Mary Vincent, at the age of 15, survived a horrific assault where a man cut off both her arms and abandoned her in a ravine. The incident took place in 1978 when Mary, who had run away from home, was hitchhiking to her grandfather’s house. She accepted a ride from Lawrence Singleton, a 51-year-old man in a blue van, who later attacked her near Modesto, California.
Singleton viciously assaulted Mary, leaving her unconscious, naked, and bound. He proceeded to sexually assault her for hours before severing both her arms with a hatchet and leaving her for dead. Miraculously, Mary managed to stay alive by climbing out of the ravine with dirt-packed wounds and flagging down help from passing motorists.
Following the rescue, Mary helped identify Singleton, who was convicted of multiple felonies, including attempted murder, rape, and kidnapping. Despite serving time in prison, Singleton was released on parole after eight years. However, public outrage forced him to live in isolation near San Quentin Prison. Tragically, in 1997, Singleton murdered Roxanne Hayes in Florida, leading to his death in prison from cancer in 2001.
Mary Vincent’s resilience inspired her to advocate for change, sharing her story with other trauma victims and lobbying for sentencing reforms. As a result of her efforts, California passed the “Singleton bill,” increasing penalties for similar crimes. Mary’s courage and advocacy continue to make a lasting impact on victims of violence and the justice system.