One of the most anticipated documentary series of the moment is about to be released on Netflix: why was the true story depicted and documented in it renamed “The Gone Girl Affair”?
Fans of real-life affairs will be delighted: because The Kidnapped Truth – From Dream to American Nightmare will soon join the Netflix catalog, and its story is as chilling as it is real.
Faced with the craze for documentaries recounting crimes, Netflix has indeed announced The Kidnapped Truth, or American Nightmare in the original version. Archive images showing harmful police and media, testimonies from different parties in the case: the series returns to the case of “the Gone Girl affair” , which went viral in the United States in 2015.
The Kidnapped Truth – from dream to American nightmare: What is “the Gone Girl affair”?
In 2015, Denise Huskins was kidnapped before reappearing two days later, safe and sound. The case being unusual, it bypasses the methods of the authorities who refuse to believe the version of the victims and prefer to accuse them of having wanted to set up a hoax.
The story of Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn unfortunately happens at an inopportune time: because in 2014 a film was released that left an impression on the public, and which strangely recalls certain details of their story. We are talking here about Gone Girl by David Fincher with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, based on the novel of the same title by Gillian Flynn. The pitch is simple: a woman fakes her own death in order to have her unfaithful husband accused.
And the Californian police are clearly very cinema-loving: rather than respecting the presumption of innocence or taking into account the obvious evidence that is provided as the investigation progresses, the inspectors are putting pressure to charge the couple, even though they are victims. serious crimes.
What really happened to Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn?
Warning: spoilers for the documentary series ahead!
According to interrogation room recordings, Aaron Quinn explains that he and his girlfriend were awakened in the middle of the night by an intruder blinding them with lights. The man forces them to tie up, places darkened swimming goggles on them and prevents them from hearing thanks to headphones playing soft music. Then the couple finds themselves sedated.
Aaron Quill will wake up later, alone on his sofa, with instructions not to move from the field of a surveillance camera otherwise harm will be done to his partner Denise Huskins. In the end, he will still make the decision to disobey, to call for help, trusting the police to help him save his girlfriend.
From the start, investigators refused to believe Aaron’s version. He will thus have to submit to the FBI lie detector, and undergo pressure from inspectors threatening him with prosecution: everyone is convinced that he murdered Denise and hid her somewhere. And this, even after an audio recording was sent by the kidnappers, proving that the young woman is still alive.
The media circus of The Kidnapped Truth: when the police prefer to accuse the victims rather than save them
Two days later, Denise reappears safe and sound, in the street of her parents’ house. But far from being saved, the kidnapping victim will be dragged into a new turmoil, between a media circus and threats from the police. Because for the authorities, it becomes obvious that the couple planned everything from the start.
On the day of Denise’s release, Vallejo police spokesman Lt. Kenny Park said at a press conference: “Ms. Huskins wasted valuable community resources and sowed fear within the community. our community. Ms. Huskins owes us an apology.”
Terrible words, especially after Denise Huskins’ testimony. Because the young woman was not only kidnapped, transported in the trunk of cars and finally sequestered: she also suffered sexual abuse and received death threats, for herself and for those close to her.
But it’s too late: the affair is already being compared to David Fincher’s film Gone Girl, which greatly pleases the media. Locked in a confirmation bias, investigators refuse the irrefutable evidence offered to them, going so far as to prohibit lawyers from being present at certain interrogations. Worse: after gathering all the facts and evidence, the lawyers realize that the police could have prevented one of the rapes suffered by Denise if Aaron Quill’s testimony had been properly verified.
Deprived of their freedom of expression during the affair, Denise Huskins and Aaron Quill then testify in The Kidnapped Truth and reveal their own version of the facts. The documentary series, consisting of 3 episodes, will be released on Netflix at 9 a.m. on January 17, 2024.
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