A 15-year-old girl managed to escape from a deep valley after being abducted and having her hands severed by a malevolent individual. Mary Vincent, who had fled from her home and was hitchhiking to her grandfather’s residence, accepted a ride from Lawrence Singleton, a 51-year-old man driving a blue van in Modesto, California. Despite initial hesitation, the teenager got into the vehicle with Singleton, a former merchant seaman, who later took her to a remote area after failed attempts to pick up other passengers.
The man assaulted Mary, rendering her unconscious, and proceeded to strip and sexually assault her. He bound her and left her tied up for hours, callously disregarding her pleas for mercy. Subsequently, he brutally severed both of Mary’s arms with a hatchet and dumped her into a ravine before departing the scene in the autumn of 1978.
Despite being left for dead, Mary resourcefully used dirt to stem the bleeding and crawled 30 feet out of the ravine. Determined to prevent further harm, she flagged down a passing car for assistance, leading to her rescue and subsequent hospitalization.
Mary collaborated with law enforcement and artists during her recovery to aid in the apprehension of her attacker. Singleton was later arrested, tried, and convicted on charges including attempted murder, mayhem, kidnapping, and multiple counts of sexual assault. Despite a 14-year sentence, he served only eight years.
Following his release, public outcry led to Singleton living in a trailer on prison grounds. Tragically, he went on to commit another heinous crime in Tampa, Florida, resulting in the death of Roxanne Hayes in 1997. Singleton, sentenced to death, passed away in 2001 while incarcerated due to cancer.
Mary expressed her devastation at the failure to prevent Singleton’s subsequent crime, emphasizing the need for greater vigilance in releasing dangerous offenders.