Judy Malinowski, 33, was doused in petrol and set alight by her boyfriend Michael Slager in Ohio in 2015. She survived for two years after the attack and testified at her own murder trial
In a chilling and heartbreaking twist, a mother-of-two found herself testifying in her own murder trial after her ex-boyfriend doused her in petrol and set her ablaze.
Judy Malinowski had a joyous childhood before she was thrust into a world of opiate addiction. Sadly, the cherished daughter passed away at the tender age of 33, succumbing to the horrific injuries she sustained from being turned into a human inferno. The Ohio woman used to participate in beauty contests before she was devastatingly diagnosed with ovarian cancer as a young woman.
She bravely fought and defeated the disease, but the cancer returned in her early twenties, according to WOSU, reports the Express. Judy then underwent a hysterectomy, but tragically fell into an opiate addiction during her recovery. Now fighting a different lethal disease, she exhausted her health insurance funds and was left sourcing heroin from the streets.
But her family never abandoned her, standing by her side through her addiction. Just as she was making progress, she met her ‘killer’ Michael Slager. Initially connecting on social media, she fell head over heels for him. But Slager, adorned with tattoos from neck to toe, had a serious criminal past. Judy’s addiction returned with a vengeance when Slager began supplying drugs for his girlfriend – despite not using substances himself.
Her dependency worsened and she became reliant on the man who controlled her next fix. On August 2, 2015, during a row near a petrol station, Slager doused Judy in fuel and set her alight. Emergency services were called and officials arrived expecting to discover a corpse. However, miraculously, Judy was still breathing. She was rushed to hospital.
Slager claimed the entire incident was accidental – but a police investigation demonstrated it was deliberate. Flames engulfed a horrific 90% of Judy’s body, and she slipped into a coma. She endured multiple operations to survive but medical professionals doubted she would ever wake up. Then, in a second miracle, Judy came round from her coma several months later and in a devastating blow for Slager – she filmed a video testimony that would become part of her own murder trial. Tragically, she revealed she pleaded with Slager for mercy.
In the video she said: “I just remember crying and begging for help, and he lit me on fire. And 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 the tender age of 33. She left behind two daughters. In a historic first for the US, she became one of the initial individuals to testify at her own murder trial through a courageous video. In 2018, Slager was handed a life sentence without the chance of parole.
