In 2015, Denise Huskins was allegedly kidnapped from her home. She and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, were at their house in California when the kidnapper, Matthew Muller, broke in.
The couple says that Muller drugged Aaron and covered his eyes before taking Huskins from their home. Two days later, Huskins reappeared, unharmed.
When she went to the police, though, they didn't believe that she had been kidnapped. Police called the case a hoax, claiming that the couple made up the entire story.
Then police found Matthew Muller, and realized he was connected to the case.
Elite Daily reports that Muller "admitted to kidnapping Huskins and holding her for ransom."
Although it has been over two years since the kidnapping, Huskins is still regularly attacked on the internet by people claiming she's a liar.
On January 1, 2017, Huskins shared a photo of one such message with her friends, along with a message of her own.
The message she had received was from a man named Jeffrey McFadden.
It read: "Are you that horrible lying woman who faked her own kidnapping??? Oh wow you are such a horrible person. You are going to hell for the bulls*** u have done. I'd like to slap you a few times. I'd like to have my wife beat u up bad too… and just so u know, ur not as pretty as u think. I'd put u at being a 5 outta 10. And I bet ur p**** stinks bad. You are an ignorant s*** and a filthy liar and I'm glad ur going to hell. Eat s***, w****."
Instead of letting it go as she has done with so many other similar messages, Huskins decided to respond to this one, reminding people that their words can have powerful effects on others.
She wrote:
I don't post this for pity, I post this to increase awareness.
Unfortunately this is just one example of countless messages like this that I have received. And like the ones before this, unfortunately this guy won. After reading this I went into one of my many PTSD episodes of terror. My jaw and back are sore from the deep powerful shaking and reflexive tension that my whole body goes into. My eyes are sore and red from uncontrollable tears. I am thoroughly exhausted, every inch of my body is tired from the fit of terror it was battling.
This was his goal, and I couldn't fight it. Congratulations, person I have never met, never heard of who hates me so much that he went out of his way to message me this disgusting, demeaning, dehumanizing outrage. I am still disoriented and not sure if I am even making sense. I have to take medication to calm me down.
It's almost been two years, a year and a half since it was made public that this was real, that Aaron and I were telling the truth the whole time. All I did was survive, and I was criminalized for it. We are trying to do the right thing and let the system do its job. But here we are, starting our new year hoping for a more positive future, but confronted with hate and ignorance.
I share this because I want people to know how powerful your words are. Especially in the political times we are in, the divides we face in our country. Let's not meet each other with hate and anger. It truly hurts. It has profound impact on each other's lives, their feelings of safety and self worth. It doesn't help anyone.
We must admit that there are many things that we don't know, even if we so strongly believe certain things. It does no one, especially ourselves, any good to blindly judge, spreading hate and anger. We may be wrong, or misinformed. Please keep that in mind when thinking of new beginnings in this new year.
If you're inspired by Huskins' strength after her horrible experience, please SHARE this story with your Facebook friends!
[H/T: Elite Daily]
