1
00:00:08,091 --> 00:00:09,092
All right.
2
00:00:09,175 --> 00:00:10,175
D!
3
00:00:27,277 --> 00:00:28,278
{\an8}Hey, D.
4
00:00:32,741 --> 00:00:34,868
- Say hi!
- Hi!
5
00:00:45,545 --> 00:00:47,047
Emergency.
6
00:00:48,715 --> 00:00:49,716
Yeah. I...
7
00:00:49,799 --> 00:00:52,177
My girlfriend got kidnapped last night.
8
00:01:02,645 --> 00:01:04,445
What do you mean she got kidnapped?
9
00:01:09,110 --> 00:01:10,470
{\an8}Someone came into our house.
10
00:01:14,407 --> 00:01:16,087
Tied us up.
11
00:01:16,618 --> 00:01:17,744
Took her.
12
00:01:21,247 --> 00:01:23,647
And you didn't call last night
when this occurred?
13
00:01:24,584 --> 00:01:25,710
I was tied up.
14
00:01:25,794 --> 00:01:28,296
You...
What time did you get untied, sir?
15
00:01:29,089 --> 00:01:30,298
This morning.
16
00:01:34,302 --> 00:01:35,678
They gave me sedatives.
17
00:01:42,977 --> 00:01:45,939
- What's your girlfriend's name?
- Denise.
18
00:01:46,022 --> 00:01:48,233
- What is your name?
- Aaron.
19
00:01:48,316 --> 00:01:50,036
I've got the call in for service.
20
00:01:50,068 --> 00:01:51,611
We're getting officers on the way.
21
00:01:55,406 --> 00:01:57,951
{\an8}All along
this one goes to the right.
22
00:02:02,664 --> 00:02:03,664
Clear.
23
00:02:09,712 --> 00:02:10,547
Clear.
24
00:02:18,012 --> 00:02:21,349
Okay, so last night
you were asleep with your girlfriend.
25
00:02:21,432 --> 00:02:24,185
When I woke up,
there were lights flashing.
26
00:02:24,269 --> 00:02:26,855
They said, "Aaron, face down on the bed."
27
00:02:26,938 --> 00:02:28,982
And you said that you got drugged?
28
00:02:29,065 --> 00:02:32,527
They gave me, I think NyQuil
and Diazepam or something.
29
00:02:32,610 --> 00:02:36,364
Did you guys drink any wine or anything?
Have you ever used any drugs before?
30
00:02:36,447 --> 00:02:38,283
No, I have not used drugs.
31
00:02:38,366 --> 00:02:40,366
Why don't you
come out here for a second?
32
00:03:23,578 --> 00:03:25,413
Okay, Aaron, this is Stephanie.
33
00:03:26,122 --> 00:03:29,459
First thing I'm going to do is
to swab the inside of your mouth.
34
00:03:30,001 --> 00:03:32,462
She's going to go ahead
and, uh, take blood.
35
00:03:33,546 --> 00:03:36,106
Sorry, man. We gotta make sure
we get everything off.
36
00:03:48,353 --> 00:03:50,688
- Hi. How you doing?
- I'm good.
37
00:03:50,772 --> 00:03:52,607
I'm, uh... I'm Mat Mustard.
38
00:03:56,069 --> 00:03:58,655
First of all,
I don't know that anybody told you this,
39
00:03:58,738 --> 00:04:00,365
but I want to make sure you got it.
40
00:04:00,448 --> 00:04:04,202
We... We're treating you as a victim
in relationship to this.
41
00:04:04,285 --> 00:04:06,165
You're not being detained
or anything like that.
42
00:04:06,204 --> 00:04:08,623
You're sitting here in jail clothes
'cause that's all we got.
43
00:04:08,706 --> 00:04:11,376
I just want to make sure that you...
you understand where we're at.
44
00:04:15,129 --> 00:04:18,925
Ultimately, at the end of the day,
it's about Denise.
45
00:04:21,803 --> 00:04:24,597
Where is she, and what happened to her?
46
00:04:27,308 --> 00:04:28,685
{\an8}These kidnappers took...
47
00:04:32,105 --> 00:04:33,439
{\an8}took a person I loved.
48
00:04:38,695 --> 00:04:40,488
And I don't know where she is.
49
00:04:43,992 --> 00:04:47,328
I was thinking, "I'm going to tell
the police every detail I can."
50
00:04:48,288 --> 00:04:49,706
"I'm here to help them."
51
00:04:53,584 --> 00:04:55,128
"I want them to find her."
52
00:04:57,171 --> 00:04:58,371
So pick a point in time and...
53
00:04:58,423 --> 00:05:00,317
and let me know where...
where you want to start,
54
00:05:00,341 --> 00:05:02,135
and tell me what happened.
55
00:05:06,431 --> 00:05:11,102
I woke up. There's this
white bright light blinding us.
56
00:05:12,562 --> 00:05:15,064
And I see three laser dots crossing us.
57
00:05:16,190 --> 00:05:22,238
The Taser goes off, and the man says,
"Aaron, lie face down."
58
00:05:22,322 --> 00:05:24,133
- They called you by name?
- Yes.
59
00:05:24,157 --> 00:05:25,033
Okay.
60
00:05:25,116 --> 00:05:27,535
He then asked Denise
to tie my hands behind my back.
61
00:05:28,911 --> 00:05:31,998
And I feel Denise get on top of me.
62
00:05:32,832 --> 00:05:35,418
I can feel her pulling on the zip ties.
63
00:05:37,545 --> 00:05:40,548
And then he puts on
swim goggles over my head.
64
00:05:42,175 --> 00:05:45,219
They're blacked out. He's blindfolding us.
65
00:05:46,095 --> 00:05:50,350
And I sit it up, and I feel this kind of
foam headphones over my ears.
66
00:05:51,059 --> 00:05:53,895
And then this music starts playing.
67
00:05:54,479 --> 00:05:55,563
Kind of like a...
68
00:05:57,732 --> 00:05:58,732
Wind chimes.
69
00:06:00,234 --> 00:06:02,904
So, ultimately, there...
there was this pre-recorded thing
70
00:06:02,987 --> 00:06:04,673
- that you were listening to?
- Yeah.
71
00:06:04,697 --> 00:06:07,742
There was a recording saying
they were going to take our vitals.
72
00:06:08,326 --> 00:06:11,579
The voice tells me that
he's gonna take my blood pressure.
73
00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:16,876
I feel him wrap the cuff around my arm
and feel that squeeze.
74
00:06:19,712 --> 00:06:23,174
They were going to give us
a sedative to keep us calm,
75
00:06:23,257 --> 00:06:26,928
which was a mix of NyQuil and Diazepam,
or something of that.
76
00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:31,474
So I drink it, and then
he instructs me to lie back down.
77
00:06:32,058 --> 00:06:35,061
And I'm shivering, um,
either from the cold or the sedatives,
78
00:06:35,144 --> 00:06:37,647
and I asked for a blanket.
79
00:06:37,730 --> 00:06:39,482
And he goes, "Oh, I'm sorry."
80
00:06:40,024 --> 00:06:43,694
"I... I forgot how cold it is in here
because we're all wearing wetsuits."
81
00:06:47,365 --> 00:06:51,828
Later he took Denise to a different room,
he brought me down to the couch.
82
00:06:54,914 --> 00:06:55,748
And he said...
83
00:06:55,832 --> 00:06:59,127
"We have a problem.
This was intended for Andrea."
84
00:07:00,336 --> 00:07:01,336
What the fuck?
85
00:07:01,879 --> 00:07:02,797
Andrea?
86
00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,049
Yes. My ex-fiancée
87
00:07:05,133 --> 00:07:08,219
who was living at the... living at the house
'til September.
