Mary Vincent: Assault Victim of Lawrence Singleton

Mary Vincent grew up in Las Vegas. Her parents worked at casinos. As Vincent entered her teens, she started defying her strict parents.Vincent defied her strict parents.Vincent often skipped school. She even left town with her boyfriend once. The two lived in her boyfriend's car for a summer in Sausalito, CA. Authorities arrested him later for raping a teenage girl.

After the arrest, Vincent went south. She lived briefly with an uncle in Soquel, CA. Then, she traveled toward Corona, CA, a city near Los Angeles, to see her grandfather.

On September 29, 1978, 50-year-old Lawrence Singleton slowed his van to pick up Mary Vincent in Berkeley, CA. Singleton, a merchant seaman, said he drove to Reno, NV, but he could take Vincent to Los Angeles. Vincent needed to hitchhike 400 miles and agreed to ride in Singleton's van.

Singleton had a seemingly friendly demeanor, but he had...Singleton had previously been convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He also had a history of alcohol abuse. He was recently divorced from his second wife and estranged from his daughter.Singleton had a history of alcohol abuse. He was recently divorced from his second wife and estranged from his daughter.

When Vincent lit a cigarette, she sneezed. Singleton reached out to feel her neck, asking if she was sick. Vincent disliked the touch and pulled away. Soon, she fell asleep when he did not press further. She even offered to help him carry laundry at a stop. She nodded off without thinking anything was wrong.

When she woke up, Vincent saw they were going the wrong way, back toward Nevada. Vincent quickly found a sharp stick in the car and pointed it at Singleton. She demanded he turn the van around and take her where she was going. Singleton agreed and calmly apologized, reassuring the teen he was “just an honest man who made a mistake.”Singleton calmly apologized, reassuring the teen he was “just an honest man who made a mistake.”Singleton reassured the teen he was “just an honest man who made a mistake.”

Vincent believed she was sorry, and the ride continued.

Singleton stopped the van to use the bathroom. Vincent got out to stretch her legs. As she leaned down to tie her shoe, Singleton struck her and beat her across the back of her head until she fell.Singleton struck Vincent across the back of her head.Singleton then sexually assaulted and raped Vincent. He told her not to scream or he would kill her. He insisted she had to obey him if she wanted to live.

Singleton bound Vincent's hands behind her and drove for a while. He stopped, cut her hands free, and ordered her to drink unknown alcohol from a plastic jug before continuing his assault.

When Vincent woke up, Singleton ordered her to lie on the edge of the road. Vincent begged him to let her go.Singleton began saying, "You want to be free? I'll set you free."Singleton severed both of Vincent's arms with a hatchet just below the elbow.

Singleton shoved Vincent down an embankment. He stuffed her into a concrete pipe and told her, "Okay, now you're free."Singleton told her, "Okay, now you're free."He then left her there, unconscious and near death.

Vincent woke up in a bad state. She lay at the bottom of a ravine, naked, bleeding a lot, and alone. She gathered strength to stand and walk three miles out of the culvert. That place was the Del Puerto Canyon. She followed the freeway sounds.Vincent raised her arms.She did this to limit the bleeding.

When she reached the freeway, the first people who saw her sped away in fear.A couple traveling on vacation stopped to help her. They wrapped her in linens from their car and drove her to an airport. They called an ambulance.After the attack, 15-year-old Vincent gave law enforcement a detailed description of her attacker. People immediately recognized the police sketch. Specialists fitted Vincent with prosthetics, and she returned to school.

After the attack, 15-year-old Vincent gave law enforcement a detailed attacker description. Police immediately recognized the sketch. Specialists fitted Vincent with prosthetics, and she returned to school.

Authorities caught Singleton, so Vincent testified against him. Singleton claimed Vincent was a sex worker and denied any crimes. He also said someone else was in the car and Vincent threatened him with false accusations. Singleton even called her a "$10-a-night wh*re."

Authorities had strong proof against Singleton and convicted him for kidnapping, attempted murder, and rape. Vincent left the courtroom fast after Singleton made a quiet comment to her.He later admitted he told her, "I'll finish this job if it takes me the rest of my life."Vincent declared in a firm voice that Singleton "did this" to her, referring to her prosthetic arms. Years later, Florida police arrested Singleton for another crime, and Vincent testified again.

Authorities had strong evidence against Singleton. They convicted him on kidnapping, attempted murder, and rape. Vincent left the courtroom fast after Singleton made a quiet comment to her.She considered suicide but never acted on it.After serving only eight years and four months, Singleton was released on parole from San Quentin for good behavior. Singleton claimed he showed no remorse and still said he was innocent and never assaulted or tried to murder Vincent.

However, the public did not want Singleton in their towns. Towns across California blocked him from living there. Singleton spent the rest of his parole in a trailer on San Quentin grounds under a curfew and guard watch. He joined Alcoholics Anonymous and claimed sobriety. Meanwhile, Vincent stayed hidden.

Vincent later said that she hadconsidered suicide but never followed through.She could not go through with the suicide.

Singleton served onlyeight years and four months, Singleton got parole from San Quentin for good behavior. Singleton reportedlyshowed no remorseand still claimed he was innocent, never assaulting or attempting to murder Vincent.

The public did not want Singleton in their communities. Towns across California barred him from living there. Singleton spent his parole time in atrailer on the San Quentingrounds under a curfew and guard watch. He joined Alcoholics Anonymous and claimed sobriety. Vincent stayed hidden.

Singleton sued Vincent after claiming he was the victim in 1978. He asserted he recalled Vincent threatening to accuse him of rape and brandishing a stick at him.

Singleton apparently decided this was why he became violent, continuing mistreatment from the courts.He filed a complaint.Singleton sued Vincent for "forcible kidnap for the purposes of robbery."

Singleton claimed he felt sorry for Vincent. He said he almost vomited three times and could not sleep for several nights after filing. The suit failed; the courts dismissed it.

After prison, Singleton returned to Florida. He was arrested in 1990 for petty theft. He received a two-year sentence but served only a fraction of that time..Description of 'Singleton Was Sentenced To Death For Another Woman's Murder' in the list 'Mary Vincent: Assault Victim of Lawrence Singleton'

On February 19, 1997, nearly 20 years after attacking Mary Vincent, Singleton lured Roxanne Hayes, a young sex worker, to his home. He attacked her. Neighbors called the police after hearing noise. Police found Singleton covered in blood with Hayes's dead body on the floor. Singleton stabbed the mother of three multiple times..Description of 'Singleton Was Sentenced To Death For Another Woman's Murder' in the list 'Mary Vincent: Assault Victim of Lawrence Singleton'

Singleton was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. However, on December 28, 2001, at age 74, he died of cancer while on death row.

Years after recovery, Vincent married but later divorced. Her trauma caused years of stress and depression. Eventually, she became a mother of two boys. Her life started improving.

Vincent reportedly started healing and forming close bonds as her new family became her life. In a 2003 interview,2003 interview, Vincent stated, “I remember being 4 years old and somebody asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said, ‘I want to be mother to the world.'” Vincent added that being a mother had gotten her through some of the incredibly trying years following her attack.

When Mary Vincent was a young girl, she wanted to be a dancer. After Singleton’s attack, portions of her leg had to be used to reconstruct her arms, ending her childhood dreams of dancing. However, she found a creative outlet in painting, drawing, and sketching. She has also been known to “tinker” with her prosthetic arms as part of her art-making.

Vincent has created everything from commissioned family portraits to action figures of powerful women.