The city of Vallejo and two members of its police department have lost out on an early bid to dismiss a defamation suit brought by a couple whom the officers publicly accused of faking a kidnapping and wasting city resources.

A federal judge in Sacramento on Wednesday largely allowed the lawsuit filed by Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins to move forward in a disturbing case that mirrors plot elements from the movie “Gone Girl.”

Quinn and Huskins were terrorized for days in March 2015 by Matthew Muller, a Harvard-educated immigration lawyer. Muller invaded the couple's home, then kidnapped and drugged Huskins before moving her elsewhere, holding her hostage and raping her. Quinn, who received ransom demands from Muller, reported the crime to Vallejo police only to have offices accuse him of being behind Quinn's disappearance himself. After Muller released Huskins in Huntington Beach, California, two days later, Vallejo police issued a press release claiming that there was no evidence of an abduction. Vallejo Police Lt. Kenny Park later said at a press conference that the investigation was a “wild goose chase” and demanded an apology from the couple.