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. In 1978, she was hitchhiking to her grandfather’s house after running away from home when she encountered a man in a blue van who offered her a ride. The man turned out to be Lawrence Singleton, a 51-year-old former merchant seaman. He took her to a remote area near Modesto, California, where he attacked her, leaving her severely injured and helpless.

After assaulting her, Singleton mutilated Mary by severing both her arms with a hatchet and left her for dead in the ravine. Despite her injuries, Mary managed to survive by packing dirt into her wounds to stop the bleeding. She climbed out of the ravine and flagged down a passing car for help.

Good Samaritans found Mary naked and injured, holding her arms to prevent further damage, and took her to a hospital. With her help, a forensic sketch artist assisted in identifying Singleton, who was later arrested and convicted of multiple felonies related to the attack. Singleton served a prison sentence but was released on parole after eight years, triggering public outrage and forcing him to live in a trailer on the grounds of San Quentin Prison due to community rejection.

In a tragic turn of events, Singleton went on to murder another woman, Roxanne Hayes, in Florida in 1997. He received a death sentence but died in prison from cancer in 2001. Mary Vincent, devastated by the repeat offense, expressed her pain over the failure to prevent Singleton’s release earlier.

Despite enduring ongoing nightmares, Mary Vincent turned her trauma into advocacy, sharing her story to support other trauma victims and pushing for sentencing reform. Her efforts led to the passing of the “Singleton bill” in California, increasing penalties for similar crimes, in a bid for justice and change.