Netflix's new three-part documentary "American Nightmare" revisits the story of Dennis Heskins and Aaron Quinn, who endured a horrific kidnapping ordeal in 2015. At the time, some critics compared their case to the movie "Gone Girl" - which follows a woman who staged her story. Her disappearance was an act of revenge against her husband. But it turns out Dennis and Aaron's story was anything but a hoax.
Now, as new parents, Dennis and Aaron are sharing their ordeal in the hope of helping other survivors. As Dennis wrote on Instagram ahead of American Nightmare's release, "I believe anyone who has overcome trauma can relate to different parts of this series and what we went through."
Let's take a look back at what the married couple has been through in the years since the events of "American Nightmare."
Trigger warning: This article contains an account of sexual assault.
"Goose Chase"
In March 2015, California couple Denise and Aaron (who were dating at the time) were awakened by a burglary. Denise was kidnapped and Aaron contacted the police for help the next morning after waking up from his sedative.
However, he was immediately met with skepticism. As interrogation footage from "American Nightmare" shows, officials believed Aaron's story was one crafted to harm Denise herself. Meanwhile, Denise was held in a mysterious location and raped by her kidnapper Matthew Mueller.
She returned home two days later. However, a spokesperson for the Vallejo Police Department described efforts to find Dennis as a "wasted effort" and accused the couple of "plundering valuable resources" in the alleged scam.
That is until a detective working on another kidnapping connected Mueller's story to Dennis's. Muller was sentenced to 40 years in federal and 31 years in state court, respectively, to be served concurrently.
"This means there will be no further increases to his sentence," Dennis wrote on Instagram. "While this is not the end result we originally sought, it is the best decision for all parties involved. It is time for us to Moving on with our lives and putting these court cases behind us I hope everyone involved can find some level of peace and move on."
share their stories
Dennis and Aaron received a $2.5 million settlement in 2018 after filing a defamation lawsuit against the city. A few years later, they shared their story in a book called Victim F: From Crime Victim to Suspect to Survivor , according to their website, "Sexual Assault and Abuse by Law Enforcement" Behaviors that often exacerbate the suffering of crime victims provide essential understanding. "
Looking to the future
In addition to telling their story in print (and now on Netflix), Dennis and Aaron have shared some exciting updates recently. They married in 2018 and have two daughters: Olivia and Naomi.
"More than anything, I just want them to grow up to be like their mom," Aaron said in the docuseries. "If they did, that would be fine."
They moved to California's Central Coast, where Dennis practiced physical therapy with an emphasis on Pilates and Aaron trained athletes, according to the couple's website.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit hotline.rainn.org.