88
00:07:09,971 --> 00:07:13,850
I broke up with Andrea
months before the kidnapping.
89
00:07:13,933 --> 00:07:16,102
Why are they targeting her?
90
00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,814
And he said that they were
going to take Denise anyways
91
00:07:19,897 --> 00:07:23,901
because I could pay him enough money
to make it worth their while.
92
00:07:24,485 --> 00:07:26,696
He said that would be about 15,000.
93
00:07:28,614 --> 00:07:31,909
They tell me that they're installing
a camera that's going to be viewing me.
94
00:07:31,993 --> 00:07:35,121
If I go outside the view of the camera,
they're gonna hurt Denise.
95
00:07:35,705 --> 00:07:38,374
At some point,
he took my car, took Denise.
96
00:07:38,458 --> 00:07:39,685
- You have one car?
- Yeah.
97
00:07:39,709 --> 00:07:41,061
- Which is a...?
- Toyota Camry.
98
00:07:41,085 --> 00:07:41,919
Okay.
99
00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,215
I heard my car running in the driveway.
100
00:07:47,592 --> 00:07:48,676
And, uh...
101
00:07:57,894 --> 00:08:00,289
The kidnapper takes Denise away.
102
00:08:00,313 --> 00:08:03,024
And the sedatives hit me and I... I'm out.
103
00:08:28,007 --> 00:08:30,207
Hey, Jane,
this is Detective Terry Poyser
104
00:08:30,259 --> 00:08:31,928
at the Vallejo Police Department.
105
00:08:32,970 --> 00:08:34,722
I was hoping you'd call me back.
106
00:08:35,348 --> 00:08:36,682
I get a phone call.
107
00:08:37,767 --> 00:08:39,602
My daughter's been kidnapped.
108
00:08:41,103 --> 00:08:44,565
{\an8}I just have a meltdown.
109
00:08:44,649 --> 00:08:47,860
It just didn't make any sense.
110
00:08:51,906 --> 00:08:53,366
She has a new love.
111
00:08:53,991 --> 00:08:56,244
She has a new relationship.
112
00:08:56,994 --> 00:08:59,914
She's already a doctor
of physical therapy.
113
00:09:00,581 --> 00:09:02,917
She's got all this stuff ahead of her.
114
00:09:05,086 --> 00:09:07,213
This just can't be happening.
115
00:09:08,673 --> 00:09:11,175
{\an8}Denise has been kidnapped. What the...?
116
00:09:11,259 --> 00:09:13,302
It was like something hit me.
117
00:09:14,929 --> 00:09:17,265
This is every father's worst nightmare.
118
00:09:19,100 --> 00:09:21,352
So, I call the Vallejo PD.
119
00:09:21,435 --> 00:09:24,522
They tell me that she was
taken out of her boyfriend's home,
120
00:09:25,273 --> 00:09:27,191
and they're questioning him.
121
00:09:27,733 --> 00:09:29,819
Aaron.
122
00:09:29,902 --> 00:09:31,028
Say hi.
123
00:09:31,112 --> 00:09:32,905
I had never met Aaron.
124
00:09:33,489 --> 00:09:36,492
- Aaron. Hi.
- I don't know anything about him.
125
00:09:37,118 --> 00:09:42,415
But Denise's boyfriends
were always of good character,
126
00:09:42,498 --> 00:09:43,874
and she seemed happy.
127
00:09:45,209 --> 00:09:46,877
I just don't know Aaron at all.
128
00:09:46,961 --> 00:09:51,048
{\an8}As a brother to her,
I just can only think to protect her.
129
00:09:51,132 --> 00:09:53,676
So if this guy had anything to do with it...
130
00:09:55,386 --> 00:09:57,805
My... My level of suspicion just raised.
131
00:09:59,515 --> 00:10:00,515
Big time.
132
00:10:06,188 --> 00:10:08,188
{\an8}Breaking news out of Vallejo.
133
00:10:08,232 --> 00:10:11,032
Police have issued an alert for a woman
who's been kidnapped for ransom
134
00:10:11,110 --> 00:10:12,737
from a home on Mare Island.
135
00:10:12,820 --> 00:10:15,823
As a crime reporter,
I'm rarely in the office.
136
00:10:15,906 --> 00:10:17,867
I'm almost living in my car.
137
00:10:18,951 --> 00:10:22,747
{\an8}I cover the worst of the worst.
Murder, sex crimes, abuse of children,
138
00:10:24,081 --> 00:10:26,751
but this was completely bizarre.
139
00:10:27,835 --> 00:10:30,630
A 29-year-old woman's been kidnapped
in Vallejo.
140
00:10:32,673 --> 00:10:34,216
This is a nice community.
141
00:10:35,384 --> 00:10:37,178
This is a place
where you can raise a family.
142
00:10:38,262 --> 00:10:39,680
It just feels safe here.
143
00:10:40,765 --> 00:10:44,560
So this is very rare. It's really rare
to have a kidnapping at all.
144
00:10:46,187 --> 00:10:48,147
First thing I do is
look her up on Facebook.
145
00:10:49,482 --> 00:10:51,817
{\an8}I want to know
as much as I can about Denise.
146
00:10:54,987 --> 00:10:57,865
Denise Huskins seems like
the All-American girl.
147
00:11:00,117 --> 00:11:01,117
Blonde.
148
00:11:02,745 --> 00:11:03,745
Very attractive.
149
00:11:05,081 --> 00:11:06,707
She's a physical therapist.
150
00:11:08,626 --> 00:11:11,587
This is a case I know the entire
Bay Area media will be all over.
151
00:11:15,591 --> 00:11:18,052
Vallejo police
called a press conference.
152
00:11:20,596 --> 00:11:22,431
Lieutenant Kenny Park comes out.
153
00:11:23,182 --> 00:11:25,035
- Whenever you guys are ready.
- Yes, sir.
154
00:11:25,059 --> 00:11:27,353
There's definitely a sense of anticipation
in the air.
155
00:11:27,436 --> 00:11:30,106
{\an8}Shortly before 2 p.m.,
156
00:11:30,189 --> 00:11:33,401
{\an8}Vallejo Police Department
was contacted by a 30-year-old male.
157
00:11:33,484 --> 00:11:37,196
{\an8}He was essentially
saying that the female, Ms. Huskins,
158
00:11:37,279 --> 00:11:40,616
{\an8}was forcibly taken against her will
from the residence.
159
00:11:41,992 --> 00:11:43,703
It quickly circulated among the media
160
00:11:43,786 --> 00:11:47,456
{\an8}that the witness to this kidnapping
is Aaron Quinn,
161
00:11:47,540 --> 00:11:49,500
and Aaron is Denise's boyfriend.
162
00:11:52,545 --> 00:11:54,964
The kidnapping happened
in the middle of the night,
163
00:11:55,047 --> 00:11:57,633
but he didn't report it for several hours.
164
00:11:57,717 --> 00:11:59,998
So we're looking at each other like,
"What is this about?"
165
00:12:00,052 --> 00:12:01,429
"Why was there this delay?"
166
00:12:01,512 --> 00:12:05,141
As of this moment,
Ms. Huskins's whereabouts are unknown,
167
00:12:05,224 --> 00:12:08,894
and we are treating this matter
as a kidnap for ransom.
168
00:12:09,395 --> 00:12:11,981
Most abductions are not stranger-related,
169
00:12:12,064 --> 00:12:14,942
so we're looking at suspicion
falling on the boyfriend.
170
00:12:15,526 --> 00:12:18,946
Why would this guy wait
maybe 12 hours to report it to you?
