17/09/2026
Do you remember the made-for-tv movie The Burning Bed starring Farrah Fawcett? ๐ฌ๐บ
Based on a true story. Francine Hughes endured 13 years of severe abuse by her husband, Mickey Hughes, while local authorities repeatedly dismissed her pleas for protection. Following a brutal assault on March 9, 1977, in Dansville, Michigan, a traumatized Francine set fire to her husband's bed while he slept and confessed to police. Her subsequent 1977 acquittal by reason of temporary insanity pioneered the legal defense of battered-woman syndrome and forced widespread reforms in how American law enforcement handles domestic violence.
Check out my true crime movie podcast RESIDUE. I tell you the truth behind your favorite true crime movies ๐ฌ๐ซ๐๏ธ