What Really Happened With Lawrence Singleton and Mary Vincent

It was 1978. A different world, really. People hitched rides without a second thought, and the 5-foot-2 girl standing on the side of the road in Berkeley was no exception. Mary Vincent was just 15 years old, a runaway trying to get to her grandfather’s house. She was artistic, a dancer who had once performed at a Miss Universe pageant. She was also incredibly brave, though she didn't know yet just how much that bravery would be tested.

When the blue van pulled over, the two guys Mary was with told her not to get in. They had a bad feeling. Honestly, it’s one of those "what if" moments that haunts you. But Mary was tired. She was desperate to not spend another night on the streets. She climbed into the passenger seat next to a 51-year-old merchant seaman named Lawrence Singleton.

What followed is the kind of thing most people think only happens in low-budget horror movies. But for Mary, it was a waking nightmare that would eventually change California's legal landscape forever.

The Night in Del Puerto Canyon

Singleton didn't take her where he said he would. Instead, he started driving toward Nevada. When Mary noticed the road signs and realized they were heading the wrong way, she tried to make a run for it while he was stopped. She bent over to tie her shoe, a split-second pause, and that’s when he hit her with a sledgehammer.

He raped her repeatedly throughout the night. It was brutal. It was senseless. But the morning brought a level of depravity that most people can't even wrap their heads around. Singleton took a hatchet and hacked off both of Mary’s forearms. He later claimed he did it so she couldn't be identified by her fingerprints, which is a chilling peek into how his mind worked.

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He threw her off a 30-foot cliff into a concrete culvert near Interstate 5 and left her for dead. He figured she was a goner. Most people would have been.

How Mary Vincent Survived the Unsurvivable

Mary woke up in that culvert, naked and bleeding out. She had broken ribs from the fall. Most people would have closed their eyes and let go. But Mary heard a voice in her head telling her she couldn't die, because if she did, he’d do this to someone else.

She did something that sounds like a myth but is 100% fact: she shoved her bleeding stumps into the mud. She packed the dirt down to create a makeshift seal, effectively slowing the blood loss. Then, she climbed. She pulled herself back up that 30-foot cliff using what was left of her arms and her sheer will to live.

She walked for nearly four miles, naked and covered in blood. The first car that saw her actually sped away. Can you imagine? Seeing a child in that state and just driving off? Thankfully, a second couple stopped and rushed her to the hospital.

The Trial and the Sentence That Sparked Outrage

Even in the hospital, Mary was a force. She refused to sleep until she helped a police artist create a sketch of her attacker. She described him "like you would describe someone to a blind person." It worked. A neighbor recognized Singleton from the sketch, and he was arrested in Nevada.

The trial was a media circus. Mary sat there with her new prosthetic arms and looked him right in the eye. Singleton, meanwhile, tried to blame "two hitchhikers named Larry and Pedro," a story the jury saw right through. He was convicted of attempted murder, rape, and mayhem.

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But here’s the kicker: back then, California law was incredibly lenient. The judge wanted to give him life, but his hands were tied. Singleton got 14 years. That was it. That was the maximum.

• The "Good Behavior" Loophole: Because of how the system worked, Singleton only served eight years.
• The Public Backlash: When he was paroled in 1987, the public went ballistic. No town wanted him. He ended up living in a trailer on the grounds of San Quentin because protestors literally chased him out of every city the state tried to place him in.
• The Singleton Bill: The outrage led to a major change in California law. The "Singleton Bill" was passed, ensuring that crimes involving torture would carry much heavier sentences—25 years to life.

The Second Victim: Roxanne Hayes

A lot of people think the story ends with Singleton’s release, but it gets darker. After his parole ended, Singleton moved back to his native Florida. He lived a relatively quiet life of petty crime for a while—stealing a camera, a hat—until 1997.

In a neighborhood called Sulphur Springs, a neighbor called 911 after seeing a man through a window assaulting a woman. When police arrived, they found Singleton covered in blood. He had stabbed a 31-year-old mother of three, Roxanne Hayes, to death.

Mary Vincent, now a grown woman and a mother herself, flew to Florida to testify against him again. She didn't have to, but she did. This time, there was no 14-year cap. Singleton was sentenced to death. He never made it to the execution chamber, though; he died of cancer in a prison hospital in 2001 at the age of 74.

Where Is Mary Vincent Today?

Mary didn't let that night define her, though she’s been open about the struggle. She suffered from PTSD, depression, and even anorexia in the years following the attack. But she found a lifeline in art.

Interestingly, she’s said that before the attack, she couldn't draw a straight line. After losing her hands, she developed an incredible talent for drawing with her prosthetics. She’s produced thousands of pieces of art, often focusing on "powerfully upbeat women" who look like action figures.

She also became a tinkerer. Since she couldn't always afford the high-end prosthetics she wanted, she started building her own using parts from old electronics, refrigerators, and stereos. She even made a custom prosthetic specifically for bowling.

Lessons From the Case

The story of Lawrence Singleton and Mary Vincent is more than just a "true crime" tale. It’s a case study in the failure of the justice system and the incredible resilience of the human spirit.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Trust your gut: Those hitchhikers had a bad feeling for a reason. If something feels off, it usually is.
2. Advocacy matters: Mary’s willingness to speak up changed the laws in California, likely saving countless others from similar fates.
3. Resilience is a choice: Survival wasn't just about the mud; it was about the decision to keep walking when everything told her to stop.

If you’re interested in learning more about the legal shifts this case caused, you might want to look into the "Determinate Sentencing Act" changes in California or the history of victims' rights advocacy in the late 70s. You can also find Mary's artwork online, which serves as a pretty amazing testament to what a person can do when they refuse to be a victim.

Actionable Insight: If you or someone you know is a survivor of a violent crime, organizations like the National Center for Victims of Crime offer resources for healing and legal navigation. Knowing your rights is the first step in reclaiming your power, just as Mary did when she faced her attacker in court—twice.