Denise Huskins and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn, the victims in the mysterious "Gone Girl" kidnapping case in Vallejo, California, were "re-victimized" when police called their story a hoax, their attorneys said today.
Huskins' attorney, Doug Rappaport, and Quinn's attorney, Dan Russo, today criticized the Vallejo Police Department, who in March had said there was "no evidence to support" the couple's claim that Huskins had been abducted.
Today the FBI announced that Matthew Muller, a Harvard-educated lawyer, is a suspect in the case. A search warrant indicates that others were involved in the March 23 abduction.
Suspect in 'Gone Girl' Kidnapping Case is Harvard-Educated Attorney, Police SayThe couple, who held hands during a news conference, did not speak to the press. Their attorneys said there will be a trial and said they believe more than one person was involved in the kidnapping plot.
Rappaport called today a great day for all women who have been through traumatic events and are victims of crime. He said Huskins is a “courageous woman" who handled herself with dignity and a positive attitude in a time when people doubted her.
Huskins and Quinn are "two of the strongest people I have ever met," Rappaport said.
"Doug and I, from the first day we met our clients, had confidence in them," Russo added.
Russo called today a great day, but a tragic day, and said he hopes the Vallejo police "steps up to the plate."
"You can't unwind the trauma," he said.
On March 23, Quinn called police to report that his girlfriend had been abducted from his Vallejo home, police said.
Two days later, Huskins was found safe in Huntington Beach, police said. The boyfriend told investigators his girlfriend's abductors made a $8,500 ransom demand, police said.
On March 25, police in Vallejo said that they found "no evidence to support the claims" that she was abducted.
At the time the couple denied any involvement in a hoax through their attorneys.
Today, the FBI unsealed a sworn affidavit connecting Muller, 38, to the case. In June, when Muller was arrested in connection with a home invasion robbery in Dublin, California, authorities found similarities to Huskin's kidnapping, the FBI said.
Muller is currently being held at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, California, according to Dublin Police.
His lawyer would not admit to any claims being made by the feds and said that he and his client look forward to defending themselves.
The Vallejo police referred comment to the FBI.