171
00:12:19,029 --> 00:12:22,408
Well, unfortunately, again, I can't go
into too much details at this time,
172
00:12:22,491 --> 00:12:26,704
and we are currently working with him
to piece the puzzle together.
173
00:12:32,668 --> 00:12:34,086
So, unknown people...
174
00:12:36,547 --> 00:12:38,591
broke into your home and kidnapped her?
175
00:12:40,384 --> 00:12:42,904
- How did these people get into your home?
- I don't know.
176
00:12:42,928 --> 00:12:44,568
They didn't kick in the front door?
177
00:12:44,597 --> 00:12:46,237
- They didn't kick in the back door?
- No.
178
00:12:46,307 --> 00:12:49,226
There's nothing like that
in relationship to how somebody got in?
179
00:12:49,310 --> 00:12:51,729
There's... No, it was very planned.
180
00:12:51,812 --> 00:12:52,688
Okay.
181
00:12:52,772 --> 00:12:54,356
So what happens next?
182
00:12:58,194 --> 00:13:00,946
I wake up
still under these sedatives.
183
00:13:02,865 --> 00:13:06,076
So exhausted,
and the clock says it's about 11:30.
184
00:13:07,495 --> 00:13:10,790
Six hours have already passed
since Denise was taken.
185
00:13:12,708 --> 00:13:15,461
There's red tape
marking where I need to be,
186
00:13:16,212 --> 00:13:19,048
and there's a fucking camera
staring right at me.
187
00:13:19,590 --> 00:13:21,801
I haven't seen it.
Is it a web-based camera?
188
00:13:21,884 --> 00:13:23,511
It's like, mounted on the...
189
00:13:23,594 --> 00:13:25,721
It's mounted on the ceiling
in the corner of my room.
190
00:13:25,805 --> 00:13:28,641
Like, kind of like how that's mounted.
191
00:13:30,184 --> 00:13:33,270
So I can't call 911
because they're watching me.
192
00:13:37,066 --> 00:13:39,777
Eventually, I get an email
from the kidnappers.
193
00:13:41,278 --> 00:13:44,281
They want $15,000 ransom paid in cash.
194
00:13:45,115 --> 00:13:49,203
I call Chase to ask
how much I could advance.
195
00:13:49,286 --> 00:13:52,414
And I reply that I could advance 3,500.
196
00:13:54,083 --> 00:13:56,293
I write that back to the kidnappers.
197
00:13:58,963 --> 00:14:00,589
Then I don't hear back from them.
198
00:14:02,341 --> 00:14:04,093
Five minutes.
199
00:14:04,176 --> 00:14:05,302
Ten minutes.
200
00:14:06,095 --> 00:14:07,388
Twenty minutes.
201
00:14:07,471 --> 00:14:09,849
And now I'm starting to panic
because I'm thinking
202
00:14:09,932 --> 00:14:11,934
I don't have the money that they want.
203
00:14:14,478 --> 00:14:16,272
And in my head,
I'm just thinking away like,
204
00:14:16,939 --> 00:14:18,858
"Well, how much time does Denise have?"
205
00:14:19,441 --> 00:14:20,776
So I say to myself...
206
00:14:22,862 --> 00:14:25,030
"I can't trust these fucking assholes."
207
00:14:26,782 --> 00:14:31,662
And it feels like my only choice
is to reach for help,
208
00:14:31,745 --> 00:14:33,706
even though it's a huge risk.
209
00:14:36,667 --> 00:14:37,667
But...
210
00:14:38,460 --> 00:14:39,503
I trust the police.
211
00:14:41,338 --> 00:14:42,923
I think they're going to help me.
212
00:14:51,307 --> 00:14:55,477
We arrive at the police station
with no idea what's going on.
213
00:14:56,645 --> 00:14:59,690
{\an8}We asked to see Aaron.
214
00:15:00,482 --> 00:15:04,153
We were told that we could not,
that he was being questioned.
215
00:15:05,696 --> 00:15:08,866
The detective led us
to a meeting room.
216
00:15:09,867 --> 00:15:12,244
He starts asking us questions about Aaron.
217
00:15:12,328 --> 00:15:15,748
{\an8}And there is Aaron Quinn and Dad
walking towards Canada.
218
00:15:15,831 --> 00:15:18,250
{\an8}Uh, fulfill your dream.
219
00:15:19,335 --> 00:15:20,628
{\an8}Oh!
220
00:15:20,711 --> 00:15:24,214
{\an8}Aaron was a really easy kid to raise.
221
00:15:25,090 --> 00:15:27,176
Come on, Aaron. Come on!
222
00:15:27,676 --> 00:15:29,762
Captain of the football team.
223
00:15:31,013 --> 00:15:33,057
He's had a lot of girlfriends.
224
00:15:33,140 --> 00:15:35,559
He broke their hearts too.
225
00:15:38,479 --> 00:15:40,356
Aaron had never been a problem.
226
00:15:41,106 --> 00:15:44,818
He never committed any crimes.
He didn't use drugs.
227
00:15:44,902 --> 00:15:49,907
He was working at the flagship hospital
as a physical therapist.
228
00:15:51,450 --> 00:15:53,619
- He's just a good kid.
- Mmm.
229
00:15:54,161 --> 00:15:56,956
We only met Denise one time.
230
00:15:57,539 --> 00:15:59,375
She seemed really nice.
231
00:16:00,292 --> 00:16:07,007
But after everything that happened
with Aaron's former fiancée, Andrea,
232
00:16:08,342 --> 00:16:10,803
I just didn't want him to rush things.
233
00:16:15,683 --> 00:16:18,227
You started your story
at three o'clock in the morning.
234
00:16:18,852 --> 00:16:20,354
Back me up to last night.
235
00:16:21,563 --> 00:16:23,315
Denise came over around six.
236
00:16:23,941 --> 00:16:27,277
She, uh...
She brought a pizza over for dinner.
237
00:16:27,861 --> 00:16:29,905
Is the intoxication level high?
Is it low?
238
00:16:29,989 --> 00:16:33,492
No, I mean, we had...
I had four beers and a cocktail.
239
00:16:33,575 --> 00:16:35,119
What's the conversation?
240
00:16:35,703 --> 00:16:37,347
- Our conversation? Um...
- Mm-hmm.
241
00:16:37,371 --> 00:16:38,998
What's the topic of conversation?
242
00:16:39,540 --> 00:16:42,668
Well, it's something
her and I have had... Uh...
243
00:16:43,335 --> 00:16:46,380
'Cause I also work
with my ex-fiancée, Andrea.
244
00:16:48,048 --> 00:16:49,758
We had some issues with that.
245
00:17:04,314 --> 00:17:07,085
You're not in
any kind of trouble or anything like that.
246
00:17:07,109 --> 00:17:08,235
This is about Aaron.
247
00:17:09,069 --> 00:17:12,197
And we're trying to get
an understanding about Aaron.
248
00:17:12,990 --> 00:17:15,325
You know, I understand you guys
had a past relationship?
249
00:17:15,868 --> 00:17:17,327
Um, we broke up.
250
00:17:18,787 --> 00:17:21,224
Good terms? Bad terms?
Somewhere in the middle?
251
00:17:21,248 --> 00:17:22,458
Very bad terms.
252
00:17:23,709 --> 00:17:28,630
2014, uh, I found out that
my fiancée Andrea was cheating on me.
253
00:17:32,301 --> 00:17:33,761
The rejection,
254
00:17:34,887 --> 00:17:37,514
um, wrecked me.
255
00:17:39,266 --> 00:17:44,605
It was particularly hard
'cause Aaron, Denise, and Andrea worked
256
00:17:45,481 --> 00:17:49,193
at the same hospital,
in the same rehab unit.
