Prosecutors announce chilling Gone Girl twist

There has been a major twist in the case of a woman who kidnapped and sexually assaulted, which was originally thought to be a hoax.

Prosecutors announced new charges against a man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman, which was originally thought to be a hoax, and has become known as the “Gone Girl” kidnapping.

Matthew Muller was sentenced to 40 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to kidnapping Denise Huskins on March 23, 2015, from her home that she shared with boyfriend Aaron Quinn in California.

Now, Muller faces two additional charges in relation to two felony counts of assault with the intent to commit rape during a burglary that took place in 2009, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

It will be alleged that on September 29 that year he attacked a woman. He allegedly tied her up and forced her to drink a blend of medications. She allegedly begged him not to rape her, and so he told her to get a dog and then left.

Denise Huskins and boyfriend Aaron Quinn. Picture: Netflix

Less than a month later a similar set of circumstances is alleged to have taken place in the Palo Alto home. Advances in forensic testing, plus a new lead, led to further charges being laid.

Jeff Rosen, the district attorney, said: “The details of this person’s violent crime spree seem scripted for Hollywood, but they are tragically real.

“Our goal is to make sure this defendant is held accountable and will never hurt or terrorise anyone ever again. Our hope is that this nightmare is over.”

Muller will enter a plea on January 17.

Muller became a household name in 2016 during his trial for the kidnapping of Ms Huskins. However, renewed interest in the case sparked in 2024 after a Netflix documentary called American Nightmare aired.

Matthew Muller is facing two new charges. Picture: Dublin Police Department

Mr Quinn called police the day after his partner’s disappearance, claiming a man in a wetsuit had broken into their home with bright lights and armed with a taser, drugged him and forced Ms Huskins to tie him up before she was kidnapped.

Police didn’t believe him. Instead, they thought he had something to do with the crime — in scenes akin to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl book.

A month before, Ms Huskins had discovered text messages on his phone with his ex-fiance planning to get back together. She was going to Mr Quinn’s home to discover if their relationship would continue.

After talking for hours, the couple went to bed at midnight when Mr Quinn claimed they were woken up at 3am.

“This is a robbery,” a voice said, he claimed. When the kidnapper took Ms Huskins, he put her in the boot of her boyfriend’s car and drove away in it. A ransom demand was left. Two days later, Ms Huskins returned home.

Ms Huskins. Picture: Netflix

The day Ms Huskins returned home, Vallejo police spokesman Kenny Park said: “It was such an incredible story, we initially had a hard time believing it, and upon further investigation, we couldn’t substantiate any of the things he was saying.”

They accused the couple of creating a hoax, despite them insisting their innocence. A day after Ms Huskins was found, someone contacted the San Francisco Chronicle claiming to be the kidnapper, annoyed at the hoax claim. There were even images of where she’d been held.

But, Muller was eventually caught in connection with the horrifying crime – that saw Ms Huskins kidnapped, drugged and sexually assaulted – after attempting another robbery and leaving his phone behind.

Ms Huskins has since sued the Vallejo police department, earning a $3.2 million settlement. It would be six years until the police department would issue an apology for their actions.

The couple have stayed strong and even tied the knot in 2018, before welcoming a daughter, Olivia, five years to the day that the couple went through the horrifying ordeal.

Originally published as Prosecutors announce chilling Gone Girl twist