Kit Roberts
A woman who died after being set on fire by her ex-boyfriend helped to secure his conviction from beyond the grave.
Judy Malinowski died in June 2017, following two agonizing years in hospital after her boyfriend, Michael Slager, doused her in gasoline and set her alight at a petrol station following an argument.
Over the course of those two years, the 31-year-old mom from Ohio needed over 50 surgeries to keep her alive. The horrifying attack that Slager inflicted on August 2, 2015, left more than 90 per cent of Judy's body covered in burns.
But despite the permanent, life-changing injuries that he inflicted on Judy, initially, Slager was only given a sentence of 11 years after pleading no contest to a charge of aggravated arson and felonious assault.
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Upon learning of this outcome, Judy agreed to record a testimony to ensure that Slager was brought to justice.
Speaking to PEOPLE in 2023, her mom Bonnie said: “Judy said, ‘Mom, not even an ant should be set on fire. I got a life sentence and he didn’t."
This required an astonishing sacrifice on Judy's part - to be considered legally of sound mind to testify, she had to wean herself off the medication that was helping to numb her pain.
Once Judy, who'd previously endured an ovarian cancer diagnosis and an opiate addiction following her hysterectomy, was deemed legally able to do so, she recorded a three-hour-long video testimony offering the full details and impact of the attack she was subjected to.
In the video, which was shown in a courtroom in Franklin County, she said that after she'd thrown a drink at him during a fight, he 'ran around to the other side of his truck, and he got these cans of gasoline that he kept in the back of his truck ... he ran around me and started pouring gasoline, started at my head and worked his way down.
"Some got in my throat as he did that. That burnt really bad."
In her testimony, Judy said that as Slager, whom she'd first met on social media, carried out his attack, 'the look on his face was pure evil'.
“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," she said. "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.”
Although she had held on for two years, Judy would succumb to her injuries and die in June 2017, aged just 33, less than five months after she'd given her testimony.
Following her death, Slager was charged with her murder, which he pleaded guilty to, and Judy's video testimony from beyond the grave was instrumental in securing his conviction and life sentence without possibility of parole.
But despite their loss, Judy's family were not done yet, and they campaigned to enact Judy's Law, which would introduce specific penalties in cases of arson which have deliberately left someone severely injured or disfigured.
"She hung on and fought for justice," her mother said. "She suffered beyond measure to make a change for other women."
Judy's story also became the subject of the MTV documentary, The Fire That Took Her, which is available to stream on Paramount+.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.