Lawyer Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Elaborate Kidnapping

Summary: Ex-lawyer Matthew Muller was sentenced to 40 years in prison for kidnapping a couple in the Bay Area two years ago.

On Thursday, Denise Huskins tearfully testified in court how a Harvard-educated lawyer dragged her and her boyfriend from their home and proceeded to torture them. Her abductor, Matthew Muller, was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

In September, Muller had pled guilty to a kidnapping that was so elaborate and strange that authorities initially dismissed it as a hoax, Fox News said.

Two years ago, Huskins was at her home in the San Francisco Bay area when Muller bound and drugged them before forcing them into the trunk of his car. He took them to South Lake Tahoe and then physically and psychologically tormented them for two days.

Prior to the kidnapping, Muller had spied on the couple with a remote-controlled drone, and after holding them hostage, he released them back at her home. Huskins immediately contacted the Vallejo Police Department, who mistakenly thought she was reenacting the book and movie “Gone Girl.” In that popular story, a smart and devious woman fakes her own disappearance and then lies about being kidnapped.

The Vallejo police later realized that Huskins was telling the truth when they arrested Muller for attempted robbery of another Bay Area home. The police found evidence that linked Muller to Huskins and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn; and they apologized to the pair. Despite the apology, Huskins sued the city and the officers who didn’t believe her for emotional distress and defamation.

U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley said that the kidnapping was “heinous” as he sentenced 39-year-old Muller to 40 years in prison. Muller originally faced life in prison, but he got a deal in exchange for his plea.

Muller practiced law in California since 2011, and he lost his license in 2015 for an unrelated incident. Prior to attending Harvard Law School, he served in the Marines.