Burn Victim Who Chose to Be Happy Testifies in Attempted Murder and Arson Case
Burned over 80 percent of her body after her then-husband, she says, beat her with a hammer, doused her with gasoline and threw a candle at her at their Florida home in 2009, Audrey Mabrey could easily feel sorry for herself.
Instead, she has reportedly chosen to be happy, looked for the good in life and focused on raising her two sons and helping domestic abuse victims. She is a community college student who hopes to become a psychologist or psychology professor, according to an article last year in the Tampa Bay Times.
Today, she testified as the prosecution’s first witness in the attempted first-degree murder, arson and aggravated battery trial of her estranged husband, Christopher Hanney. It began yesterday in Tampa with jury selection, ABC Action News reports.
The article, which links to a video clip of her testimony, says jurors were visibly upset at the sight of her burn scars. A prosecutor called the case “a monstrous and unimaginable crime.”
Hanney, who is in his mid-40s, will testify later on in the trial, his attorney told the jury during opening statements today.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Badly Burned in Domestic Incident, Woman Says Her New Life, In and Out of Court, Answered a Prayer”
