Domestic violence victim tells her story in 'The Fire That Took Her'

Andrew Carter, Marion Star
·4 min read
This scene is from a home video that is included in the documentary "The Fire That Took Her" by MTV Documentary Films. The documentary details Judy Malinowski's efforts to create awareness and changes in Ohio laws regarding domestic violence in her final years following a brutal attack by her boyfriend during which he set her on fire. The documentary has been released in select theaters and will debut on Paramount+ in May 2023, according to filmmaker Patricia E. Gillespie.

Marion County organizers hope the local screening of a powerful documentary about domestic violence will shed more light on the issue and result in significant change for better in the future.

“The Fire That Took Her,” an MTV Documentary Films production directed by Patricia E. Gillespie, tells the story of Judy Malinowski, a Franklin County woman who was the victim of a horrific case of domestic violence in 2015 during which her boyfriend doused her with gasoline and set her on fire outside of a convenience store in Gahanna. Malinowski eventually died from her injuries in 2017, but not before she had the chance to advocate for legislation that would become known as Judy’s Law and later record a video testifying against her attacker, who was eventually convicted of murder and is spending life in prison.

It's scheduled to be shown at the Palace Theatre in downtown Marion at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 18. Admission is free.

The documentary is a powerful piece of filmmaking that features graphic video footage of Malinowski on her death bed telling her own story and the disturbing video evidence of her being set on fire, images which give the documentary an emotional depth and intensity that is at times unsettling.

Judy Malinowski
Judy Malinowski

People featured in the film include Malinowski’s mother Bonnie Bowes, Marion County Common Pleas Court Judge Warren T. Edwards, Det. Chad Cohagen from the Gahanna Division of Police, and several other people who had direct contact with Malinowski during the two-year period following the attack on her. At the time, Edwards was an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and spearheaded the case against Malinowski’s assailant.

"When people saw her in the film after she had been burned, they gasped and cried in the theater," Edwards said. "Just the sight of Judy was so impactful, but her voice and her message was equally impactful. Her voice being heard meant more to her than even the outcome of the case. It meant so much to her to be able to tell her side of the event and what led up to it.

"(Director Patricia E. Gillespie) has raised Judy's voice to a level that a court proceeding never would. It is there for all time now. This generation and future generations can hear Judy's voice and her story and that's something that I as a lawyer could never do. Knowing Judy, that would please her. We hope that the screening of this film will increase awareness locally about domestic violence and encourage people to take it seriously."

The documentary "The Fire That Took Her" debuted Oct. 15 2022, at the Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. The film tells the story of domestic violence victim Judy Malinowski's battle to see her attacker brought to justice and her desire to see changes in Ohio laws regarding domestic violence. Pictured from left to right are filmmaker Patricia E. Gillespie, Bonnie Bowes (Malinowski's mother) and Marion County Common Pleas Judge Warrent T. Edwards, who was part of the team from the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office that worked Malinowski's case.

Gillespie has been busy promoting the documentary ahead of its release on Paramount+ on May 23. Over the past year, she has attended many film festivals and screenings along with Bowes to push the message out to the public and to state lawmakers. She said the documentary has gained significant traction.

"It's one of those films that really gains ground by word of mouth. I think stories like Judy's and in general stories about women get lifted up and brought to the front as much as we promote them," explained Gillespie, a Brooklyn, New York-based documentary filmmaker. "And not just me as a filmmaker, but people talking about it online, people telling their friends, 'You gotta go see this thing.' We hope that continues and intensifies around our eventual release in May on Paramount+.

Gillespie's previous work includes "The Devil You Know," a true crime series that includes one season devoted to the story of now-deceased Ohio cult leader Sherry Shriner. She was a recipient of the 2023 Gracie Award for her work on "The Fire That Took Her." The Gracie Award is presented by the Alliance for Women in Media and "acknowledge(s) outstanding team leadership and individual achievement. The Gracies focus on women who are making positive change and who further the discussion of what a fulfilling career in media looks like."

As an advocate for justice issues, Gillespie said Malinowski's story resonated with her because of her courage and determination to see real, effective changes made in the legal system and society. Gillespie said her goal in making the documentary was to bring the issue of domestic violence to the forefront of people's minds and to pay tribute to Malinowski's heroic battle.

The documentary screening and accompanying panel discussion is scheduled for Thursday, May 18 at the Palace Theatre in Marion. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the documentary will begin at 7 p.m.

Organizers have invited Marion County organizations that serve victims of crime and domestic violence to set up information tables in the lobby of the theater. Representatives of some of the organizations will serve as members of the panel along with Gillespie, Bowes, and Edwards.

The Edwards Family is sponsoring the screening at the Palace Theatre.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Domestic violence victim tells her story in 'The Fire That Took Her'