night, attack, abducted. >> we're like, wow. where is she. i didn't have a clue what happened. >> but the real question. was their story even true? >> we were not able to substantiate any of the things that you are saying. >> they branded that couple as liars. >> could this be some kind of hoax? who was really behind it all. >> normal people don't do things like this. >> this whole story could take another crazy turn. >> he said, i know that i need to pay for what i did. >> hello, and welcome to "dateline". denise huskins and her boyfriend aaron quinn went to sleep one night, blissfully unaware that they would wake up to a living nightmare. an armed stranger in the bedroom and he did it appear to be alone. what happened next was so odd, it would leave detectives and the public scratching their heads. was this real life or fiction? and an unexpected break in the case would steer authorities to an unlikely suspect and the truth. here's josh mankiewicz with "twisted tale". >> i was asleep, in bed. it was about 5:00 in the morning. >> frightening doesn't begin to describe what she went through. >> and the next thing i knew, there was someone laying on top of me. >> she was instantly the losing player in someone else's game of power and control. >> their hand was over my mouth. >> if you're wondering, there was no way to fight back. >> i must have been screaming. >> this woman doesn't want us to use her real name. we're calling her samantha. and she sharing with us things she's told to very few people. >> this was a man? >> man. >> bigger than you? >> felt very big. strong. i couldn't move. >> september 29th, 2009. the sun wasn't up yet. and in samantha's bedroom, a mask intruder was holding her down. she had no idea who than then was or what he was planning. >> he said, well this is going to take a couple hours. i was -- i think just in shock. >> the details of what happened to samantha are not only frightening, but also deeply strange. she's come forward because she believes her long night of terror may shed light on a different case. in a different town. with victims she's never met. it's a bizarre mystery that riveted california's bay area. then rippled across the country and around the world. march 24th, 2015, a young woman was missing. >> miss huskings stands at five foot seven a, hundred 50 pounds. she's got blonde hair blue eyes. >> her abductors wanted money in exchange for her return. >> we are treating this as a kidnap and ransom and were questioned the public health and locating her. >> it had 30 files north in san francisco on this in the city of san francisco. >> i immediately was struck with the fact that you don't see these kind of cases too often. and this crime victims did not strike me as someone who would usually be targeted. -- arizona who reported to these missing. >> we're doing everything we can and then some to ensure her safe return. >> police dogs and dive teams racing part of a huge search for denise huskings. across the country, her good friend, but actually saw the news. >> there was an article online, someone send it me and said, oh my goodness, this is in denise. aaron started to test everybody. >> including denise. >> i tried to text her, i figured better than not doing anything. >> there was no reply, so she tested another friend, danika. >> i could not believe it i was reading, they're not even seem real. >> that was pretty much the reaction the cops had to the story that her boyfriend was telling them. >> we have a lot of information still to sift through, we don't have all of the facts in yet. >> the story that aaron told the cops that night eventually still spelled out in an fbi affidavit, who seemed frankly preposterous. something invented by someone with too much imagination, and too much free time. aaron quinn said he and denise huskins were asleep at his house, when at about 3 am, he was awakened by a bright light, and an electrical noise that sounded like a stun gun, and then a man's voice telling them to lie face down on the bed. aaron said the man told denise to bind aaron's hands and feet. then, he said his eyes were covered with swim goggles, which had been blacked out so he could not see. >> he has been blindfolded, zip tied. >> aaron said the intruder demanded his private email and information, and then put headphones on him that played calming music along with instructions to use denise's phone, to text her work and say she would be out for a couple of days. and to let his work know the same. aaron also claimed he was given a mixture of nyquil and valium to knock him out, and to stay in one spot in his living room, that was outlined in red duct tape, and monitored by a web cam. then he said the intruders left with denise. his story sounded so implausible, police wondered if he had made it up behind something even more sinister. at first blush, when a woman is missing, and her husband or boyfriend says oh, yeah she was abducted, well one of the first things i think, because of what i do for a living is the guy is involved. >> in these types of situations, always look at the significant other. is he a suspect? is he making it up? what is going on here? what is the real story? >> police treated aaron less like a victim, and more like a murder suspect. they confiscated his cellphone, and read him his rights. they were suspicious about why he waited 11 hours before calling 9-1-1. >> aaron quinn it took him hours. it was not until that afternoon that vallejo police were able to talk to him after he came forward. >> aaron's mother later told us police polygraph him five times. he was given jail clothing, given little food or water and held in a small interrogation room for hours. across the country, denise's friends did not know any of this, but they knew enough to be worried. >> i mean, someone being kidnapped, to be honest, a lot of those stories do not end well. and you don't want to think about those things, you think they are not going to be alive. >> then, about 33 hours after denise disappeared, reporter henry lee was standing outside aaron's home, when his phone buzzed. >> it was chilling, this email came attached with an audio file, and this audio file, there was a woman's voice >> hi, this is denise huskins. >> the soft spoken woman on the recording said that she was denise. this very strange tale was about to get much more strange. >> what had happened to denise? was she still alive, or was this all an elaborate hoax? >> coming up. >> we still do not know where denise huskins is. >> that cryptic recording, exactly what kind of message was it? >> she sounded absolutely calm, not terrified, not distressed at all. >> not like someone who is worried for her life? >> as if she was talking to a friend, over coffee. >> then we get a tip that police are holding a news conference, that is when the bombshell came down. >> when dateline continues. hey jim! can we talk about casual fridays? oh sure. what's up? get fast, powerful cough relief with robitussin, and find your voice. ♪robitussin♪ i have moderate to severe crohn's disease. