The true story behind Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story on Lifetime, explained
Lifetime's newest offering in its critically acclaimed "Ripped From the Headlines" series is Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story. The film tells a tale of resilience, survival, and ultimate justice. Airing on January 18, 2025, it shows the captivity and abuse Laura Cowan had to endure and her subsequent escape.
Set in the late 1990s, Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story follows Laura's story as she goes from taking shelter in what was for her a "stable home" to being a captive.
Laura and her children were at the mercy of Mansa Musa Muhummed, a polygamist with a history of abuse. He allegedly confined them in a garage for seven months, depriving them of necessities such as heat, food, and water. The cold and isolated garage-confinement served as the aftermath of what started as a desperate attempt to find security for her children.
Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story starring Paige Hurd as Laura Cowan and Stephen Bishop as Muhummed, showcases the courage of Laura. Her will to survive led her to document the abuse, which later became the key to her freedom.
Details behind Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story explored
Lifetime’s Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story sheds light on the experiences of Laura Cowan, who survived abuse at the hands of her polygamist husband, Mansa Musa Muhummed. She was allegedly abused s*xually and beaten multiple times.
In 1995, Laura’s life took a turn when her husband was incarcerated, leaving her to care for her two young children alone. Seeking stability, she moved in with Muhummed, an acquaintance from her mosque. By 1998, Muhummed confined Laura and her children in a garage.
According to A&E True Crime, Laura Cowan and her children were forcibly kept in a garage for months. They were reportedly made to sleep on thin mattresses and to use plastic jugs for sanitation while facing constant physical abuse.
Muhummed’s control reportedly began subtly. Cowan shared with A&E True Crime:
“At first, it was more like not being released. I’d want to leave, and he wouldn’t let me.”
Over time, his manipulation turned into total domination. Even phone calls were allegedly closely monitored to prevent her from seeking help. Cowan continued:
“He took me and my two children and put us in the garage and said, ‘This is where you’ll stay."
Laura Cowan discovered an old legal pad and an ink pen during her captivity, using them as tools to document the abuse she endured. To protect her notes, she folded the pages tightly and kept them hidden with her as a lifeline to their potential rescue. She secretly created nearly 26 pages of detailed accounts, telling her son:
“If I die before you, make sure someone gets these notes.”
Her bravery enabled her to take a trip to the post office, where she discreetly handed the notes to a clerk. Two days later, law enforcement arrived and rescued Laura and her children. Muhummed was arrested in 1999 and after years of delay, he was sentenced to seven consecutive life terms in 2009.
As per Laura’s official website, she currently works as a domestic violence advocate and runs The Laura Cowan Foundation, which has helped over 350 women since 2016. Besides being a tale of suffering, Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story showcases Laura's strength and the subsequent impact she had on survivors of domestic violence.
Catch Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story on Lifetime on January 18, 2025.
