WARNING
The following story contains mention of:
Rape, torture, abduction, mutilation, amputation, and children.
On September 29th, 1978, 15 year old runaway Mary Vincent became homesick. She decided to hitchhike from California back to her home in Nevada.
A blue van noticed her “Going South” sign and pulled over for her. Lawrence “Larry” Singleton stated he had room for her, but not the two male hitchhikers who were nearby. The men recommended she not get in the van with Larry, as it was very suspicious that his empty van only had room for the young girl. Mary was exhausted and desperate, so she took the ride. He looked like someone’s grandfather, she wasn’t worried. She climbed into the back of the van and soon fell asleep.
Upon waking up, she noticed they were headed in the wrong direction. She confronted Larry about this; he knew he was going the wrong way. Mary knew she was in trouble. As he pulled over to the side of a deserted road, she noticed her shoe was untied. She could definitely outrun this old man, but not with an untied shoe. As she got out of the van to tie her shoe, she was struck in the head with a sledgehammer.
After waking up from her blackout, Mary realizes she has been tied up in the back of the van. During the course of the night, she is raped by Lawrence approximately six times until he falls asleep. She pleads to be set free and that she won’t tell. She didn’t sleep at all that night. There was too much pain. She prayed to die.
As the sun rose, Lawrence pulled her out of the van. “You want to be set free?” He says. “I’ll set you free.” He pulls a hatchet out of his tool box. The first swing brought immense pain. The second swing completely took off her left arm, just below the elbow. Mary is screaming in pain and terror, and starts to fall. She grabs onto Larry, which brings his attention to her right arm. Realizing what he’s about to do, she starts kicking and fighting him. Her right arm took longer, but he was successful. As Mary lay bleeding on the ground, she sees Lawrence shaking his arm; her right arm is still clutched to his, trying to prevent her from falling. Presuming her to be dead or dying, he drug her armless body to a cliff and pushed her off.
During her 30 foot fall, she broke four ribs. As she laid bleeding and in shock on the ground, Mary became cold and tired. She just wanted to go to sleep. But she couldn’t shake the voice in her head telling her that if she didn’t get up, Lawrence Singleton was going to hurt another girl. She couldn’t let this happen to someone else. Mary stuck what was left of her arms in the dirt, building up the mud to help stop her from bleeding to death, and spent the rest of the day climbing back up the 30 foot cliff.
Mary walked along the highway by the light of the moon and stars. From a distance, she could hear traffic. If she could just get to the main highway, someone would surely be able to help her.
The first car to see her was a red convertible. She cried for help to the two men in the car, but they did not stop for her. She had no arms and was covered in blood. “I looked like something from a fright night movie. I’m going to die. Everyone is too afraid to stop.” (“I Survived” Season 3, episode 1). She began walking in the middle of the road.
The second car to see her was an old truck containing a couple on their honeymoon. They put her in their truck and raced to the nearest phone to call the paramedics. A helicopter flew in to air lift her to the nearest hospital. Mary had lost half of the blood in her body. Her remaining blood became extremely toxic, but she had fought hard.
Ten days later, her attacker was identified and arrested. The next time Mary saw Lawrence was six months later in court at his trial. She was terrified. Her attacker sat no more than 15 feet away from her. Mary gave a chilling and detailed account of her brutal attack and rape. He was convicted of rape and attempted murder, and was sentenced to the maximum in California at the time, which was 14 years. Mary also won a civil suit against him for $2.56 million dollars, but was not able to collect as Lawrence only had $200 in his savings. As she was leaving the court room, she had to walk by his seat. He said to her, “If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll finish the job.”
Lawrence served eight of his 14 years in prison and was released on parole to Contra Costa County in his home state of Florida. Authorities attempted to have him settle in many Bay Area towns, but angry crowds and Tampa’s Chapter of Guardian Angels protested.
In Rodeo, 25 miles north east of San Fransisco, 500 local protestors forced the authorities to remove Larry from his hotel room with armed guards.
They tried housing him across from Concord’s City Hall, but this also failed due to protests.
After 400 residents surrounded the building he was in to protest the decision to house him in Contra Costa County, he was removed in a bullet proof vest.
Governor George Deukmejian then ordered him to be placed in a trailer on the grounds of San Quentin for the rest of his one year parole.
The outrage of Singleton’s short sentencing resulted in the legislation that prevents the early release for offenders who have committed crimes involving torture. This was supported by Mary Vincent. It also led to the passage of California’s Singleton Bill, which requires a minimum 25 year life sentence.
Larry convinced himself that his crimes didn’t warrant any form of punishment. Donald Stahl, a Stanislaus County prosecutor, stated, “He’s worse now. He hasn’t taken responsibility. He lives in a bizarre fantasy land and acquits himself each day. He doesn’t accept his guilt and won’t resolve never to do it again.”
After completing his parole, he returned to Florida. In the spring of 1990, Lawrence was convicted of theft. He had a 60 day sentence for stealing a $10 disposable camera. In the winter, he was sentenced to two years for stealing a $3 hat.
In the spring of 1997, a neighbor called police, stating Singleton was assaulting a woman in his residence. When the police arrived, they found the body of Roxanne Hayes. She was stabbed multiple times. Mary appeared at the sentencing for this crime to give her testimony. Lawrence was sentenced to death.
On December 28th, 2001 Lawrence Singleton died in the hospital at North Florida Reception Center in Starke, Florida of cancer at 74 years old. He is estimated to have killed 12 women.
You can watch Mary Vincent tell her gruesome tale on season 3, episode 1 of the TV show “I Survived.”
If I have missed something you deem important regarding this story, please feel free to let me know, and I will add edits.
Sources:
I Survived (TV show; season 3, episode 1)
My Favorite Murder (Podcast; episode 18)