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are looking up, i've got symptom relief. ♪ ♪ control of my crohn's means everything to me. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ feel significant symptom relief at 4 weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi is the first il-23 inhibitor that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. and the majority of people experienced long-lasting remission at one year. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease. ♪ now's the time to ask your gastroenterologist how you can take control of your crohn's with skyrizi. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ ♪ learn how abbvie could help you save. teeth sensitivity is so common. it immediately feels like somebody's poking directly on the nerve. i recommend sensodyne. sensodyne toothpaste goes inside the tooth and calms the nerve down. and my patients say you know doc, it really works. my a1c was up here; now, it's down with rybelsus®. his a1c? 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[coughs] when caroline has a cough, she takes robitussin. so, she can have those one on ones again. hey jim! can we talk about casual fridays? oh sure. what's up? get fast, powerful cough relief with robitussin, and find your voice. ♪robitussin♪ >> denise huskins's boyfriend said she had been kidnapped. his story seemed hard to believe. police wondered if he had murdered her, and was now trying to cover it up. then, a day and a half after denise disappeared, reporter henry lee received a mysterious email, with an audio file attached. >> hello, this is denise huskins. i'm kidnapped. otherwise, i am fine. >> she talked about the day's biggest news, a german airliner had gone down. >> earlier today, there was a plane crash in the alps, 150 people died. >> she shared obscure biographical details. >> my first concert with bethany and her mom, to blink -182, bad religion. >> it was a proof of life audio trying to prove that she was alive, and yes she was the kidnap victim. >> and she was aware of events that happened that day? >> and she was aware of events that happened, to prove that she was in fact, alive. >> so clearly, this was not a murder case. but, was it a kidnapping, as aaron claimed? we found it odd that denise did not sound at all frightened. >> she sounded absolutely calm, not terrified, not distressed at all. >> not like someone in fear for their life? >> as if she was talking to a friend, over coffee. i shared it with my editors, colleagues working the story, the subject line was like wtf, what is this? >> it soon hit the web, where denise's friend, ashley heard it. >> it was sort of reassuring, she was making an audio, with a clue from that day, but also still scary, you still have no idea if the person is safe, how they are being treated, you know, what people are putting her through. >> and if denise did not sound panicked, her friends say that made perfect sense. after all, the three of them had already lived through what should have been the most traumatic event of their lives. ashley, danika and denise, went to the boston marathon in 2013. they say it was denise who remained calm that day. >> we were all scared, we were all rocked by it, but i think of all of us, she was probably the best equipped to keep her cool. >> she was the one who was kind of, my rock. she grabbed my hand and said, let's go. >> but where was denise now? >> this is a bizarre case, with a lot of twists? >> very bizarre. >> cheryl hurd covered the story, for nbc station kntv. >> so day number two, we still don't know where denise huskings is. we still don't really know what her boyfriend, quinn, is telling police. all we know is they cannot find her. >> but then, the story took another whiplash turn. about 45 hours after denise was reported missing, police made a dramatic announcement. >> at 10:30 this morning, miss denise huskins was located, safely. >> it seemed over. denise's cousin told knbc how thrilled everyone was. >> you hear the stories all the time, you watch tv, you never know, i was happy to hear she was alive, safe and at home. >> but to police and reporters, all professional skeptics, this story had not smelled right from the start, and denise's sudden reappearance did nothing to change that. >> she is alive, she is well and they found her. that is great, but there was still something funny going on, because nobody had all of the answers. >> for one thing, denise turned up in huntington beach, which was 400 miles south of vallejo, and was also her home town. she was dropped off right by her mom's house. >> she was not released out of state, she was not released in the desert. she was not released in the middle of california. where does she show up? right near her parents house, and that seemed to convenient. >> another thing. the ransom that the kidnappers supposedly demanded had never been paid. denise told police in her hometown the same story that her boyfriend had told up north, about the swim goggles, the nyquil, the threat of electric shock. but then, when vallejo police wanted to question her. >> she disappeared, she will not cooperate, she would not fly up in a plane offered by the fbi to talk to the police. >> after she was released? >> after she was released. >> suspicion is building. neither denise nor aaron made any public statement, but they did hire separate attorneys. >> everybody is thinking, why are they doing that? >> lots