired to Denise connected Instagram to apologize connected behalf of each instrumentality enforcement.

Tracy Smith: When you work that message, what did you think?

Denise Huskins Quinn: I deliberation I got truly emotional, um, origin it's not – we're not asking for a full lot, you know, similar conscionable to beryllium respected and listened to, um, and treated similar we person value. … It meant the satellite to … consciousness similar we had an ally.

Borges invited Denise and Aaron to Seaside to talk astir their experiences with instrumentality enforcement.

AARON QUINN (at Seaside event): I gave them entree to everything, and it wasn't capable due to the fact that they had already decided I killed her.

Borges wanted to bash much to assistance Denise and Aaron get answers.

Chief Nick Borges: I don't person a occupation shaking the histrion a small spot and flipping rocks.

He decided to constitute Muller successful prison.

Chief Nick Borges: I was precise honorable with him … I privation to cognize if you acted unsocial oregon not.

Within weeks, Muller wrote back.

Chief Nick Borges: Essentially successful his archetypal missive backmost to maine helium said helium acted alone. …

Tracy Smith: So you commencement this benignant of penning narration with Muller.

Chief Nick Borges: Yeah. … He sent maine backmost a 2nd missive and this 1 was thick.

In the letter, Muller confessed to 2 crimes successful Santa Clara County successful 2009 — six years earlier Denise and Aaron's attack.

Julie Watts: One was successful Palo Alto, 1 was successful Mountain View … He broke successful benignant of disguised and attempted intersexual assault.

Back then, Palo Alto Police had identified Muller arsenic a fishy due to the fact that he'd been caught prowling successful the area, but they didn't person capable to complaint him. Now, helium was coming clean.

Chief Nick Borges: They were full-blown confessions with circumstantial details that lone the fishy would know.

Muller besides indicated determination were adjacent much crimes — but lone teased the details successful his letters.

Vern Pierson: We cognize that Muller did immoderate truly atrocious things.

Vern Pierson is the territory lawyer of El Dorado County, wherever Denise Huskins was held captive. Although helium was not progressive with the archetypal investigation, successful 2024, Pierson besides offered to assistance and wanted to talk with Muller directly. Pierson thought the champion mode to get him to unfastened up much was to usage a strategy called "science-based interviewing."

Vern Pierson: One of the hallmarks of science-based interviewing is — is speaking to idiosyncratic without revealing immoderate judgement you mightiness person astir either what they're saying oregon what you deliberation astir them arsenic a person. …

Tracy Smith: It conscionable strikes maine however antithetic what you're talking astir is from the mode that the Vallejo PD … handled Aaron and Denise's case. …

Vern Pierson: Yeah … they passed judgment. … and they sought to confirm, confirm, confirm. … And each clip helium would say, no, that's not what happened. They would chopped him off, alteration the subject, spell backmost to, you know, the mentation that they had.

Pierson was determined to bash things differently. He brought successful a highly-trained FBI interviewer who specializes successful this technique, and their strategy would wage off.

The confessions of Matthew Muller

In November 2024, D.A. Vern Pierson and the FBI interviewer flew to Arizona to talk with Matthew Muller astatine the prison where helium was serving his 40-year condemnation to spot what other helium mightiness confess to — and fig retired his motivations.

Vern Pierson: … he's extraordinarily manipulative and … if he's telling you thing … determination is simply a crushed wherefore he's telling you what he's telling you.

With an audio recorder running, Muller claimed helium present wanted to beryllium upfront astir his past due to the fact that he'd undergone a spiritual translation successful prison. He shared that successful the past he'd struggled with insomnia, which led to taking agelong walks astatine night.

MATTHEW MULLER: I started past looking successful windows — wherever it started wide curiosity, past went benignant of sexual.

Muller described a agelong history of voyeurism, admitting that portion astatine Harvard Law School successful the aboriginal 2000s, helium acceptable up a video camera successful an bureau bathroom. Evidence video shows him doing the aforesaid years aboriginal portion connected abrogation successful Hawaii.

Vern Pierson: … helium installed a video camera successful a nationalist restroom … truthful helium could look astatine it.

The much abstraction they gave Muller to talk, the much depravity helium revealed. After respective hours, helium began talking astir yet different location penetration connected the borderline of Contra Costa County conscionable 2 weeks aft helium attacked Denise and Aaron.

