The Survival of Mary Vincent: A Story of Strength, Resilience, and Justice
In September 1978, 15-year-old Mary Vincent’s life was forever changed in an attack so brutal that it captured the nation’s attention and exposed deep flaws in the criminal justice system. Vincent’s remarkable strength and survival would not only bring her attacker to justice but would also inspire changes in the law to better protect victims of violent crimes. This is the harrowing story of how she endured the unthinkable and rose to become an advocate for victims’ rights.
Early Life
Mary Vincent was one of seven children born to parents struggling with a tumultuous marriage. Her father, a mechanic, married her mother, a blackjack dealer, while serving in the military. The family lived in Las Vegas, but as tensions grew during her parents’ messy divorce, Vincent found herself unable to cope with the turmoil at home. She ran away, surviving on the streets and inside unlocked cars before deciding to hitchhike to her grandfather’s home in Berkeley, California.
The Attack
Shortly after arriving in Berkeley, Vincent became homesick and made the fateful decision to hitchhike back to Los Angeles. It was on this journey that she encountered Lawrence Singleton, a middle-aged man who offered her a ride. At first, he seemed harmless. However, Vincent grew suspicious when Singleton began driving in the wrong direction. She attempted to flee, but before she could escape, Singleton knocked her unconscious with a sledgehammer.
When Vincent regained consciousness, her nightmare had only just begun. Singleton tied her up and raped her. The horrors escalated when Singleton took a hatchet and severed both of her arms at the forearms, leaving Vincent in unimaginable pain. Believing he had killed her, Singleton threw her down a 30-foot cliff and drove away, certain she was dead.
A Miraculous Survival
Astonishingly, Vincent survived the fall and clung to life despite her severe injuries. In an extraordinary display of courage, she packed her severed arms in mud to slow the bleeding, then climbed back up the cliff. Naked, gravely wounded, and alone, Vincent walked along Interstate 5, holding her arms above her head to stem the blood loss. She walked for nearly three miles before finally flagging down a couple who rushed her to a hospital.
Bringing Her Attacker to Justice
At the hospital, despite her life-threatening injuries, Vincent was determined to help the police capture her attacker. She worked tirelessly with authorities to create a composite sketch of Singleton, even postponing sleep to ensure that the sketch was as accurate as possible. Her bravery paid off when a neighbour recognised Singleton and reported him to the police. He was arrested and convicted of kidnapping, rape, and attempted murder. Vincent also testified at his trial, a key factor in securing his conviction.
However, to the public’s outrage, Singleton received the maximum sentence of just 14 years in prison, the maximum allowed under California law at the time. Incredibly, he was released after serving only eight years due to good behaviour. During the trial, Singleton even menaced Vincent with a whispered threat, vowing to “ finish this job if it takes me the rest of my life.” when he was released from prison.
The Aftermath and Singleton’s Return to Violence
Vincent was awarded $2.56 million in a civil judgment against Singleton, but she never received payment as her attacker was unemployed and unable to pay. Despite the trauma, Vincent demonstrated incredible resilience. She quickly adapted to using prosthetic arms, which she even modified with spare parts to suit her needs. She turned to art as a means of healing and expression, attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and creating powerful chalk pastel portraits of women. She also became a mother, raising two sons.
Meanwhile, Singleton, despite the public outrage surrounding his early release, returned to Florida, where he would strike again in 1997.
On February 19th, 1997, in Tampa, Florida, an ordinary day for a local house painter turned into a scene of unimaginable horror. The painter, whose name remains anonymous in most reports, had stopped by a client’s home for what should have been a routine task—touching up some paintwork. However, upon arriving, he was immediately confronted with a chilling sight that would leave a deep psychological scar.
As he approached the house, the painter noticed something strange through one of the windows. There, in full view, he saw a man he knew only as “Bill” standing stark naked, drenched in blood. The man stood over a motionless woman on the sofa, savagely stabbing her with a level of frenzied violence the painter could scarcely comprehend. The brutality of each stab was palpable. Later, the painter would recount the horrific sound of bones crunching with every thrust of the knife—he likened it to the sound of “chicken bones breaking,” a grotesque and haunting description that underscored the ferocity of the attack.
The victim was Roxanne Hayes, a 31-year-old mother of three who had become a sex worker to support her family. That day, she had agreed to meet with Singleton for a payment of $20. It seemed like a simple transaction, but what unfolded was anything but.
