Where is Laura Cowan now? Details explored ahead of Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story on Lifetime

Laura Cowan’s story of domestic abuse is the subject of the upcoming original Lifetime film titled Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story.

Laura Cowan and her children were held captive by Laura’s husband Mansa Musa Muhummed, in a garage in 1995. She was physically and se*ually abused. To get her husband arrested for his series of crimes, she slid a 13-page letter to a post office clerk that contained all the details about the torture inflicted on her and others by Mansa Musa Muhummed.

Muhummed was eventually arrested immediately in 1999. On June 11, 2008, Muhummed was convicted of two counts of false imprisonment, seven counts of torture, five charges of corporal injury on a spouse, and 11 counts of child endangerment as reported by Los Angeles Daily News. Muhummed was sentenced to seven life terms in prison in 2009.

Meanwhile, Laura reunited with her first husband Muhammad Shabazz who was in federal prison earlier. However, her happiness was short-lived as her 45-year-old husband died of a heart attack.

Laura Cowan now lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her two children and has rebuilt her life over the years, helping herself and other domestic abuse survivors.

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Laura Cowan's inspiring journey

Laura and her two children returned to Cleveland and underwent 8 years of therapy after Muhummed's arrest, as per PEOPLE. In Cleveland, Cowan took a job with the local housing authority. Meanwhile, she graduated from Bryant & Stratton College and now works as a Resident Services Liaison with the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority. She also serves as a Domestic Violence Advocate.

Laura is a trained domestic abuse counselor now and she wants to help others who have endured the same trauma as her. She conducts workshops and raises awareness about how to deal with domestic abuse, and trauma, and ways to tackle it.

In 2016, she launched The Laura Cowan Foundation to help women who have survived and experienced domestic abuse.

Cowan believes she is a "thriver" as she told PEOPLE in a January 18, 2025, interview:

“I'm a survivor of domestic violence. But now I don’t call myself a survivor. I'm a thriver.”

Cowan, who is now an award-winning advocate, activist, educator, speaker, and radio personality, also hosts the weekly Laura Cowan's Empowerment Hour, which airs every Monday night from 6 pm to 7 pm on Voice It Radio.

Cowan also gave a shoutout to Lifetime for sharing her story on Facebook on December 29, 2024:

"I’ve been blessed that lifetime reached out to me to do a movie on my story. My story has aired on other platforms, such as ID and A&E, but an actual movie. This is truly a blessing to get the word out about domestic violence how to escape."

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Where are Cowan's children now?

Although both of Cowan's children suffered maltreatment, Laura’s son Muhammad Mahdi Shabazz who was just four years old when he was held captive alongside his mother, has since rebuilt his life with the help of his mother and sister.

While Muhammad finished his education and college, Laura's daughter Maryam Shabazz has assisted her mother and other domestic abuse survivors to date. The family has kept a low profile.

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Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story premieres on Lifetime on January 18 at 8 pm ET.