Mary Vincent Climbed Out of a Ravine and Helped Catch Attacker Lawrence Singleton

NEED TO KNOW

In 1978, 15-year-old Mary Vincent was attacked by a man who severed both her arms and left her in a ravine

She packed her wounds with dirt, then crawled up a 30-foot embankment to reach the road

Bleeding and barely alive, she flagged down a passing car — and later helped identify her attacker in court

In the fall of 1978, 15-year-old Mary Vincent was hitchhiking near Modesto, Calif., hoping to get to her grandfather’s house after running away from home. When a seemingly kind older man in a blue van pulled over and offered her a ride, she hesitated — but accepted.

The man was 51-year-old Lawrence Singleton, a former merchant seaman. After stopping briefly to pick up other passengers and being refused, Singleton continued alone with Mary, eventually turning off onto a deser