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He Raped Her, Cut Off Her Arms & Threw Her Off A Cliff, But She Survived - The Mary Vincent Case — Transcript

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0:00Imagine this. You're a 15-year-old girl
0:03who's been attacked by a stranger who
0:06chopped off both your arms with a
0:08hatchet, then threw you down a 30-foot
0:10cliff to die. Blood is pouring from
0:13horrific wounds. Your naked and
0:16mutilated body lies alone for miles
0:18around. But instead of giving up and
0:21accepting death, you pack mud into your
0:23wounds to stop the bleeding. Climb up
0:26the cliff with what's left of your body.
0:28then walk three miles on the highway
0:30looking for help. All with just one
0:33thought.
0:35He's going to do this to someone else. I
0:37can't let that happen.
0:40Sound like a science fiction story or
0:42like a scene from a Hollywood horror
0:44movie? Unfortunately, this is the truth
0:47of what happened to Mary Vincent on
0:49September 29th, 1978.
0:52A story that even experienced surgeons
0:55call a medical miracle. Welcome to the
0:58Case Files, where we explore the most
1:01shocking true crime cases in history.
1:04Stories about the darkness in the human
1:06soul, but also about the light of
1:08courage and the will to survive. I'm
1:11your host, and today we'll dive deep
1:14into one of the most horrifying yet
1:17inspiring stories I've ever told. Today,
1:21we'll learn about a case that not only
1:23shook America in the late 1970s, but
1:26also changed California's entire legal
1:29system. A case that forced the entire
1:32nation to question the effectiveness of
1:35the justice system, the protection of
1:37the vulnerable, and whether justice is
1:40truly served. In this episode, we're
1:44taking a deep dive into the infamous
1:45case of the Mary Vincent survival story.
1:49A story about extraordinary courage in
1:52the face of unimaginable brutality.
1:55About the strongest will to live in
1:56criminal history, and about how a young
1:59girl transformed personal tragedy into a
2:02force that changed society,
2:05background, and turbulent family life.
2:09To understand Mary Vincent's story, we
2:11need to go back to 1978 when America was
2:15experiencing profound cultural changes.
2:18This was a time when hitchhiking was
2:20still quite common, especially among
2:23young people. Many considered it a
2:26normal way to travel, part of the free
2:28and adventurous spirit of young
2:30Americans. Mary Vincent was born in
2:331963,
2:35one of seven children in her family. Her
2:38father worked as a mechanic while her
2:40mother was a blackjack dealer at a
2:42casino in Las Vegas. However, Mary's
2:45family life was far from peaceful
2:47beneath the surface. Her parents were
2:50going through a bitter and tense
2:52divorce, creating a heavy atmosphere in
2:54the house. Mary was an artistic and
2:57expressive girl who dreamed of becoming
3:00a professional dancer and traveling the
3:02world. She had real talent in performing
3:05arts. At age 13, Mary performed a solo
3:09dance routine at the Miss Universe
3:11pageant, demonstrating her remarkable
3:13artistic abilities.
3:15But her parents' bitter divorce made
3:17Mary feel suffocated.
3:20Unable to bear the family atmosphere,
3:22she decided to leave home when she was
3:24just 15.
3:26After spending time living on the
3:27streets of Las Vegas, sleeping in
3:29unlocked cars, Mary decided to hitchhike
3:32to Berkeley, California to stay with her
3:35grandfather, the only person in the
3:37family with whom she felt safe and
3:39loved.
3:41Lawrence Singleton, profile of a
3:43predator. Lawrence Bernard Singleton was
3:46born on July 28th, 1927 in Tampa,
3:50Florida. From the outside, he seemed
3:53like an ordinary man. He had been a
3:55merchant seaman, honorably discharged
3:58from service. Singleton had been
4:00married, had a daughter, and seemed
4:02capable of living a normal life like
4:04anyone else. However, behind that gentle
4:08exterior, Singleton hid a dark and
4:11violent nature. By 1978, at age 51, he
4:15had become a dangerous predator, seeking
4:18vulnerable victims on California's
4:20highways. What was terrifying about
4:22Singleton wasn't just his capacity for
4:25violence, but how he could hide his true
4:27nature behind a trustworthy appearance.
4:30He knew how to approach victims, create
4:32a sense of safety before revealing his
4:35true character.
4:38The Fateful Ride, September 29th, 1978.