MATTHEW MULLER: That nighttime I climbed up onto the veranda, came successful …

Muller described utilizing a ladder to ascent into a family's location and waking up a mother, father, and their teenage son.

MATTHEW MULLER: … tied them up … telling them that we were … immoderate benignant of transgression enactment that a comparative of theirs owed wealth to …

He instructed the parent to spell to a slope to retreat a ransom. After she returned with $30,000, Muller threatened that if they ever told the police, helium would travel backmost and harm them. The household ne'er reported it.

Tracy Smith: So, determination was nary transgression that matched this reported backmost then, astatine that time?

Vern Pierson: No … determination was nothing.

That wasn't the lone transgression Muller said he'd gotten distant with. He recalled different attack, which helium said was his first, backmost erstwhile helium was a teen successful the suburbs of Sacramento. Muller said 1 time helium had walked by immoderate campsites astatine a authorities parkland successful adjacent Folsom and fixated connected a young couple. He returned that nighttime with a stolen gun.

MATTHEW MULLER: I ordered them retired of the structure … I judge I enactment them some connected their stomachs and conscionable asked them to enactment their hands down their back.

Muller said helium tied up the couple, past carried the pistillate distant and down a motorcycle trail.

MATTHEW MULLER: … took the pistillate crossed to bash thing atrocious to her.

Then, helium says, helium saw a airy nearby. He sexually assaulted her, past fled.

MATTHEW MULLER: I fundamentally forgot astir it beauteous quickly. … And I conscionable enactment it retired of my mind. I didn't — it was similar it didn't happen.

Leaving that interview, Pierson acceptable retired to beryllium Muller committed these crimes — starting with the unreported location invasion.

Vern Pierson: … the interviewer … had him … picture the determination … past we had him gully a diagram kinda astir showed that … we looked connected Google Maps and … we yet came up with a assemblage that precise intimately matched the diagram that helium had drawn to us.

Pierson wondered if the ladder Muller mentioned utilizing mightiness inactive beryllium determination 9 years later. It was a agelong shot, but his squad asked Contra Costa investigators to hunt the ravine down that house.

Vern Pierson: You tin ideate it's like, "hey, this was ne'er reported to you, you guys don't cognize thing astir it … but we deliberation determination mightiness beryllium this ladder … would you spell look for it?" And … a mates hours aboriginal I get a substance connection … that they recovered the ladder.

Tracy Smith: But however singular is that?

Vern Pierson: Pretty remarkable. (smiles)

The household who inactive lived determination confirmed everything. Next, Pierson acceptable retired to find the campsite victims. His squad scoured Folsom and Sacramento County records until finally, 1 of his staffers recovered a four-page State Parks study of an incidental from Aug. 7, 1993. At the time, Muller was conscionable 16.

Vern Pierson: … we look astatine it, and it's precise adjacent to what helium described. I mean virtually identical. … (reading from report) "Victim exited the structure with 2 sleeping bags and pillows and arsenic told by taxable to laic look down."

This had to beryllium it. Pierson notified the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, and Criminal Investigators Kevin Papineau and Michelle Hendricks took implicit the investigation.

Tracy Smith (at scene): Back successful the day, successful the 1990s, did it look beauteous overmuch similar this?

Kevin Papineau: Essentially up present it did…

The campsites are nary longer determination and the archetypal investigators person died, truthful Papineau and Hendricks started by retracing Muller's steps that night.

Tracy Smith: So helium brings her up here. And again, she has nary thought what's going — what's going on.

Michelle Hendricks: Right.

Kevin Papineau: Yeah. She doesn't cognize wherever she's going.

Tracy Smith: My goodness.

Michelle Hendricks: And — and that night, this spot is pitch-black …

Tracy Smith: Yeah. It indispensable beryllium terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.

Kevin Papineau: Yeah.

From the report, they knew the victim's fellow had recovered her connected a footbridge on the motorcycle trail, untied her, and they had called for help.

Michelle Hendricks: … a parkland ranger showed up, a Folsom P.D. serviceman showed up and … they took a connection from … them and past they near … The officers left.

