Netflix viewers have been left shaken by the 'horrifying' new true crime series American Nightmare, which recounts the 2015 abduction of Denise Huskins from her home in Vallejo, California. The three-part documentary details how Huskins and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn were branded the 'Gone Girl hoaxer couple' after police initially disbelieved their story.
Huskins, then 29, was drugged and raped by her captor over two days before being released near her parents' home. Despite the ordeal, investigators dismissed the account until the real perpetrator confessed. Huskins later successfully sued the police department for defamation.
Viewers have taken to social media to express shock at the police handling of the case. One user wrote: 'American Nightmare on Netflix is one of the craziest true crime things I've ever seen in my life.' Another added: 'Hands down the greatest documentary I've ever seen. The story is insane and my jaw was on the floor the whole time.'
The series reveals that Quinn called 911 a day after the kidnapping, explaining he could not phone sooner because he was 'tied up'. The perpetrator used a fake gun and pre-recorded messages to simulate multiple kidnappers, before driving Huskins nearly 500 miles away. Police found blood splatters, zip ties, toy guns and a blow-up doll at the scene.
Suspicion initially fell on Quinn, who was interrogated about an argument over messages on his phone. The kidnapper demanded $15,000 ransom but released Huskins after two days. Recalling the reunion, Huskins told ABC's 20/20: 'Every moment in captivity I kept picturing him, I kept just visualising what that feeling must be like to finally feel safe in his arms again.'