4:44After staying with her grandfather for
4:45some time in Berkeley, Mary began to
4:48feel homesick. Although the family
4:50situation remained complicated, longing
4:53for family made her decide to return to
4:56Los Angeles. For a 15-year-old with no
4:59means of transportation, hitchhiking was
5:02the only option. On September 29th,
5:051978,
5:07Mary stood by the highway near Modesto,
5:09California, along with two other young
5:12people who also needed rides.
5:14California's autumn weather was quite
5:16hot, and Mary had been waiting for a
5:18long time. She wore simple jeans and a
5:21t-shirt, carrying a small backpack with
5:24a few personal items. A blue pickup
5:27truck stopped. The driver was Lawrence
5:29Singleton, then 51 years old. When the
5:33group of three young people asked if
5:35they could get a ride, Singleton acted
5:37strangely. He said he could only take
5:40one person, even though there was
5:42clearly enough room in the truck for the
5:44whole group. The back of the truck was
5:46completely empty, not even having seats.
5:50Mary's two friends felt something wasn't
5:52right. They pulled Mary aside and
5:55advised her. I wouldn't get in that
5:57truck if I were you. Their instincts had
6:00warned them about the potential danger.
6:02However, Mary was too tired and eager to
6:05get home. She dismissed her friend's
6:08warnings and decided to get in
6:10Singleton's truck. This was the fateful
6:13decision, a choice made in seconds that
6:17changed her entire life. The first hours
6:20in the truck, from safety to suspicion.
6:23Initially, Singleton appeared kind and
6:26friendly. He chatted with Mary about
6:28family, asked about her plans, and why
6:31she was traveling alone. His voice
6:34sounded very normal, even somewhat
6:36caring like a worried father. Mary,
6:39despite still having some doubts after
6:41her friend's warnings, gradually
6:43relaxed. She began telling him about her
6:46parents' divorce, about having to leave
6:48home, and about her dream of becoming a
6:51professional dancer. Singleton listened
6:54and asked questions that seemed
6:56genuinely caring. But about 30 minutes
6:59after departure, Mary began to realize
7:02something was wrong. Instead of
7:04following the highway straight toward
7:06Los Angeles, Singleton had turned onto
7:09small, deserted roads. When Mary asked
7:12why, he explained that this was a
7:14shortcut and would be faster.
7:17Unease rising, Mary demanded that
7:20Singleton returned to the main road. She
7:23even grabbed a small stick that was in
7:25the truck, pointing it at Singleton as a
7:27form of self-defense.
7:29Surprised by Mary's reaction, Singleton
7:32appeared apologetic and quickly returned
7:34to the highway. Mary temporarily felt
7:37relieved, thinking she might have
7:39misunderstood.
7:40Fatigue from days of unstable living
7:43caused her to gradually fall asleep in
7:45the passenger seat.
7:48Beginning of the nightmare.
7:50When Mary woke up, the sun was nearly
7:53setting. She realized the truck had
7:55stopped beside a desolate road,
7:57surrounded only by hills and dry
8:00vegetation.
8:01Singleton said he needed to use the
8:03bathroom and suggested Mary should also
8:05get out to stretch her legs. Mary
8:08stepped out of the truck and bent down
8:10to retie her shoelaces.
8:13That was the moment her life changed
8:15forever.
8:17From behind, Singleton suddenly attacked
8:19Mary with a sledgehammer. The blow to
8:22her head knocked Mary down immediately,
8:24blood flowing from the wound. In her
8:26dazed state, she couldn't resist as
8:29Singleton tied her hands tightly with
8:31rope. Throughout the long night, Mary
8:34endured Singleton's brutal acts. He
8:37raped her multiple times while
8:39continuously threatening to kill Mary if
8:41she dared scream or call for help.
8:45During those horrific hours, Mary tried
8:47to stay conscious, always looking for
8:49ways to escape the situation.
8:52Unimaginable brutal act.
8:55The next morning, when the first rays of
8:57sunlight pierced through the clouds,
8:59Singleton said words to Mary that she
9:01would never forget. You want to be set
9:04free? I'll set you free. Singleton
9:07dragged Mary out of the truck to an area
9:09with a cliff. He took out a large
9:12hatchet, a tool he may have prepared in
9:14advance for this cruel purpose. What
9:17happened next made even the jury members
9:20in court shudder. Singleton placed
9:22Mary's left hand on a log and swung the
9:25hatchet down. Mary's agonizing screams
9:29echoed through the empty valley, but no
9:31one could hear. Then he did the same to
9:34her right hand. According to Mary's
9:38later testimony, Singleton swung the
9:40hatchet more than five times to
9:42completely sever both her arms. Blood
9:45spurted out like a waterfall, staining
9:48the ground around them red. Mary
9:51screamed and begged, but Singleton
9:53remained completely unmoved.
