In an unprecedented legal case that shocked America, an Ohio mother managed to testify at her own murder trial despite succumbing to horrific injuries two years after the attack that ultimately claimed her life.
The horrific attack that changed everything
Judy Malinowski, a 33-year-old mother of two, suffered unimaginable horrors when her boyfriend Michael Slager doused her in petrol and set her alight on August 2, 2015. The attack occurred near a petrol station during an argument between the couple.
When emergency services arrived at the scene, they initially expected to find a corpse. Miraculously, Judy was still breathing despite 90% of her body being engulfed in flames. She was rushed to hospital where she immediately slipped into a coma.
Doctors performed multiple operations to keep her alive, though medical professionals held little hope she would ever regain consciousness.
A life of challenges and resilience
Before this tragedy, Judy Malinowski had already faced significant hardships in her young life. The former beauty contest contestant had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer as a young woman.
She initially fought and defeated the disease, but when the cancer returned in her early twenties, she underwent a hysterectomy. During her recovery, Judy developed an opiate addiction that would shape the coming years of her life.
After exhausting her health insurance funds, she turned to sourcing heroin from the streets. Her family stood by her throughout her struggles with addiction, supporting her as she worked toward recovery.
The relationship that turned deadly
Judy's life took another dark turn when she met Michael Slager through social media. Despite initially falling head over heels for him, Slager - who was covered in tattoos from neck to toe - had a serious criminal history.
Most alarmingly, Slager began supplying drugs to Judy despite not using substances himself. Her dependency worsened significantly as she became reliant on the man who controlled her next fix.
Police investigations later determined that Slager's claim that the incident was accidental was false - evidence clearly showed the attack was deliberate.
Posthumous testimony makes legal history
In what medical professionals described as a second miracle, Judy emerged from her coma several months after the attack. Understanding the gravity of her situation, she recorded a video testimony that would later be used in her own murder trial.
In the chilling recording, Judy recalled begging Slager for mercy. "I just remember crying and begging for help, and he lit me on fire," she stated. "The look in his eyes... his eyes went black, literally. After I was set on fire and he backed away, his eyes just turned black as I screamed for his help. And he did nothing."
Judy Malinowski tragically passed away from her injuries in June 2017 at age 33, leaving behind two heartbroken daughters.
Her courageous video testimony made legal history in the United States, as she became one of the first individuals to testify at their own murder trial posthumously. In 2018, Michael Slager received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for his horrific crime.
