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This is a story about Laura Cowan!
February 13, 2009
Mansa Musa Muhummed, who beat, tortured and starved his children for decades, was sentenced to seven life terms in prison today by a judge in Murrieta who said the man’s “reign of terror” against his family merited the harsh sentence.

“Mr. Muhummed showed no remorse and accepted no responsibility for his twisted behavior, and the court is sending the strongest message possible,” Riverside County Superior Court Judge F. Paul Dickerson III said.

Some of Muhummed’s 19 children urged the court to show no mercy to their father because he showed no mercy to them. “I’m very afraid of him, please don’t let him ever get out of jail,” said Sharon Boddie, who was locked up in a dark garage and starved by her father. When police found her, she was 18 and weighed 48 pounds. “I still have nightmares about him,” she told the judge. “Parents are supposed to protect their children, not abuse them.”

During the trial, family members testified that Muhummed locked them in their home, hanged them from the ceiling and beat them, made them eat their own feces and vomit, and routinely hit them with boat oars, hoses and electric cords. He also had three wives.

One of his wives finally slipped a letter detailing the abuse to the mailman, who notified child protective services. The police raided the family’s rural Aguanga home in 1999 and freed the family. The case took 10 years to get to trial because of legal maneuvers by Muhummed.

He denied any torture today, saying his children would someday regret accusing him. “I never tortured them, I don’t know where that came from,” he said. “I still cheer for them and love them even if they hate me.”

Most of his family left the room when he spoke but returned for the sentencing.

He could be eligible for parole in 65 years, his attorney said.

– David Kelly

How could someone that you feel in love with, slept with and wanted to spend your whole life with, turn around and want to kill you? This is what happened to me and I’m still not over him or what he did to me. This is very hard for me to write about, but I want everyone to know how important it is to make sure you know who you are before some disfunctional man sweeps you off your feet and tortures you until you break!

For 3 years I thought I had a loving relationship, but always knew in the back of my head I didn’t feel right about somethings that he did when we were together and things he would do to me. Eventually, it got so bad that I couldn’t have friends in my life and I had to lie to my family, all the time, because they couldn’t understand why we couldn’t come over for special events. The truth was I’d have a black eye, or I couldn’t move from him beating me up and I was just so embarassed. I would always forgive him because he was drunk when he did this to me. That couldn’t be the man I was in love with!

When I told him I wanted to end it all, he actually rapped me. A man that I thought I had made love to is now raping me! I was lucky because he finally got a new job that took him to another state and he cared more about him making the money than me. But, I’m still not ok! I live in fear, everyday, that he’ll come back and I don’t know how to do anything other than maybe go to the police who do nothing until you’re dead!

Thank you for allowing me to post my story.

At 17 1/2 years of age I married the guy from church. One of the few that took me out and didn\’t ask me to bed.
The first night we were married he started behaving differently. Shortly there after he started the verbal then physical abuse. I was told if I ever tried to leave or ever uttered the word divorce he would kill me. Before my death would come he would also take each of my family members and torture then kill them. So if you don\’t want that to happen, don\’t even think of trying to leave. So the abuse continued as I thought I was protecting my family. Over the years I had three children. It was so… hard for them. As adults they still have baggage they carry from their childhoods.
After years of the abuse, I prayed to the Lord and asked for his help as I was sure I would be murdered when I did not allow him back into my house. Yes, my house. Did I forget to mention that out of the 33 years we were married he only worked about 3(ish). And any money he earned was his special money. If I needed any I had to beg for it to help with the bills.
About 10 years into the marriage I enrolled in the local Community College. I didn\’t know it then that my life had made a BIG turn for the better. It was many years later I had the power within myself to end the insanity of this marriage. (there is much more horror in the years of marriage)
After he was gone from the house I joined a 12 step program for substance abusers and co-dependent enablers. I did not know what it was when I started and found out I was one of the best co dependent enablers ever. LOL The group was held in my church. Addictions Victorious. Another great move toward my overall mental and physical health.
While married I ballooned up to 360 pounds. Yes, I did. I finally decided to find it inside of me to like myself even though I was in a bad situation. I started working on me. I was getting mentally healthy and then the phisical began to take shape. At this time in my life I have lost 195 pounds. I need to lose about another 30 pounds and keep working out and walking. My proper eating habits are enjoyable to me and I LOVE LIFE! And I LOVE God! Thank you for listening. I hope it was helpful.
Maggie Reef