9:56After committing this brutal act,
9:58Singleton threw Mary's mutilated body
10:00down a cliff about 30 ft high,
10:03equivalent to 9 m. He was confident that
10:06Mary would die from blood loss or the
10:08fall and evidence of his crime would
10:10never be discovered. Extraordinary fight
10:13for survival. Lawrence Singleton drove
10:16away completely believing he had erased
10:19all traces and Mary was dead. But he was
10:23very wrong. When Mary regained
10:25consciousness at the bottom of the
10:27cliff, she faced horrific reality. She
10:30lay naked, blood streaming from the
10:33severed wounds on her arms, her body
10:35aching all over. According to doctors
10:38later, Mary had lost more than half the
10:41blood in her body, and what remained was
10:44poisoned.
10:45But instead of giving up, Mary heard a
10:48strong voice in her head. I can't sleep.
10:51He's going to do this to someone else. I
10:54can't let that happen.
10:56With extraordinary survival instinct,
10:59Mary did what doctors later called
11:01unbelievable.
11:03First, she packed mud into the open
11:05wounds to slow the bleeding. An
11:07instinctive but extremely smart action.
11:11Then, with her intact legs and what
11:14remained of her arms, Mary began the
11:17journey, climbing up the 30-foot cliff.
11:20Each climbing step caused extreme pain,
11:23but she didn't stop.
11:25journey seeking help. After more than an
11:28hour, Mary finally climbed up to
11:30Interstate 5. She began walking naked,
11:34bloody, holding up what remained of her
11:36arms to prevent further bleeding, and
11:38also so drivers could see she needed
11:40help. However, the scene was so horrific
11:44that most cars didn't dare stop. Some
11:46drivers might have thought this was a
11:48movie scene. Others were too frightened
11:50to intervene. Mary continued walking
11:54each step a test of will. She had walked
11:57nearly 3 miles about 5 kilometers in
12:00those horrific conditions.
12:02Finally, a young couple on their
12:04honeymoon who had gotten lost saw Mary.
12:08At first, they too were frightened and
12:10couldn't believe their eyes. But when
12:12they realized this was a real emergency,
12:15they stopped their car. The woman sat in
12:18the back seat so Mary could lie down
12:21while the husband drove as fast as
12:23possible to the nearest hospital. They
12:25called an ambulance from a public phone
12:28and Mary was taken by helicopter to the
12:30hospital.
12:32Investigation process and creating the
12:35portrait. As soon as she arrived at the
12:38hospital, despite being in critical
12:40condition, Mary insisted on cooperating
12:42with police. She knew that catching
12:45Singleton wasn't just about justice for
12:47herself, but also about preventing him
12:50from harming others. Mary described
12:53Lawrence Singleton with amazing
12:55accuracy. She clearly remembered his
12:57face, height, weight, hair color, even
13:00his voice, and how he dressed. As Mary
13:04later shared, "I described him like you
13:07would describe someone to a blind
13:09person."
13:11The police sketch artist worked with
13:13Mary for hours to create the most
13:15accurate portrait possible. The result
13:18was a drawing with amazing accuracy.
13:20When compared to the mugsh shot after
13:22arrest, the similarity was nearly
13:25perfect. Arresting Lawrence Singleton,
13:28the portrait was widely published in
13:30California media. Within just a week,
13:33one of Lawrence Singleton's neighbors
13:35recognized him and reported to police.
13:38When police came to search Singleton's
13:39house in Modesto, he had tried to erase
13:42all traces. The truck had been washed
13:44clean. The interior changed. However,
13:48forensic experts still found important
13:50evidence.
13:52In the truck, they discovered remnants
13:54of cigarettes Singleton smoked, fabric
13:57fibers from Mary's clothes, and most
13:59importantly, blood stains that Singleton
14:02couldn't completely clean. DNA wasn't
14:05widely used then, but this physical
14:08evidence was strong enough. Historic
14:11trial of 1979.
14:14Lawrence Singleton's trial took place in
14:16extremely tense atmosphere. National
14:19media focused on the case and the
14:21courtroom was always packed. Mary
14:23Vincent, then 16 years old, showed
14:27amazing courage by agreeing to testify.