257
00:17:49,276 --> 00:17:53,363
I mean, we... we get along okay at work.
It's been sad, but we...
258
00:17:54,198 --> 00:17:56,784
you know, I asked him
to stop coming into my office.
259
00:17:56,867 --> 00:17:58,147
I mean, he would want to hug me,
260
00:17:58,202 --> 00:18:00,122
and, you know,
sometimes he would try to kiss me,
261
00:18:00,162 --> 00:18:03,957
but I told him that wasn't okay,
and, um, and he knew it.
262
00:18:05,250 --> 00:18:07,961
Is he still trying
to get back together with you?
263
00:18:08,962 --> 00:18:11,381
I think he would be open to the idea.
264
00:18:13,509 --> 00:18:16,804
Your relationship
to, um, your ex-fiancée...
265
00:18:16,887 --> 00:18:18,222
Where was Denise's opinion at?
266
00:18:18,305 --> 00:18:23,352
She want... wanted to limit communication
to what needed to be for work
267
00:18:23,435 --> 00:18:26,563
because of the fact
that I had been talking to my ex and...
268
00:18:26,647 --> 00:18:30,484
at... at a time
when I was still dating Denise.
269
00:18:32,402 --> 00:18:35,614
I have a picture of a woman.
Tell me if you recognize her.
270
00:18:35,697 --> 00:18:36,949
Uh, her name's Denise.
271
00:18:37,032 --> 00:18:39,493
Okay.
She works in the same unit as you?
272
00:18:39,576 --> 00:18:40,577
Yeah.
273
00:18:41,286 --> 00:18:44,039
I would say hi to her,
and then she, like, would...
274
00:18:44,123 --> 00:18:46,250
she would, like, pretend I wasn't there.
275
00:18:46,333 --> 00:18:47,751
Noth... Nothing, like, big.
276
00:18:47,835 --> 00:18:50,629
That was kind of my first indicator
that they might be dating.
277
00:18:51,672 --> 00:18:53,674
Denise. Did she have reason...
278
00:18:53,757 --> 00:18:55,843
I mean, did she, like, discover something?
279
00:18:56,510 --> 00:18:59,221
- She found text messages.
- What did they say?
280
00:18:59,304 --> 00:19:02,432
Um, that... I mean, saying that
I still cared about Andrea.
281
00:19:02,516 --> 00:19:04,977
That I wanted
to work things through with her.
282
00:19:05,060 --> 00:19:07,855
So she... she thought that
you were going to get back with Andrea?
283
00:19:07,938 --> 00:19:10,941
Uh, she was concerned about that.
284
00:19:11,525 --> 00:19:13,443
- Was she mad?
- Uh, I mean...
285
00:19:13,527 --> 00:19:14,945
'Cause you're cheating?
286
00:19:15,028 --> 00:19:18,740
No, well, she felt that
it was emotionally, so.
287
00:19:18,824 --> 00:19:20,033
She felt that what?
288
00:19:20,117 --> 00:19:23,120
Emotionally that I was, uh...
that I was cheating in some sense.
289
00:19:24,955 --> 00:19:26,665
Did you truly love Denise?
290
00:19:27,332 --> 00:19:28,667
I do love Denise.
291
00:19:35,257 --> 00:19:39,386
Search continues for the Vallejo woman
possibly kidnapped for ransom.
292
00:19:40,637 --> 00:19:44,016
{\an8}Federal and local investigators
are working around the clock.
293
00:19:44,099 --> 00:19:48,020
Police are using search dogs
right now around the neighborhood.
294
00:19:48,103 --> 00:19:50,731
Sonar-equipped dive teams
have begun searching
295
00:19:50,814 --> 00:19:52,774
in the waters around
the Mare Island Bridge.
296
00:19:52,858 --> 00:19:55,277
Vallejo Police are pulling out
all the stops.
297
00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:58,655
They got dogs. They got boats.
They're looking everywhere for Denise.
298
00:19:58,739 --> 00:20:01,950
Behind me, you can see
a lot of media coverage taking place here.
299
00:20:02,034 --> 00:20:03,493
It's just a complete media circus.
300
00:20:09,082 --> 00:20:12,002
So I get to the house.
It's a pretty yellow house. It's idyllic.
301
00:20:12,085 --> 00:20:14,922
It looks like something a kid would draw,
except there's yellow tape.
302
00:20:17,090 --> 00:20:21,511
You got cops coming in and out,
dusting everything.
303
00:20:22,262 --> 00:20:24,056
You got cop cars all over this street,
304
00:20:24,139 --> 00:20:25,933
and it's just
this whole place is shut down,
305
00:20:26,016 --> 00:20:28,143
and you're wondering,
"How can this be happening
306
00:20:28,227 --> 00:20:29,853
in such a beautiful neighborhood?"
307
00:20:32,481 --> 00:20:34,001
So I go door-to-door asking neighbors,
308
00:20:34,066 --> 00:20:37,027
"Did you hear anything? See anything?
Do you know anything about Denise?"
309
00:20:37,110 --> 00:20:39,655
{\an8}She's really nice. They work a lot,
so you don't see them a lot.
310
00:20:39,738 --> 00:20:41,782
{\an8}We really hope they find her
and everything's okay.
311
00:20:41,865 --> 00:20:43,425
{\an8}Who takes people for ransom these days?
312
00:20:43,492 --> 00:20:45,577
{\an8}It gives me the chills
just thinking about it.
313
00:20:45,661 --> 00:20:50,832
{\an8}Sometimes life is stranger than fiction,
I guess, but I... I just hope all is okay.
314
00:20:50,916 --> 00:20:53,669
How is it possible
that no one saw or heard anything?
315
00:20:53,752 --> 00:20:55,003
That Denise just disappeared
316
00:20:55,087 --> 00:20:57,089
in the middle of the night
from this house?
317
00:20:59,549 --> 00:21:00,884
I'm scrolling Twitter.
318
00:21:02,302 --> 00:21:06,390
Different clippings and footage.
And it just becomes overwhelming.
319
00:21:07,432 --> 00:21:11,645
We see the boats,
and we don't know what's going on.
320
00:21:11,728 --> 00:21:14,481
I'm worried that they found a body.
321
00:21:15,565 --> 00:21:17,818
Search teams
have been checking area fields.
322
00:21:17,901 --> 00:21:20,362
Cadaver dogs are among the searchers.
323
00:21:20,988 --> 00:21:22,489
Look, I'm a crime reporter.
324
00:21:23,031 --> 00:21:25,742
Usually when a woman is reported missing,
she ends up dead.
325
00:21:26,743 --> 00:21:30,455
How else can you explain that they're
searching that area near the house?
326
00:21:31,123 --> 00:21:33,000
So we're all thinking he called the cops,
327
00:21:33,083 --> 00:21:35,752
made up a whole cockamamie story
about her being kidnapped
328
00:21:35,836 --> 00:21:38,088
just to cover up that he killed her.
329
00:21:41,717 --> 00:21:43,093
It's always the boyfriend.
330
00:21:46,430 --> 00:21:48,849
I'm gonna...
I'm gonna be honest with you.
331
00:21:48,932 --> 00:21:52,352
I'm gonna...
I'm gonna be completely square with you.
332
00:21:53,103 --> 00:21:55,689
Your story's very elaborate
333
00:21:56,898 --> 00:21:59,860
and, in some ways, far-fetched in my mind.
334
00:21:59,943 --> 00:22:02,070
I... I... Trust me, I know.
335
00:22:02,154 --> 00:22:04,865
Listen. Listen.
I'm here to find the truth.
336
00:22:06,033 --> 00:22:07,284
I'm a puzzle maker.
