Denise Huskins

Denise and Aaron, both physical therapists, were awakened in the middle of the night by armed intruder(s) who threatened them, drugged them, and ultimately kidnapped Denise. They warned Aaron not to call the police, and said Denise would be released after ransom was paid. They left Aaron drugged and tied up. When he was cogent enough to break free, he agonized over whether to call the police. Ultimately Aaron called his brother who was an FBI agent, who counseled him to call the police, which Aaron did.

From the beginning, the police thought Aaron had murdered Denise and was trying to cover up his crime. They did very little actual investigation, and left many clues uncovered. When Denise was released several days later, the police immediately began treating the whole episode as a hoax perpetrated by Denise and Aaron. The incident was picked up by the media, who began referring to it as the "Gone Girl" case. Instead of being treated as victims of a heinous crime, Denise and Aaron were treated as criminals.

This true crime account details the kidnapping and the ultimate solving of the crime, as well as Denise and Aaron's recovery from the dual traumatic experiences of the crime itself and then their treatment by the police as criminals. The book is narrated in alternating sections by Denise and Aaron, each detailing their separate experiences and perceptions. While this was at times effective, I sometimes wished for a more reportorial, journalistic, "just the facts Ma'am" account--there was a lot of "mushy" stuff here I didn't care for. Overall, though this was an eye-opening account of law enforcement gone rogue.

3 stars… (mehr)