EPISODE · Jul 9, 2025 · 17 MIN

Talking Dateline: Twisted Tale

from Dateline NBC · host NBC News

Blayne Alexander talks with Josh Mankiewicz about his episode, “Twisted Tale.” In March 2015, Aaron Quinn called the Vallejo Police Department to report that someone had broken into his home, drugged him and kidnapped his girlfriend, Denise Huskins.  The police began searching for the missing woman, but they also seemed suspicious of Aaron's story.  Two days later, Denise resurfaced 400 miles from Vallejo, and described being held against her will, drugged, and assaulted. At a press conference following Denise’s reappearance, Vallejo police accused the couple of faking the story for publicity. It wasn't until months later, after a man was caught following a similar crime, that Aaron and Denise’s story was proven to be true. Blayne and Josh dive into the media frenzy that surrounded the case and explore how Harvard-educated former Marine, Matthew Muller, was ultimately linked to a string of crimes. Josh shares a podcast-exclusive clip from his interview with journalist Henry Lee, and catches Blayne up on how Denise and Aaron are doing today. Have a question for Talking Dateline? DM us @DatelineNBC or leave a voicemail at (212) 413-5252 — your message might be featured in an upcoming episode. Listen to the full episode "Twisted Tale" on Apple: https://apple.co/3GzpvGM Listen to the full episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2qOSdYhGnwOW5DEYZQ5Cl7 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.