Vallejo couple faces kidnap and rape suspect in court

VALLEJO, Calif. (KTVU) - Denise Huskins and her now husband Aaron Quinn, the couple once accused by Vallejo police of faking her abduction, left Solano County Superior Court on Wednesday after testifying against the defendant Matthew Muller. 

"They were incredibly brave to confront their perpetrator. It was remarkable," the couple's attorney Doug Rappaport said. "I’ll tell you, there was a lot of emotion in that court. It was a very difficult thing to do. They’re an inspiration to all of us.“

Cameras weren’t allowed in court. Huskins, crying at times, testified in excruciating detail how Muller invaded  the couple’s home in 2015, drugged them and put blacked-out swim goggles on them. She said he kidnapped her and raped her twice in a South Lake Tahoe cabin while recording her.

Her father Mike Huskins bolted from the courtroom as she described being raped. Afterward, she said she felt defeated, drained and hopeless. 

It was a horrific thing to happen to the both of them to be awakened at night by some stranger whose intent  is to do harm," said Sharon Henry, Solano County chief deputy district attorney. 

Before the sexual assault, Huskins said Muller meticulously scrubbed the bathroom, including the tub. She likened the situation to a horror film. 

"I just kept imagining he was cleaning the bloody remains of his previous victims, to get the house ready for his next victim, which was me," she testified. 

Muller, a former Marine, is already serving 40 years after being convicted in federal court of kidnapping Huskins. Now, Muller is going to trial in state court as a result of the couple’s testimony.

"I’m so proud of them. They did an excellent job really. We’ll just wait for the trial," said Marianne Quinn, Aaron Quinn's mother. 

Muller, a disbarred attorney, represented himself at the hearing. He wore a suit and his legs were shackled. He had no questions for the couple. When Judge Tim Kam asked if he wanted to cross-examine Huskins, he said, “Certainly not, your honor.”

Matthew Muller will return to court on February 25 to enter a plea.