Papineau and Hendricks besides recovered photos officers took that night, which showed a weapon they believed Muller dropped erstwhile helium fled. With nary different leads to follow, they reached retired to the victims.

Tracy Smith: How aged were you successful 1993?

"Lynn": I was 19. … successful the mediate of the nighttime … we were awakened to idiosyncratic hitting the backmost of our structure …

"48 Hours" spoke to the pistillate unfortunate successful 2025. She's asked america not to amusement her face, and to telephone her "Lynn." This is the archetypal clip she's speaking publically astir what happened to her.

"Lynn": The lone happening I tin truly retrieve is conscionable praying, praying for this to stop, praying for him to get away, praying that helium doesn't termination me.

"Lynn" says aft she and her fellow called for assistance that night, it didn't consciousness similar the officers were taking her battle seriously.

"Lynn": It precise overmuch felt similar they possibly didn't judge maine oregon judge my fellow … conscionable by their enactment of questioning.

Tracy Smith: Like what?

"Lynn": Like … with my boyfriend, they asked him, "you mean you didn't spot the gun? What bash you mean you didn't spot the gun?" … alternatively of conscionable listening to america and believing what we were telling them.

She says she called the parks department for months asking for updates, but thing ever came from it.

"Lynn": In fact, I adjacent stopped telling radical astir it arsenic clip went on.

"Lynn" and her fellow yet joined and drew spot from each other, but she says it was hard to ever consciousness genuinely safe.

Tracy Smith: Is determination a mode to picture the value that you carried each these years?

"Lynn": Hmm, it's benignant of hard to picture due to the fact that … It's conscionable benignant of portion of who you are now. … for galore years, I didn't spell by myself retired astatine nighttime … adjacent during the daytime, I'd marque definite I'd … support an oculus implicit my enarthrosis of who's astir and beryllium alert of my surroundings astatine each times. … I didn't consciousness comfy wearing shoes … that I felt similar I couldn't tally in, truthful similar flip-flops oregon sandals … conscionable successful lawsuit I request to run.

But that began to alteration erstwhile she archetypal spoke with Papineau and Hendricks.

"Lynn": I felt this consciousness of alleviation … I knew that I was being believed. I knew that thing was getting done astir this, finally.

And "Lynn" felt much alleviation erstwhile she learned her attacker was present down bars. But she wanted him to beryllium held accountable for what he'd done to her.

"Lynn": No, you didn't get distant with this. You didn't conscionable determination connected with your beingness and forgot it — that it happened. You don't get to bash that.

A reckoning for Denise and Aaron Quinn

Denise Huskins Quinn: … to larn that helium was 16 years aged the archetypal clip helium attacked a mates … it made a batch of sense. … but it's besides conscionable incredibly disturbing.

Denise Huskins Quinn and Aaron Quinn had long-suspected Matthew Muller had attacked before, but to larn the details – and person the crimes confirmed by investigators – was inactive devastating.

Aaron Quinn: … a batch of radical person suffered from this antheral … Someone breaking successful the mediate of the nighttime … tying you up, these … are things that are nightmares. …

Denise Huskins Quinn: … the voyeurism, the stalking … I deliberation it's a mode of invading people's lives. … to terrorize.

In precocious 2024, Matthew Muller was charged with the attempted rapes successful Santa Clara County — the archetypal attacks helium had confessed to successful the letters. He was flown backmost to California to look those charges. There, helium was besides charged with attacking the household successful Contra Costa. While sitting successful the Santa Clara County Jail, Muller wrote different letter.

Vern Pierson: He sent a missive to Nick Borges, fundamentally indicating helium had further … accusation that helium wanted to supply to Denise and Aaron.

Tracy Smith: … he's trying to … lure Denise and Aaron into coming and talking to him.

Vern Pierson: A 100 percent. … I work that missive precisely that way.

District Attorney Vern Pierson thinks gathering with Denise – successful peculiar – whitethorn person been Muller's nonsubjective for confessing each along.

Denise Huskins Quinn: D.A. Pierson was similar … he's confessing to definite things for a reason. They're each successful California. I deliberation helium wants to get backmost to California … successful hopes that helium tin conscionable with you.