The painter, paralysed by shock for a few moments, quickly realised the gravity of what he was witnessing and rushed to call the police. His actions likely prevented Singleton from fleeing the scene and committing further atrocities. By the time law enforcement arrived, it was tragically clear that Roxanne Hayes was beyond saving. She had succumbed to the savage attack, her life brutally extinguished by the man who had once attacked Mary Vincent.
Singleton’s Arrest and His Disturbing Claim
When police officers apprehended Singleton at the crime scene, they found him covered in blood and standing over Hayes’s lifeless body. Singleton did not deny being involved in the violent confrontation, but he offered a different version of events. According to Singleton, the situation had quickly escalated after Hayes allegedly tried to steal more money from his wallet than they had initially agreed upon. In his narrative, the two had wrestled over the money, and in the ensuing struggle, Hayes picked up a knife and was inadvertently cut.
However, this story did not align with the testimony of the painter who had witnessed the scene unfold. The painter stated that by the time he saw the attack, Hayes appeared already incapacitated, unable to fight back. There was no evidence to suggest that Hayes had been aggressive or that the situation had been one of self-defence. The sheer viciousness of the attack, the number of stab wounds, and Singleton’s behaviour at the scene all pointed to a deliberate, frenzied murder, not a spontaneous act of violence during a scuffle. Singleton’s claims of a sudden altercation were dismissed by the evidence and the eyewitness account.
Singleton’s Trial and Mary Vincent’s Testimony
Singleton’s arrest for the murder of Roxanne Hayes led to yet another trial, but this time it ended in his conviction for first-degree murder. During the trial, Mary Vincent once again demonstrated her extraordinary courage. Despite the trauma she had already endured at his hands, Vincent travelled to Florida to testify against her attacker once more. Her testimony was a powerful reminder of the evil Singleton was capable of and the long-lasting damage he had inflicted on her life.
Standing in court, Vincent recounted the day in 1978 when Singleton had raped her, severed her arms with a hatchet, and left her to die. Facing him down yet again, Vincent reminded the jury and the world of the type of person they were dealing with—someone who had already committed one of the most heinous acts imaginable and had shown no remorse. She described in vivid detail the horror of what she had suffered, giving the jury a full understanding of Singleton’s capacity for violence.
Her words, combined with the overwhelming evidence against Singleton in the murder of Roxanne Hayes, helped seal his fate. In 1998, Singleton was sentenced to death. Yet, even as justice seemed finally to be served, there would be no final act of retribution. Singleton was never executed. He died of cancer while awaiting his death sentence in a Florida prison in 2001, sparing him the full measure of legal punishment for his actions.
The Lasting Impact of Singleton’s Crimes
The release of Lawrence Singleton in 1987 after serving only eight years in prison for the attempted murder of Mary Vincent had exposed glaring flaws in the American justice system’s handling of violent offenders. His subsequent murder of Roxanne Hayes was a tragic reminder that some individuals, especially those like Singleton, pose a continuing danger to society and should never be released.
His capture and subsequent trial led to his sentencing to death, though Singleton died in prison from cancer in 2001 before his execution could be carried out.
Advocacy and Legacy
Vincent’s bravery did not end with her survival. She testified once again during Singleton’s murder trial in Florida, confronting the man who had attacked her decades earlier. Her courage became a symbol of strength for victims of violent crimes. After the murder of Roxanne Hayes, Vincent channelled her pain into advocacy, campaigning for stronger protections for victims and pushing for reforms in the justice system. She became a prominent victims’ rights advocate, speaking out against lenient sentences for violent offenders and offering motivational speeches to those who had endured similar trauma.
In large part due to the public outrage surrounding Singleton’s crimes and his early release, California passed laws allowing for harsher sentences for violent offenders. One such law, dubbed the “Singleton Law,” made kidnapping with intent to commit a sex crime punishable by life in prison. This change in the law became part of Vincent’s legacy, ensuring that other victims would not suffer the same injustice she had endured.
A Life of Strength and Resilience
Today, Mary Vincent continues to inspire others with her story of survival and resilience. She lives in Vaughn, Washington, with her husband, Tony McGriff, and has continued her artistic endeavours. Through her work, she creates images of strong, empowered women, a reflection of the strength she embodies every day.