CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA: Mary Elizabeth Bailey probably would have never thought even in her nightmare that she would be asked to do the unthinkable by her mother when she was just 11 years old.
Her mother, Priscilla Wyers, handed Mary a .22-cal rifle and forced her to fatally shoot her abusive stepfather, Wayne Wyers, after he passed out drunk in a chair inside their West Virginia home in February 1987.
Now, after more than 35 years, Mary's unforgettable experience has been adapted into a film, named 'Would You Kill For Me? The Mary Bailey Story,' the trailer of which has been recently released, People reports.
Mary Elizabeth Bailey previously spoke about the harrowing event
"'If you do this,' she said, 'it will all be over. You're not gonna go to jail, you're too young,'" Mary previously told the outlet last year, adding how she pleaded with her mother but Priscilla insisted.
Priscilla initially told investigators she shot Wayne after police arrived but then "she said it was all my idea," Mary previously explained.
Both Priscilla and Mary were charged with murder with the latter being ultimately placed in foster care and charges against her were dropped after she testified against her mother.
Mary Elizabeth Bailey's mother was found guilty
In 1988, a jury found Priscilla guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison but was eligible for parole in 1998 and released shortly thereafter. Priscilla regained custody of Mary once she returned home.
What is the movie about?
The movie, which is scheduled to be released on October 28 at 8 pm on Lifetime, is told through three different perspectives and follows the volatile relationship between three generations of women, Ella (Melissa Joan Hart), her daughter Veronica (Olivia Scriven), and her granddaughter Mary (Presley Allard), whom Ella raises for Veronica.
After Veronica ties knot to a man named Willard (Connor McMahon), the lives of all three women take a drastic turn. Willard becomes increasingly abusive, and Veronica then suffers a deep betrayal when her best friend Susan (Celina “Spookyboo” Myers), becomes pregnant with Willard’s child.
The relationship ultimately grows increasingly bitter, leaving Ella, Mary and her half-brother Sammy at the mercy of Willard’s alcoholic rages.
Mary Elizabeth Bailey expressed her gratitude for being involved in the movie
"I think for me, being on set, watching your life play out before you, you get to see your life from so many different perspectives," she told the outlet.
"From each person's perspective and also from the perspective of myself. There's a baby, there's a five-year-old, there's a 11-year-old and there's me as a goofy adult. So just being able to see that and really process that, was incredible. Absolutely," she said.
Mary said that eventually writing her 2020 memoir 'My Mother's Soldier' about her life experiences allowed her to go through a process of healing.
“I think the movie will help them to see that she's not the worst person in the world,” Mary, who has a cameo in the film, said.
“She was going through a lot of things. 'Why did she do this? How do you forgive her?' I think the movie will help them to see how I forgave her," she added.
"Not one is played out to be so terrible that you don't have some empathy for that person," she told the outlet, adding "But that's what I really love about it, is I think people can watch it and even if they're going through something, they can sympathize or empathize and understand what people go through and why they go through what they're going through."
Mary Elizabeth Bailey hopes that the film delivers a message of healing
"Watching it came full circle for me," she said, adding "But it's very emotional. But watching it and knowing that other people, hopefully millions of people, will be watching this and be able to relate to this and to find some hope, some healing through this movie. I mean, it's really good, and very excited about it. So that's mainly the focus, is healing and hope for others. "
