A 15-year-old girl managed to escape from a deep valley after being abducted and having her hands severed by a cruel man. Mary Vincent, who had run away from home and was hitchhiking to her grandfather’s house, accepted a ride from Lawrence Singleton, 51, in Modesto, California. Singleton, a former merchant seaman, took her on a deserted road after attempting to offer rides to others.
The man assaulted the girl, rendering her unconscious, then proceeded to strip her, bind her, and commit sexual assault. Singleton left Mary tied up for hours, callously disregarding her pleas. He eventually used a hatchet to sever both of Mary’s arms before disposing of her in a ravine in the fall of 1978.
Despite being left for dead, Mary managed to stop the bleeding by packing dirt into her arms and crawled 30 feet out of the ravine. Determined to prevent further harm, Mary flagged down a passing car for help and was rescued by two individuals who found her wandering nude the next morning. She was promptly taken to a hospital where she survived.
Throughout her recovery, Mary collaborated with law enforcement and sketch artists to identify the assailant. Singleton was later apprehended, and Mary recounted her harrowing experience in court. He was convicted of attempted murder, mayhem, kidnapping, and various sexual assault charges, receiving a 14-year sentence, of which he served only eight.
Upon his release, public outcry led to Singleton being forced to reside in a trailer on prison grounds. Despite this, he went on to commit another heinous crime in Tampa, Florida, resulting in the death of Roxanne Hayes in 1997. Mary expressed devastation at the recurrence of violence, emphasizing that Singleton never should have been released.
The perpetrator, sentenced to death, passed away in prison from cancer in 2001.