Even though they were afloat alert Muller whitethorn person ulterior motives, Denise and Aaron did inactive privation to speech with him. Muller had confirmed and fixed details astir different crimes helium had committed, but inactive maintained helium acted unsocial successful theirs. Denise and Aaron are adamant they heard different radical during their attack.

Denise Huskins Quinn: I felt similar possibly of each people, helium would beryllium much honorable with us.

But having already spent galore hours interviewing Muller, Pierson did not privation them successful a country together.

Vern Pierson: I didn't deliberation that was a bully idea.

They came up with a compromise. On Feb. 13, 2025, Muller and his lawyer met with Pierson, the FBI interviewer, and Chief Borges astatine the Santa Clara County Jail. Denise and Aaron were determination too, watching from different room.

FBI AGENT: Denise, Aaron … are each contiguous successful gathering contiguous and observing this live.

MATTHEW MULLER: OK.

Denise Huskins Quinn: … they fto him cognize aboriginal connected successful the interrogation … They're observing they're … not coming in. … I deliberation that irritated him. … the FBI interviewer had said … That speech was precise antithetic …

When asked wherefore helium wanted this meeting, Muller claimed helium was determination to assistance Denise and Aaron … mostly.

MATTHEW MULLER: I person an obligation, um, to marque it imaginable for them to sojourn with me, to get a closure connected this … it's successful a mode that I request closure arsenic well.

Matthew Muller constabulary interrogation

But erstwhile the FBI cause pushed for the reply to Denise and Aaron's question —

FBI AGENT: … they are continuing to endure successful the consciousness that they proceed to judge that determination are different radical …

At first, Muller didn't straight respond and talked successful circles.

MATTHEW MULLER: The lone different accusation I could provide, and it does spell backmost a spot into the spiritual matter. So, you know, if you are having events that look to beryllium described by the Bible oregon the Quran oregon thing other …

Denise Huskins Quinn: … he's conscionable an incredibly frustrating human.

Eventually, Muller again denied he'd had accomplices.

MATTHEW MULLER: I conjecture the champion I tin bash is say, look, each different happening that I've done was a lone histrion situation. And I'm conscionable benignant of a loner generally.

But Muller did spell into item astir however helium said helium had tricked Denise and Aaron into believing helium was moving with a group.

Vern Pierson: … helium did assorted steps … to marque it look arsenic though helium … had idiosyncratic other with him, determination was aggregate radical … helium told america that helium had utilized … a— a instrumentality that helium could marque it dependable arsenic though helium was … talking to idiosyncratic downstairs and getting a effect utilizing a recorder.

MATTHEW MULLER: … determination was similar a susurration way oregon thing similar that. And past I pretended to beryllium whispering to idiosyncratic astatine the aforesaid time.

Tracy Smith: Do you judge what Muller was saying astir "well, I was pretending that determination were different radical successful the room."

Aaron Quinn: I mean, I don't judge everything Muller says. … I cognize what we saw. We cognize what we heard. …

Although Denise and Aaron didn't get the answers they hoped for, they accidental that confronting Muller – adjacent done the interviewers – was a signifier of reckoning.

Aaron Quinn: … for us, it was much … showing him that we're not frightened of you. We spot you. We spot who you are.

And they were determined to spot Matthew Muller look justness for each the crimes their enactment and persistence had uncovered. In June 2025, helium was yet charged with Lynn's onslaught and faced a beingness condemnation for each of the further crimes helium was present charged with. Denise hoped this would yet fastener him distant forever.

Denise Huskins Quinn: I don't judge if he's ever free, that helium could assistance himself. … I consciousness similar he'll ever fig retired a mode to terrorize idiosyncratic successful immoderate way.

"We person to judge victims"

By the summertime of 2025, Matthew Muller was convicted of each the charges brought arsenic a effect of the caller probe spurred by Denise and Aaron. At Muller's sentencing, "Lynn" work a unfortunate interaction connection 3 decades successful the making.

"Lynn": I deliberation for truthful galore years, feeling similar my dependable was silenced … feeling similar my dependable could beryllium heard yet … felt precise empowering … I got the past word. Now, you get to beryllium silenced.

Muller was sentenced to 4 beingness terms.

Tracy Smith: How does that feel? That he's present serving 4 beingness sentences for 4 crimes that … helium mightiness person ne'er confessed to had you not written that letter?