337
00:22:10,078 --> 00:22:12,205
And I put a lot of puzzles together.
338
00:22:14,750 --> 00:22:17,085
I don't think
she was kidnapped from your home.
339
00:22:20,297 --> 00:22:21,297
What do you think?
340
00:22:21,340 --> 00:22:23,340
I think something bad happened
in your house,
341
00:22:23,383 --> 00:22:24,823
and it happened between you and her.
342
00:22:24,885 --> 00:22:26,011
No. Oh, no!
343
00:22:26,094 --> 00:22:28,722
Do you think that people
kidnap people for $20,000?
344
00:22:28,805 --> 00:22:30,390
- I don't know. I...
- They don't.
345
00:22:30,474 --> 00:22:31,975
- I know. I...
- No, they don't.
346
00:22:32,059 --> 00:22:35,520
And they're wearing... w-what,
did they swim in wearing their w-wetsuits?
347
00:22:35,604 --> 00:22:38,106
I mean, come on, man.
It doesn't make any frickin' sense.
348
00:22:39,274 --> 00:22:43,487
So now I get out my puzzle pieces,
and I start figuring it out.
349
00:22:43,570 --> 00:22:46,698
Okay, how do I make it
so you look like a monster?
350
00:22:49,493 --> 00:22:51,653
Do you know that the comforter
is missing off your bed?
351
00:22:51,703 --> 00:22:53,330
That's what the police officer told me.
352
00:22:53,413 --> 00:22:54,766
- Blankets are missing?
- Yes.
353
00:22:54,790 --> 00:22:57,250
Why did you take the blanket
and comforter off the bed?
354
00:22:58,502 --> 00:23:00,629
As the frogman, why do you do that?
355
00:23:02,089 --> 00:23:05,717
To take the body. I'm assuming
that's what you're getting at.
356
00:23:05,801 --> 00:23:09,721
So it's obvious to me whatever happened,
happened in that bedroom.
357
00:23:11,515 --> 00:23:13,600
- What happened...
- Maybe she overdoses.
358
00:23:13,683 --> 00:23:16,478
Are you playing with
prescription dr... drugs from work?
359
00:23:16,561 --> 00:23:18,522
- It's okay if you are.
- I'm not.
360
00:23:18,605 --> 00:23:21,024
And you take too much
and she overdosed, you're like,
361
00:23:21,108 --> 00:23:22,818
"Oh shit, what am I gonna do?"
362
00:23:22,901 --> 00:23:25,404
- I can see that happening too.
- That didn't happen.
363
00:23:28,281 --> 00:23:29,866
There's blood in your house.
364
00:23:29,950 --> 00:23:31,743
- There's blood?
- Yeah.
365
00:23:31,827 --> 00:23:35,038
I don't know if it's hers or not yet.
I'm gonna presume it's hers.
366
00:23:35,122 --> 00:23:40,669
I'm going to presume that she wasn't
alive and kicking when she left the house.
367
00:23:40,752 --> 00:23:43,797
I don't know, maybe, hell,
maybe you call Andrea's name out in sex,
368
00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,842
and she got pissed,
and you carted her ass out of there,
369
00:23:46,925 --> 00:23:49,386
and you dripped her blood
going down the stairs.
370
00:23:49,469 --> 00:23:50,595
I did not do that.
371
00:23:51,096 --> 00:23:52,222
Yeah, you did.
372
00:23:53,181 --> 00:23:57,018
They did not come into your house
and kidnap her and take her for ransom.
373
00:23:57,102 --> 00:23:58,728
That did not happen.
374
00:23:58,812 --> 00:24:02,732
You sat for hours and hours
and hours and hours
375
00:24:02,816 --> 00:24:06,445
trying to figure out,
"Oh my God, what am I going to do?"
376
00:24:06,528 --> 00:24:12,367
But the longer she stays wherever she is
and she begins to rot,
377
00:24:12,451 --> 00:24:14,703
the more of a monster you look like.
378
00:24:16,997 --> 00:24:19,332
Tell me the truth
about what the hell happened.
379
00:24:22,377 --> 00:24:23,962
I didn't do anything.
380
00:24:25,130 --> 00:24:26,130
I didn't.
381
00:24:26,506 --> 00:24:28,425
So, what... what's the next stage here?
382
00:24:32,179 --> 00:24:33,179
Gimme a minute.
383
00:24:35,515 --> 00:24:37,100
Let me think about what's next.
384
00:25:01,208 --> 00:25:03,436
{\an8}Stand up for a second.
Stand up, right there.
385
00:25:03,460 --> 00:25:04,294
{\an8}Okay.
386
00:25:04,377 --> 00:25:05,545
{\an8}What else?
387
00:25:18,183 --> 00:25:20,602
{\an8}Okay. Have a seat. Have a seat right here.
388
00:25:23,813 --> 00:25:27,651
Right, Aaron. There's no question
in my mind that you failed this test.
389
00:25:30,028 --> 00:25:31,446
So was it an accident?
390
00:25:31,530 --> 00:25:33,031
Or are you a calculated monster
391
00:25:33,114 --> 00:25:35,033
who got pissed off
because there was a breakup,
392
00:25:35,116 --> 00:25:37,744
and you just decided
she wasn't gonna be with anybody else,
393
00:25:37,827 --> 00:25:40,163
and so you were going to just kill her
and dump her?
394
00:25:40,247 --> 00:25:43,917
She's gone.
She's gone, and you know she's gone.
395
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,127
- I don't know she...
- Yes, she's gone.
396
00:25:46,211 --> 00:25:49,047
You're going to lose
the respect of your family.
397
00:25:49,130 --> 00:25:52,634
You're going to destroy them
'cause they're going to defend you,
398
00:25:52,717 --> 00:25:54,928
and everything
that they've worked hard for
399
00:25:55,011 --> 00:25:57,180
will get flushed down the toilet.
400
00:25:58,682 --> 00:26:03,395
You're going to be that cold,
calculated, brutal serial killing monster
401
00:26:03,478 --> 00:26:06,231
that strangled the life out of her,
killed her,
402
00:26:06,314 --> 00:26:10,485
and then callously dumped her body
somewhere where we'll never find it.
403
00:26:10,569 --> 00:26:11,649
I did not take her.
404
00:26:11,695 --> 00:26:15,323
You... You know where she is,
and you know what happened to her. So...
405
00:26:15,407 --> 00:26:17,802
- I guess... I guess I need a lawyer.
- Hold on, hold, hold on.
406
00:26:17,826 --> 00:26:19,786
- Hold on. What's that?
- I guess I need a lawyer.
407
00:26:20,245 --> 00:26:22,330
I want you guys to find her.
408
00:26:23,665 --> 00:26:25,083
I want you guys to find her.
409
00:26:25,834 --> 00:26:27,377
I don't know where she is.
410
00:26:27,460 --> 00:26:28,878
I didn't do anything to her.
411
00:26:28,962 --> 00:26:30,880
So I guess I need a lawyer...
412
00:26:32,090 --> 00:26:34,009
to facilitate something. I don't know.
413
00:26:40,932 --> 00:26:41,933
Here you go.
414
00:26:51,526 --> 00:26:55,030
I've been
a criminal defense lawyer since 1978.
415
00:26:56,114 --> 00:26:59,618
{\an8}I get calls all the time from the jail,
from... from the street,
416
00:26:59,701 --> 00:27:01,953
{\an8}and you go,
"Hey, this is some crazy bullshit."
417
00:27:04,539 --> 00:27:08,001
Six o'clock in the morning,
picked up the phone,
418
00:27:08,084 --> 00:27:10,211
never heard anything like this.
