Isabella Mueller (crime writer)
A true crime story that reads like the script of a horror film took place in the autumn of 1978 in a remote area of Modesto, California. It was 29 September when 15-year-old Mary Vincent decided to hitchhike to her grandfather’s house in Berkeley. Mary was one of seven children who lived with their parents in Las Vegas. But Mary’s parents were embroiled in a bitter divorce battle, which is why Mary decided to run away from home. When Mary arrived in Berkeley, however, she was plagued by terrible homesickness, which is why Mary hitchhiked back to Los Angeles. Mary was lucky. She was picked up in Modesto by 51-year-old Lawrence Singelton, a former merchant seaman, in his blue delivery van. Lawrence seemed to Mary to be a nice older man, but in reality he was a true monster. Instead of driving Mary to L.A. as promised, he drove to a remote area. When Mary realised this, she tried to escape. Lawrence then knocked Mary unconscious. When Mary awoke, she was tied up and naked. Lawrence raped Mary several times, while she screamed for hours and begged Lawrence to let her go. Lawrence actually complied with her request, but first he chopped off both her arms with a hatchet before throwing her down a ravine. There he left Mary to die. What Lawrence could not have known was that Mary had an incredible will to survive. Despite her severed arms and barely conscious, Mary actually managed to climb the 9-metre-high ravine to reach the road. Again and again she heard a voice in her head saying, ‘I can’t fall asleep.’ She dipped the ends of her arms in mud to stop the bleeding. After almost 5 kilometres, Mary managed to attract the attention of a couple on Interstate 5, who helped her get medical attention. Already in hospital, despite her exhaustion, Mary described her tormentor to a forensic artist. Mary wanted Lawrence to be caught as soon as possible. Based on her accurate description of the man, the police were able to identify and arrest Lawrence. Lawrence Singelton was found guilty of attempted murder, assault, kidnapping and multiple counts of sexual assault. He was sentenced to 14 years, the maximum sentence permitted under California law at the time. After the verdict, he threatened Mary that he would destroy her after his release. Mary won the civil suit against Lawrence, in which she was awarded $2.56 million, which Lawrence was unable to pay due to his unemployment and insolvency. Lawrence served only 8 years and 14 days of his sentence. He was released in 1987 despite fierce public protests. However, Lawrence had to be housed in a caravan on the grounds of San Quentin Prison until the end of his probation, as no community in Northern California would take him in. Ten years after his release, Lawrence killed Roxanne Hayes, his 31-year-old partner and mother of his three children, in Tampa. Mary testified again in 1998 in the murder trial against Lawrence, who was sentenced to death. But before his execution, Lawrence passed away in 2001 on death row. He had lost his battle with cancer. After her traumatic experience, Mary embarked on an artistic career, producing thousands of pastel drawings. She attended the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, married and had two sons. After her divorce, Mary remarried Tony McGriff, with whom she lives in Vaughn. She continues to be an advocate for victims’ rights, testifying before legislative bodies to push for sentencing reform. In fact, a law was passed in California that increased the maximum penalty for crimes such as Singleton’s and was unofficially referred to as the ‘Singleton Law’. Mary also crafts customised prosthetic arms from old stereo systems and refrigerators, including ones for bowling. Mary Vincent’s story is not only shocking, but impressive. Mary is a role model for all women who refuse to be beaten down and continues to encourage other women with motivational speeches to free themselves from the role of victim. Despite her disability, which would have caused others to despair, Mary lives a normal life. Mary is not only a true survivor who encourages other women, but also a true heroine.