Chief Nick Borges: Goosebumps. I person them close now.

"Lynn" says she felt alleviation knowing Muller would enactment locked up portion she walked escaped — yet capable to unrecorded without fearfulness and bask aged pastimes and caller ones.

Tracy Smith: How are you with going outdoors and camping now?

"Lynn": It's – it's easier now. Um, and 1 of the ways that we were capable to bash that was done … playing disc play … it gave maine thing to absorption connected outdoors that felt harmless again.

She has besides connected with Denise.

Denise Huskins Quinn: She really reached retired to maine connected Instagram … (crying) When I saw, you know, "I'm Matthew Muller's archetypal victim," similar I — I was like, what?

"Lynn": I wanted to accidental convey you and conscionable fto her cognize … that 32 years of waiting was yet implicit due to the fact that of her continuing to question answers.

While "Lynn" yet has answers, Denise and Aaron inactive questioned whether Muller acted alone. DA Vern Pierson hoped forensics could beryllium if determination was different assailant. Pierson learned Vallejo Police had lone done preliminary investigating connected Denise's rape kit, truthful his bureau had it afloat tested successful 2025.

Vern Pierson: Well, the results are fundamentally inconclusive.

Pierson says the trial showed a substance of DNA, including Muller's, truthful they can't regularisation retired the anticipation that Denise could besides person been assaulted by idiosyncratic else. But Pierson doesn't deliberation so.

Vern Pierson: Based connected everything I cognize … I don't judge that determination was an accomplice. … I deliberation that was a ruse that … helium created … and perpetuated precise successfully.

Chief Borges isn't truthful sure.

Tracy Smith: Do you deliberation Muller had accomplices?

Chief Nick Borges: I deliberation it's precise possible. I — I surely deliberation it's precise possible.

But Borges and Pierson some judge Muller committed further crimes.

Chief Nick Borges: Everywhere that antheral traveled, helium was a threat.

And Borges says it's imaginable Muller went adjacent further.

Chief Nick Borges: One of the times I interviewed him, I asked him if helium ever killed anybody, it conscionable seemed similar an due question. … helium benignant of told maine that helium didn't person the bosom to bash that. …

Tracy Smith: Do you judge him?

Chief Nick Borges: Not fully. I — I don't afloat judge him. I mean, astatine what constituent bash you really stop?

Borges says helium hasn't stopped investigating — looking for different crimes and accomplices.

Chief Nick Borges: If anyone other is involved, we're coming for you. Just spot me. We're going to get you if you're involved.

Today Denise and Aaron proceed to talk to instrumentality enforcement — trying to alteration however officers interrogation victims and suspects.

Chief Nick Borges: Denise has said … not being believed … was much traumatic successful galore ways to her than the existent assaults themselves. If that doesn't unfastened your eyes successful instrumentality enforcement, something's incorrect with you.

Borges says that is the biggest acquisition he's learned from Denise and Aaron.

Chief Nick Borges: We person to judge victims. When they travel forward, we person to perceive to what they accidental and travel the evidence.

Despite each they've been through, the Quinns accidental that portion their lawsuit revealed a batch of problems, it besides shows the solutions.

Aaron Quinn: We recognize it's a truly hard job. People marque mistakes. … What you're hoping is that radical admit mistakes, they larn from mistakes and past it changes their actions going forward.

And these improbable advocates are determined to use their voices for good.

Tracy Smith: I don't deliberation anyone would blasted you if the 2 of you said, OK, enough. We don't request to speech astir this anymore. … Why not conscionable determination on?

Denise Huskins Quinn: I deliberation there's a consciousness of responsibility. … the publicity was truthful damaging to america successful the beginning. … And truthful I consciousness similar successful a mode … having this strange, unsocial position, it astir seems irresponsible to not utilize it successful a affirmative mode that tin possibly … assistance others.

Kenny Park near the Vallejo Police Department successful 2020. Mathew Mustard retired successful 2024. "48 Hours" was incapable to scope them for a comment.

Produced by Dena Goldstein and Lauren Clark. Greg Fisher is the improvement producer. Atticus Brady, Chris Crater and Michelle Harris are the editors. Lauren Turner Dunn is the subordinate producer. Lourdes Aguiar is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

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