True crime is a thriving entertainment sector that just continues to grow due to its dependence on wild stories and dubious plans. Whether you are into podcasts, films or series, there is seemingly always something to binge. These stories often serve as a reminder to viewers of the criminal activity that exists right outside their door and can be very intriguing, but these true stories can end in unspeakable tragedies. As this niche rises in popularity, it offers a chance for victims and their loved ones to get their story out there. One of the most recent releases in the genre is supported by a nearly unbelievable story that takes Lifetime viewers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The film stars Paige Hurd as Laura Cowan and Stephen Bishop as Musa in this reenactment of her traumatic story.
Girl in the Garage follows an unsuspecting woman and her children after unexpected family circumstances. Unknown to her, her husband had been illegally trafficking firearms and randomly one day was arrested. This leaves her to fully support her two children on her own. After struggling to sustain her family due to the absence of her husband, Laura is approached by a man who claims to have known her husband and he offers a helping hand. Seeming innocent enough, she accepts Musa’s help and sees the gesture as a blessing for her family that is down on their luck until she can get back on her feet. But Musa has an entirely different plan that changes Laura and her children’s lives forever. Following their move into his home, Laura starts to notice strange things about him and his family dynamic, but it turns out to be too late. The situation takes a quick turn for the worst, unraveling a story so sinister that it made headlines in California in the 1990’s and is being told for the first time on the small screen.
How Does Laura Cowan’s True Story Compare to ‘Girl in the Garage’?
This is where the Lifetime project deviates a bit from the true story, although it keeps to the general sequence of events. After moving in with Musa, Laura and her children are subjected to horrible treatment and living conditions. The story unravels the shocking details filled with manipulation, isolation and abuse. On many levels, this true crime story is one that narrates a torturous situation due to the way he controlled their access to essential resources like heat, food, water and even the bathroom.
The main difference between the real story and Girl in the Garage is that in real life, Laura was reportedly forced into a polygamous marriage with Musa. Musa also abused his other family, which includes his first wife and twelve children, in the same household. Laura and her children were subjected to physical and sexual abuse by their captor on a daily basis. As the title of the film suggests, they were trapped in the garage for months on end.
This torture continued from 1998 to 1999 and only stopped due to Laura Cowan’s covert yet desperate plea for help. On a trip to the post office, she bravely slipped a note to a post office worker detailing her abusive situation. Thankfully, just a couple of days later the authorities arrived at Musa’s house and arrested him for his abusive crimes. As Moviedelic reports, after nearly nine years of court proceedings, he was convicted and received seven consecutive life sentences. Laura, who is now an activist for domestic violence, is a big supporter of the Lifetime adaptation and worked closely with Hurd to open up discussions on domestic violence. As a survivor of her captor, Laura is a testament to the sheer willpower of motherly love and determination.