419
00:27:10,295 --> 00:27:15,050
Here's this middle-class guy
who probably believes in the police,
420
00:27:15,133 --> 00:27:18,762
being interrogated about
the disappearance of his girlfriend.
421
00:27:19,471 --> 00:27:21,765
He's been down there for 18 hours.
422
00:27:22,599 --> 00:27:25,226
And they're making him the fall guy.
423
00:27:26,269 --> 00:27:28,813
What the fuck is going on?
424
00:27:28,897 --> 00:27:31,900
What the fuck is going on?
425
00:27:32,776 --> 00:27:35,528
I go down there,
and my first view of Aaron,
426
00:27:36,488 --> 00:27:41,326
he's pale as a ghost,
and you can tell that he's been crying.
427
00:27:43,078 --> 00:27:47,832
He's been eaten alive.
You know, it's like chum for sharks.
428
00:27:48,667 --> 00:27:49,876
And I said,
429
00:27:49,959 --> 00:27:54,422
"He's given you DNA samples.
He's given you fingerprints."
430
00:27:54,506 --> 00:27:58,176
"If you're not going to arrest him,
then he's leaving with me."
431
00:28:04,099 --> 00:28:07,560
When Aaron comes in with my partner, Dan,
432
00:28:07,644 --> 00:28:12,148
{\an8}he immediately begins
telling me what happened.
433
00:28:12,816 --> 00:28:15,443
I wake up to this crackling sound.
434
00:28:16,528 --> 00:28:18,405
And the room lit up.
435
00:28:18,488 --> 00:28:23,118
And the story I hear from him
is absolutely incredible.
436
00:28:23,743 --> 00:28:28,915
Then the man comes over and starts putting
what feels like swim goggles over my head.
437
00:28:28,998 --> 00:28:32,168
Goggles, wetsuit. This is insane.
438
00:28:32,252 --> 00:28:35,463
And then I say,
"We're going to go over it again."
439
00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,342
I wake up to this crackling sound.
440
00:28:39,426 --> 00:28:41,094
He is ready to go.
441
00:28:41,177 --> 00:28:42,011
...lit up.
442
00:28:42,095 --> 00:28:44,764
"You've got to find her.
She's been kidnapped."
443
00:28:45,890 --> 00:28:47,610
When I made the decision
to call the police,
444
00:28:47,684 --> 00:28:49,477
I thought there would be a manhunt.
445
00:28:50,019 --> 00:28:52,605
They're gonna do everything they can
to track these guys.
446
00:28:53,606 --> 00:28:55,358
But they just keep going after me.
447
00:28:59,904 --> 00:29:01,448
I'm not a violent person.
448
00:29:03,074 --> 00:29:04,409
I don't have a record.
449
00:29:05,285 --> 00:29:06,995
My brother's in law enforcement.
450
00:29:07,704 --> 00:29:10,623
I come from a good family.
I work helping people.
451
00:29:13,168 --> 00:29:17,088
I can't be called a murderer
over and over.
452
00:29:21,801 --> 00:29:23,386
I would never hurt Denise.
453
00:29:25,555 --> 00:29:26,556
I love her.
454
00:29:28,475 --> 00:29:29,475
But...
455
00:29:30,185 --> 00:29:31,519
I didn't treat her well.
456
00:29:33,438 --> 00:29:35,273
Took advantage of her empathy.
457
00:29:36,357 --> 00:29:38,276
I betrayed her trust.
458
00:29:39,778 --> 00:29:42,238
Finding text messages was the last straw.
459
00:29:46,117 --> 00:29:47,869
But I told Denise I was sorry.
460
00:29:49,871 --> 00:29:53,958
And I needed to show Denise that I was
taking actual steps moving forward.
461
00:29:55,376 --> 00:29:57,587
I was going to start going to therapy.
462
00:29:58,546 --> 00:30:00,548
I was gonna stop talking to my ex.
463
00:30:02,258 --> 00:30:05,094
I felt like we could start over.
464
00:30:07,639 --> 00:30:10,683
But now Denise is all alone. On her own.
465
00:30:12,852 --> 00:30:15,313
I just wanted someone to help us.
466
00:30:16,481 --> 00:30:21,736
Aaron's been very open
about how his relationship with Andrea
467
00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:24,322
caused problems with Denise.
468
00:30:25,990 --> 00:30:28,660
The fact that there is a potential motive
469
00:30:28,743 --> 00:30:32,539
means that if Denise turns up dead,
470
00:30:33,998 --> 00:30:35,375
they're going to nail him.
471
00:30:37,919 --> 00:30:41,005
Then Russo comes up to me
away from earshot.
472
00:30:41,965 --> 00:30:45,969
"What do you think? What do you think?
Is he believable?"
473
00:30:46,052 --> 00:30:50,890
And I said,
"Dan, I believe him. What about you?"
474
00:30:51,599 --> 00:30:55,353
I believe him, and I believe in my heart,
475
00:30:55,436 --> 00:31:00,733
but nobody in fucking North America
is going to believe this story.
476
00:31:03,319 --> 00:31:05,196
Twenty-eight agonizing hours
477
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:09,033
{\an8}since Denise Huskins was reported missing,
police say kidnapped for ransom.
478
00:31:09,117 --> 00:31:12,871
{\an8}Vallejo police admit that at this point
they still cannot answer the question.
479
00:31:12,954 --> 00:31:15,665
What happened to this woman?
480
00:31:16,541 --> 00:31:18,459
I was in a panic.
I didn't know what to do.
481
00:31:18,543 --> 00:31:20,879
They don't give you a handbook
that tells you
482
00:31:20,962 --> 00:31:22,881
what you do
when your daughter gets kidnapped.
483
00:31:24,090 --> 00:31:28,094
And so I just want to get up to Vallejo.
484
00:31:28,887 --> 00:31:30,972
I take the first flight I can,
485
00:31:32,682 --> 00:31:34,350
drive over to the police station.
486
00:31:35,685 --> 00:31:37,395
There's all kinds of press.
487
00:31:39,188 --> 00:31:42,775
And I wanted to go on TV
to... to reach out to Denise.
488
00:31:43,359 --> 00:31:45,194
I want her to know that
489
00:31:46,529 --> 00:31:49,324
the family is... is there.
490
00:31:50,116 --> 00:31:51,116
We're...
491
00:31:52,577 --> 00:31:53,578
We love her,
492
00:31:54,245 --> 00:31:56,039
and we're not giving up.
493
00:31:56,122 --> 00:32:00,543
And if you see this,
just use some inspiration to fight back...
494
00:32:01,336 --> 00:32:03,296
if you can and come home.
495
00:32:07,175 --> 00:32:10,094
Denise was a determined little girl.
496
00:32:12,472 --> 00:32:17,602
She had dreams,
and she stayed focused on those dreams.
497
00:32:20,188 --> 00:32:22,482
I pray that she hears the message.
498
00:32:22,565 --> 00:32:25,902
Uh, I pray that nothing really bad
is happening to her.
499
00:32:27,820 --> 00:32:29,197
Just pray that...
500
00:32:30,406 --> 00:32:31,532
she's alive.
501
00:32:52,261 --> 00:32:53,596
Tuesday afternoon.
502
00:32:55,431 --> 00:32:56,516
I get an email.
503
00:32:58,685 --> 00:33:00,478
Subject line, Denise.
504
00:33:02,689 --> 00:33:04,399
{\an8}And there's an audio clip on it.
505
00:33:10,488 --> 00:33:15,785
Hi, my name is Denise Huskins.
I'm kidnapped. Otherwise, I'm fine.
506
00:33:17,870 --> 00:33:19,414
Wait, wait, wait. What?
507
00:33:19,914 --> 00:33:23,001
It says, "My name is Denise Huskins.