of questions, and not many answers. but then, less than 12 hours after denise reappeared. >> then, we get a tip that police are holding a news conference. so i jump in the car, the photographer and i, and we haul back to vallejo to be part of this news conference. >> let me know when you guys are ready. >> that is when the bombshell came down. >> coming up. >> we were not able to substantiate any of the things that he was saying. >> why is this all some kind of prank? >> is there some chance that denise and her boyfriend would be prosecuted? >> it was a strong possibility. >> emails, photos, some strange new clues are about to emerge from the shadows when "dateline" continues. born odors. you'll need vinegar, a large salad bowl and... oh, hi! have you tried new tide fabric rinse? it works after your detergent to fight deep odors 3 times better than detergent alone. i love that. try new tide fabric rinse. generalized myasthenia gravis made my life a lot harder. but the picture started changing when i started on vyvgart. vyvgart is for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis who are anti-achr antibody positive . in a clinical trial, vyvgart significantly improved most participants' ability to do daily activities when added to their current gmg treatment. most participants taking vyvgart also had less muscle weakness. and your vyvgart treatment schedule is designed just for you. in a clinical study, the most common side effects included urinary and respiratory tract infections, and headache. vyvgart may increase the risk of infection. tell your doctor if you have a history of infections or symptoms of an infection. vyvgart can cause allergic reactions. available as vyvgart for iv infusion and now as vyvgart hytrulo for subcutaneous injection. additional side effects for vyvgart hytrulo may include injection site reactions. talk to your neurologist about vyvgart. in order for small businesses to thrive, they need to be smart, efficient, savvy. making the most of every opportunity. that's why comcast business is introducing the small business bonus. for a limited time you can get up to a $1000 prepaid card with qualifying internet. yep, $1000. so switch to business internet from the company with the largest fastest reliable network and that powers more businesses than anyone else. learn how you can get $1000 back for your business today. >> i did not have a clue what comcast business. powering possibilities. happened. >> even denise huskins's friends had to admit, her sudden disappearance -- and reappearance -- seemed almost unbelievable >> the details of the story are so crazy, i really could not make sense of it. >> neither could the vallejo police department. the day after denise came home, a spokesperson kenny park held a remarkable news conference. first, he spoke about denise's boyfriend, aaron quinn. >> and the statement that mr. quinn provided was such an incredible story, we initially had a hard time believing it. and upon further investigation, we were not able to substantiate any of the things he was saying. >> and then about denise herself. >> miss huskins would be happy to indicate she would meet with police detectives, and provide a full, detailed statement on what had occurred. as of right now, we have not heard from her. >> and then finally, this. >> mr. quinn and miss denise huskins have plundered valuable resources away from our community, while instilling fear amongst our community members. so if anything, it is mr. quinn and miss huskins who owe us enemy the apology. >> after a search and about 54 hours of investigation, vallejo police concluded the whole kidnapping story was phony. all of this was one of those made for california dramas, not so much shakespearean as kardashian. police seemed to think that denise and aaron, were known only to them, seeking publicity and telling an elaborate lie. left unanswered was why anyone would want to become famous for fooling the police. >> the stranger than fiction kidnapping story involving a young california couple. >> remember, no ransom was ever paid. aaron told police the kidnappers took his bank information, but no one tried to access his accounts. someone did try to call aaron's so for a couple of times while denise was missing, from a blocked number. according to aaron's mother, police suspected that aaron had somehow programmed another phone to call his own cell phone, while he was with investigators. >> was there some chance that denise and her boyfriend will be prosecuted? >> it was a strong possibility, based on those public pronouncements. >> denise's friends did not know aaron, but had every confidence that denise was telling the truth. >> everybody who personally knows and cares about her, believed her. >> the day after police branded the kidnapping a hoax, denise finally did show up at vallejo p. d., and told the cops that they were wrong. she said that not only had she been kidnapped, she had also been raped. that same day, reporter henry lee received another email, a long message, soon followed by more, supporting denise's claim that this was no hoax, from a person claiming to have been one of the kidnappers. >> they were very articulate, clearly written by someone who is extremely intelligent. >> miss huskins was absolutely kidnapped. she was kidnapped, we will provide proof. the rhetoric claimed to be part of a group, more than two, and fewer than eight in number. >> they go into extreme lengths about, the series of crimes that they have pulled, from car thefts, break ins, home invasions, you name it. >> some of us have a tech background, and are very good at overcoming electronic anti theft measures, stealing late model cars. according to the email, the group decided to try kidnapping because, we wanted something with a high payout, that we only had to do once or a few times. >> what is going on? why are you apparently confessing? >> the writer admitted that the reality of the kidnapping was much more upsetting than expected. >> we fancied ourselves a sort of "oceans 11", gentlemen criminals. we only took stuff that was insured from people who could afford it. the horrifying reality of what we had become, and what we were doing did not set in until being confronted directly with denise's