By emma hynes
One of the most recent releases in the true crime genre is supported by a nearly unbelievable story that takes Lifetime viewers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Girl in the Garage stars Paige Hurd as Laura Cowan and Stephen Bishop as Musa in this reenactment of the former's traumatic story.
The movie follows an unsuspecting woman and her children after unexpected family circumstances. Unknown to her, her husband had been illegally trafficking firearms and was ramdomly arrested.
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, offering a helping hand.
Little does she know, Musa has an entirely different plan that changes Laura and her children’s lives forever. The situation takes a quick turn for the worst, unraveling a story so sinister that it made headlines in California in the '90s.
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.
This true crime story is one that narrates a torturous situation. Musa controlled their access to essential resources like heat, food, water and even the bathroom.
The main difference between the true 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. 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.
Just a couple of days later the authorities arrived at Musa’s house and arrested him for his abusive crimes. 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.