I've been kidnapped."
508
00:33:23,084 --> 00:33:26,587
She sounds calm as can be,
not stressed, not upset,
509
00:33:26,671 --> 00:33:30,299
not nervous, not jittery, and it sounds
like she's just ordering from a menu.
510
00:33:30,925 --> 00:33:34,262
I'm wondering, "Why would someone send
this to me? Did anyone else get this?"
511
00:33:34,345 --> 00:33:38,224
I'm looking around.
Is someone playing a cruel joke?
512
00:33:39,225 --> 00:33:42,061
I have no idea
if this is legit or made up.
513
00:33:43,688 --> 00:33:47,233
But ultimately, I decide
I need to get this to Vallejo PD
514
00:33:47,316 --> 00:33:50,194
because if that's her,
they need to have this immediately.
515
00:33:54,365 --> 00:33:57,785
I get a phone call
from the detective.
516
00:33:57,869 --> 00:33:59,579
"I need you to come back to the station."
517
00:34:01,289 --> 00:34:04,542
There's a recording
of Denise's voice.
518
00:34:04,625 --> 00:34:06,961
We had to go and quick.
519
00:34:09,005 --> 00:34:12,425
I'm just getting so anxious.
I'm starting to hyperventilate.
520
00:34:14,302 --> 00:34:16,512
And they have a laptop
in front of me.
521
00:34:17,764 --> 00:34:19,432
I lean into the speaker.
522
00:34:22,810 --> 00:34:24,145
And I hear a voice.
523
00:34:25,313 --> 00:34:30,610
Hi, my name is Denise Huskins.
I'm kidnapped. Otherwise, I'm fine.
524
00:34:31,986 --> 00:34:33,404
Oh my God, it's her.
525
00:34:34,405 --> 00:34:35,907
It's her.
526
00:34:42,121 --> 00:34:43,247
She's alive.
527
00:34:47,043 --> 00:34:49,045
There's no question that's Denise.
528
00:34:50,213 --> 00:34:53,216
My first concert was Blink 182.
529
00:34:55,510 --> 00:35:00,056
I knew her first concert
was Blink 182 with her friend Bethany.
530
00:35:00,139 --> 00:35:03,059
Then she talks about a plane crash
that happened that day.
531
00:35:03,643 --> 00:35:07,188
Earlier today
there was a plane crash in the Alps.
532
00:35:07,271 --> 00:35:10,233
158 people died.
533
00:35:10,942 --> 00:35:13,069
She's somewhere alive.
534
00:35:16,364 --> 00:35:18,366
And I want to know if she's hurt.
535
00:35:18,908 --> 00:35:21,202
I... I want to... I want to touch her.
536
00:35:25,039 --> 00:35:27,458
I can't imagine
what she's going through.
537
00:35:31,212 --> 00:35:32,922
So let's go find her.
538
00:35:33,005 --> 00:35:37,927
But then the agent says,
"Well, you know, I'm catching up here."
539
00:35:38,010 --> 00:35:40,972
"We're gonna ask you a few more questions.
See if we missed some things."
540
00:35:41,556 --> 00:35:43,641
And I'm thinking,
"What the fuck are we doing?"
541
00:35:46,602 --> 00:35:52,692
A detective walks into the room
and says, "Hi, I'm Detective Mustard."
542
00:35:54,193 --> 00:36:00,700
He's asking us questions that
are... are about Denise's character.
543
00:36:00,783 --> 00:36:03,619
How many boyfriends does she have?
544
00:36:03,703 --> 00:36:06,247
And how long
did she have these boyfriends,
545
00:36:06,330 --> 00:36:08,499
and does she drink very much?
546
00:36:08,583 --> 00:36:13,254
Kind of seems like he's trying
to find something or find the dirt.
547
00:36:16,215 --> 00:36:20,094
Detective asked me
if there was anything in Denise's past...
548
00:36:21,637 --> 00:36:24,682
that could help shed light on anything.
549
00:36:25,516 --> 00:36:31,981
And, at that moment, I remembered
that when Denise was a small child,
550
00:36:33,441 --> 00:36:35,026
she was molested.
551
00:36:35,776 --> 00:36:41,073
And Detective Mustard says that women
that have been sexually assaulted
552
00:36:41,157 --> 00:36:48,157
often pretend to have it happen again
so they can relive the thrill of it.
553
00:36:48,247 --> 00:36:50,166
And I am...
554
00:36:51,792 --> 00:36:53,502
I'm... I'm just aghast.
555
00:36:56,881 --> 00:36:59,508
What I'd like to do
over the next couple of hours
556
00:36:59,592 --> 00:37:02,970
is try to figure out what has happened,
where was Denise...
557
00:37:03,054 --> 00:37:06,515
It's a... a late hour,
and the room is filling up.
558
00:37:07,433 --> 00:37:12,438
You have FBI agents,
top homicide investigators,
559
00:37:12,521 --> 00:37:14,357
all grilling Aaron.
560
00:37:15,024 --> 00:37:19,153
So I make a decision to record everything.
561
00:37:19,237 --> 00:37:23,866
Your relationship with Denise
was on the rocks, correct?
562
00:37:23,950 --> 00:37:28,412
Uh, I wouldn't... I wouldn't say...
I wouldn't describe it as on the rocks.
563
00:37:28,996 --> 00:37:32,625
They asked him
non-stop questions about Denise.
564
00:37:33,209 --> 00:37:36,170
Did she scream
when she was taken out of the house?
565
00:37:36,254 --> 00:37:37,505
N... No.
566
00:37:37,588 --> 00:37:41,008
Okay. Did she fight at all
while being taken hostage?
567
00:37:41,676 --> 00:37:43,427
I never heard her scream.
568
00:37:43,511 --> 00:37:45,596
Does she know
that you have money?
569
00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:48,742
- She's aware of my finances.
- She's aware of your finances.
570
00:37:48,766 --> 00:37:50,601
I start to think to myself,
571
00:37:50,685 --> 00:37:53,562
"Do they know about things
that I don't know about?"
572
00:37:54,188 --> 00:37:56,899
Did it ever come to mind
that maybe Denise...
573
00:37:58,567 --> 00:37:59,902
was behind this?
574
00:38:06,367 --> 00:38:08,786
When I talk to Amy about Denise,
575
00:38:09,787 --> 00:38:12,123
I... I am mystified, honestly.
576
00:38:12,206 --> 00:38:14,834
Can this fucking thing get any stranger?
577
00:38:55,082 --> 00:38:55,958
Emergency.
578
00:38:56,042 --> 00:38:58,711
Hi, this is Highway Patrol.
I have Mike Huskins on the line
579
00:38:58,794 --> 00:39:01,339
regarding his daughter
that's been kidnapped.
580
00:39:01,422 --> 00:39:06,344
I just got a... a message on my phone
from her, it's definitely her,
581
00:39:07,303 --> 00:39:11,432
that she's walking over to my house
on 19th Street.
582
00:39:12,725 --> 00:39:15,144
Amy calls me and she tells me,
583
00:39:16,145 --> 00:39:18,272
"Turn on the news
'cause Denise has been released."
584
00:39:19,523 --> 00:39:20,608
I'm like, "How?"
585
00:39:21,233 --> 00:39:23,819
That woman who was reported kidnapped
from a home in Vallejo
586
00:39:23,903 --> 00:39:25,029
was found safe this morning
587
00:39:25,112 --> 00:39:27,198
more than 400 miles away
588
00:39:27,281 --> 00:39:29,575
in Huntington Beach
in Southern California.
589
00:39:30,409 --> 00:39:31,911
And I can't believe it, I...
590
00:39:32,787 --> 00:39:36,415
They actually let her go.
