Mary Vincent, at the age of 15, endured a horrific attack in 1978 when a man cut off both her arms and abandoned her in a ravine. While hitchhiking to her grandfather’s house after running away from home, she accepted a ride from a seemingly kind older man in a blue van, who turned out to be 51-year-old Lawrence Singleton. Singleton took her to a deserted location near Modesto, California, where he assaulted her, severed her arms with a hatchet, and left her for dead.
Despite her severe injuries, Mary showed remarkable resilience by filling the wounds with dirt to stop the bleeding, climbing out of the ravine, and flagging down help while naked and barely conscious. Good Samaritans found her and rushed her to the hospital. Through her description, police were able to arrest Singleton, who was later convicted of multiple felonies including attempted murder, rape, and kidnapping. He received a 14-year prison sentence but was released on parole after serving eight years.
Mary’s bravery led her to advocate for change, sharing her story with other trauma victims and pushing for sentencing reform. Her efforts resulted in the passing of the “Singleton bill” in California, which increased penalties for similar crimes. Despite the trauma she endured, Mary continued to fight for justice and support others affected by violence.
Singleton later went on to commit another heinous crime in 1997, leading to his incarceration and eventual death in prison in 2001. Mary expressed her devastation over the incident, emphasizing the importance of preventing such tragedies by holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.