Judy Malinowski made history by becoming the first person to give testimony in her own murder trial, after her boyfriend, Michael Slager, set her on fire.
Content warning: This article contains disturbing details that may be distressing to some readers.
In a groundbreaking moment, a woman testified in her own murder trial, despite the fact that her injuries eventually claimed her life.
Judy Malinowski endured a horrific attack when her boyfriend, Michael Slager, poured gasoline on her and ignited it at an Ohio gas station. The vicious assault resulted in severe burns, with more than 90 percent of her body suffering third- and fourth-degree damage.
In a remarkable twist, Malinowski survived long enough to deliver a compelling statement against her assailant, continuing to speak for herself even after her passing.
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Although she tragically passed away two years later in 2017 due to the severe injuries, Malinowski displayed remarkable courage and determination by offering her testimony from her hospital bed.
Despite enduring the loss of her hair, skin, ears, and fingers from the horrific attack, she was resolute in sharing her experience. With immense effort, she lifted her right hand and delivered her testimony via live video, speaking to both her lawyer and the attorney representing Slager.
Her harrowing experience was captured in the documentary The Fire That Took Her.
“I don’t think words can truly convey the agony of having your entire body set on fire,” Malinowski shares in the film.
“I honestly believed I was going to die. I just prayed to Jesus, asking him to forgive me for my sins and to look after my children, and then I blacked out. I don’t remember anything until I woke up in the hospital.”
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Recounting the chilling events of that fateful day, Malinowski provided the judge and jury with a detailed account of the assault. She revealed that the incident began with a fierce argument between her and Slager.
During their confrontation, she hurled a drink at him. Reacting swiftly, Slager dashed to the opposite side of his truck and retrieved multiple gasoline cans he had stored in the vehicle’s rear.
Malinowski went on: “He circled around me and began dousing me with gasoline, starting at my head and moving downward. Some of it entered my throat, causing an intense burning sensation.”
Without mincing words, she labeled Slager as ‘wicked’ while reliving the horrifying moments preceding the attack.
She explained how he paused for roughly half a minute before she frantically begged for his compassion. “I kept pleading with him, saying, ‘Please help me,’ ‘stop,’ and ‘I’ll get in the truck, I’ll go with you.’”
“Then he pulled a lighter from his pocket and began advancing toward me.”
“I just remember crying, begging for help, and then he set me on fire.”
“And the look in his eyes… his eyes went completely black. After he lit me on fire and stepped back, his eyes turned black as I screamed for him to help me. And he did nothing.”
Looking back, Malinowski shared that she had attempted to seek help previously. “I called the police, telling them that Michael was going to kill me and I needed help, but the detective ignored it—so here I am.”
“You need to understand, on August 2nd, I was set on fire, thrown to the ground, and burned, with 95 percent of my body damaged. It’s incredibly hard for me to keep track of everything that happened in this terrible relationship.”
Franklin County District Attorney Ron O’Brien, who worked on the case, later commended the decision to allow Malinowski to testify before her death.
He referred to it as: “A brilliant idea to arrange for a deposition where she could testify from beyond the grave during a future homicide trial.”
Malinowski’s compelling testimony sparked a significant shift in Ohio’s legal framework. Her case established a legal precedent, enabling murder victims to offer testimony in their own trials through pre-recorded statements.
Slager was eventually sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole.
“I could probably prosecute for another two decades and not encounter a case more deserving of the death penalty,” assistant prosecutor Warren Edwards stated in the documentary.
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“And honestly, for the first few months of this case, we were just playing the waiting game. It sounds awful, but we were essentially waiting for Judy to pass so we could charge Mr. Slager with homicide. Then one day, we got a call saying she was awake, which was a call I never thought I’d receive,” Edwards revealed.
He went on to explain that it was the first homicide case he’d ever worked on where he actually had the chance to meet the victim before their passing.
Director Patricia Gillespie shared with The Independent: “This woman made a significant contribution to American legal history.”
It’s an incredible story. Everyone should know about her.