I thought I would never see her again.
591
00:39:37,583 --> 00:39:39,251
I just can't hold back my emotions.
592
00:39:39,835 --> 00:39:42,963
I can't tell you
the prayers that have been answered.
593
00:39:44,173 --> 00:39:45,925
She somehow survived it.
594
00:39:46,008 --> 00:39:49,011
{\an8}Who kidnapped her?
Was there a ransom paid?
595
00:39:49,095 --> 00:39:51,597
{\an8}And why exactly did any of this happen?
596
00:39:52,181 --> 00:39:53,474
What is going on?
597
00:39:53,557 --> 00:39:57,019
Why is she being released
in Huntington Beach?
598
00:39:57,103 --> 00:39:59,105
It just made no sense.
599
00:39:59,980 --> 00:40:02,233
Huntington Beach
is where she grew up,
600
00:40:02,316 --> 00:40:04,527
400 miles away from Vallejo.
601
00:40:05,569 --> 00:40:08,364
It's almost like a door-to-door service
after you've been kidnapped.
602
00:40:08,989 --> 00:40:11,468
The Huntington Beach
Police Department are reporting
603
00:40:11,492 --> 00:40:14,495
{\an8}that Huskins appears unharmed
with no visible injuries.
604
00:40:15,162 --> 00:40:17,873
{\an8}She's wearing a hoodie.
She's hiding from the press.
605
00:40:17,957 --> 00:40:20,709
{\an8}She looks more like a suspect
and not a victim.
606
00:40:22,044 --> 00:40:23,546
Something's wrong.
607
00:40:23,629 --> 00:40:27,508
I started thinking about
how can I get there as fast as possible.
608
00:40:28,509 --> 00:40:31,178
And so I text Mat Mustard,
609
00:40:32,054 --> 00:40:34,640
"Aaron wants to talk to Denise."
610
00:40:34,723 --> 00:40:37,476
And the cop's reply was...
611
00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,693
{\an8}Live from
the KGO-TV Broadcast Center.
612
00:40:45,776 --> 00:40:47,653
{\an8}This is ABC 7 News.
613
00:40:48,779 --> 00:40:51,866
Good evening once again.
We are awaiting a news conference
614
00:40:51,949 --> 00:40:54,702
with the Vallejo Police Department
regarding Denise Huskins.
615
00:40:54,785 --> 00:40:58,205
The Vallejo Police Department
is going to hold a press conference.
616
00:40:58,289 --> 00:40:59,582
I'm shocked.
617
00:40:59,665 --> 00:41:03,210
I mean, they haven't even talked to us.
They haven't called Aaron.
618
00:41:03,294 --> 00:41:05,546
What the fuck is that about?
619
00:41:11,802 --> 00:41:12,802
{\an8}- Hi.
- Hi.
620
00:41:13,762 --> 00:41:18,100
A Huntington Beach police officer
briefly spoke to Ms. Huskins,
621
00:41:19,477 --> 00:41:20,978
and all indications initially
622
00:41:21,061 --> 00:41:23,606
was that she would be cooperative
with the investigation.
623
00:41:24,106 --> 00:41:27,818
As of right now,
we have not heard from Ms. Huskins,
624
00:41:27,902 --> 00:41:30,738
and we are no longer in contact
with any of the family members.
625
00:41:36,535 --> 00:41:42,917
The statement that Mr. Quinn provided
was such an incredible story,
626
00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,252
we initially had a hard time believing it,
627
00:41:45,336 --> 00:41:50,049
and upon further investigation,
we were not able to substantiate
628
00:41:50,132 --> 00:41:52,009
any of the things that he was saying.
629
00:41:53,552 --> 00:41:55,471
Denise needs to talk to the police.
630
00:41:55,554 --> 00:42:00,434
She needs to verify, back up
what Aaron has already told them.
631
00:42:00,518 --> 00:42:02,853
None of the claims has been substantiated,
632
00:42:02,937 --> 00:42:05,648
and I can go...
I can go one step further to say this.
633
00:42:05,731 --> 00:42:08,734
Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins
634
00:42:09,401 --> 00:42:12,571
have plundered valuable resources
away from our community.
635
00:42:14,281 --> 00:42:16,534
I know that Aaron is a victim,
636
00:42:17,076 --> 00:42:23,415
but I begin to wonder of who...
who's really behind all of this?
637
00:42:24,875 --> 00:42:31,090
I've never ever heard of a case
where the kidnappers drop their victim
638
00:42:31,173 --> 00:42:33,384
at the front door of their family's house.
639
00:42:35,511 --> 00:42:40,057
And when I listened to the proof of life,
I thought to myself,
640
00:42:40,808 --> 00:42:45,479
"My God, this woman is talking so calmly."
641
00:42:46,855 --> 00:42:53,195
Hi, my name is Denise Huskins.
I'm kidnapped. Otherwise, I'm fine.
642
00:42:54,405 --> 00:42:59,785
Denise had caught Aaron
texting with Andrea.
643
00:42:59,868 --> 00:43:04,415
She may be feeling so humiliated.
She may be so angry.
644
00:43:05,207 --> 00:43:06,875
Maybe this is about revenge.
645
00:43:09,378 --> 00:43:11,880
Police are now calling it
a wild goose chase.
646
00:43:11,964 --> 00:43:14,508
{\an8}Investigators say
the claim was orchestrated,
647
00:43:14,592 --> 00:43:16,969
{\an8}and there was no kidnapping at all.
648
00:43:17,052 --> 00:43:19,430
Police believe it was all
an elaborate hoax.
649
00:43:19,513 --> 00:43:22,725
{\an8}It appears the family
were likely duped as well.
650
00:43:22,808 --> 00:43:25,394
Why are they saying this?
Why are they doing this?
651
00:43:25,477 --> 00:43:27,146
It's... It's crazy.
652
00:43:27,730 --> 00:43:31,400
Huskins and her boyfriend could face
both state and federal charges.
653
00:43:32,109 --> 00:43:34,653
We, in the media,
we were very sympathetic with Denise.
654
00:43:34,737 --> 00:43:37,156
We thought, you know,
she's this innocent victim.
655
00:43:37,239 --> 00:43:40,200
Now she turns up alive.
Things are starting to turn.
656
00:43:42,202 --> 00:43:45,414
And this movie Gone Girl
just came out the year before.
657
00:43:45,956 --> 00:43:47,374
It stars Ben Affleck.
658
00:43:50,669 --> 00:43:51,795
Rosamund Pike.
659
00:43:55,090 --> 00:43:58,385
It's a movie about a woman who finds out
her husband's been cheating on her,
660
00:43:58,469 --> 00:44:02,139
and so she fakes her own disappearance
to set him up for murder.
661
00:44:02,222 --> 00:44:06,268
I don't know
where my wife is, and I came home to this.
662
00:44:06,352 --> 00:44:07,519
It's weird, right?
663
00:44:08,228 --> 00:44:10,981
When I woke up,
there were lights flashing.
664
00:44:11,065 --> 00:44:13,525
They said, "Aaron, face down on the bed."
665
00:44:14,860 --> 00:44:16,820
Everyone thinks
her husband killed her.
666
00:44:18,697 --> 00:44:20,783
But then she shows up alive.
667
00:44:24,703 --> 00:44:28,707
So we're wondering,
maybe Aaron did something to upset Denise
668
00:44:28,791 --> 00:44:31,835
and that this is her way
to get back at him.
669
00:44:32,586 --> 00:44:37,508
{\an8}Police are now wondering is Huskins
a real-life Gone Girl, like the movie,
670
00:44:37,591 --> 00:44:41,261
who fakes her own kidnap
for ulterior motives?