14:30With newly fitted metal prosthetic arms,
14:32she entered the courtroom and faced
14:35directly the person who had caused her
14:37unspeakable pain. When asked to identify
14:40the perpetrator, Mary pointed straight
14:42at Lawrence Singleton with her metal
14:44hook replacement for her hand and
14:47declared in a clear, firm voice, "I was
14:50attacked. I was raped and my hands were
14:53cut off. He used a hatchet. He left me
14:57to die."
14:59Mary's testimony lasted many hours with
15:02details that made many in the courtroom
15:04shudder. She recounted every minute,
15:08every second of the nightmare, leaving
15:10out no detail.
15:13Singleton throughout the trial tried to
15:15defend himself by falsely accusing Mary
15:18of being a prostitute, claiming she had
15:21threatened him and that he was just the
15:23victim of false accusations.
15:26However, no one believed these shameless
15:28lies. The jury needed less than 4 hours
15:31to reach a decision. Lawrence Singleton
15:34was guilty of all charges, including
15:37rape, attempted murder, kidnapping, and
15:40assault with torture.
15:43Controversial sentence. Lawrence
15:45Singleton was sentenced to 14 years in
15:48prison, the maximum sentence under
15:50California law at that time. The judge
15:53in the trial declared, "If I had the
15:56power, I would sentence him to life."
15:59But the most outrageous thing wasn't the
16:0114-year sentence, but the fact that
16:04Singleton only served exactly 8 years
16:06and 4 months before being parrolled in
16:091987 for good behavior. When news of
16:13Singleton's impending release spread,
16:16waves of outrage rose throughout
16:18California, not a single city or town
16:21would accept him as a resident. People
16:23organized protests everywhere with the
16:26slogan, "No Singleton here." Finally,
16:29Singleton had to live in a trailer
16:31placed right on San Quentin prison
16:33grounds until his parole period ended.
16:37Mary's new life from victim to victor.
16:41While Singleton was in prison, Mary
16:43Vincent began the long and challenging
16:46journey of rebuilding her life. She
16:48underwent more than 30 surgeries to
16:50restore function and fit prosthetic
16:53arms. Although her dream of becoming a
16:56professional dancer was shattered, Mary
16:58found a new path to express herself.
17:01Painting. She learned to paint with
17:04prosthetic arms, creating works focused
17:07on images of strong, optimistic women.
17:11Mary estimated she created about 4,000
17:13art pieces since losing her hands. Most
17:17of the paintings were sold or donated,
17:19proving not only her artistic ability,
17:22but also her extraordinary optimistic
17:24spirit.
17:27Crime repeats and Singleton's death. The
17:30worst prediction came true.
17:33On February 19th, 1997,
17:36exactly 10 years after being released,
17:38Lawrence Singleton killed Roxanne Hayes,
17:41a mother of three in Tampa, Florida.
17:44Police found him in the house covered in
17:46blood after stabbing the victim to death
17:48with a bon knife more than 12 times.
17:51Mary Vincent upon hearing this news
17:54declared to the press. I feel devastated
17:57because it had to happen again before
17:59anyone realized he shouldn't have been
18:01released in the first place. If the
18:03justice system had done its job the
18:05first time, Roxanne Hayes would still be
18:08alive.
18:10This time, Lawrence Singleton was
18:12sentenced to death. However, before the
18:15sentence could be carried out, he died
18:17of cancer in prison in 2001.
18:21Mary Vincent becomes social activist.
18:24Mary not only healed herself but also
18:27transformed her painful experience into
18:29a voice for other victims. She became a
18:32renowned national victim's advocate. In
18:351997 when Singleton was tried for
18:38killing Roxanne Hayes, Mary volunteered
18:41to fly to Florida to testify against him
18:43once more. She used her influence to
18:45draw attention to legal loopholes. In
18:481998, Mary Vincent went to Washington DC
18:52to testify in support of the No Second
18:55Chances for Murderers, Rapists, or Child
18:58Molesters Act before the US Congress.
19:02Mary Vincent's story isn't just about
19:05extraordinary survival, but also about
19:07the transformative power of human will.
19:11From a 15-year-old victim, devastated
19:13both physically and mentally, Mary rose
19:16to become a talented artist, an
19:18influential social activist, and an
19:21inspiration to millions of people
19:23worldwide.
19:25Mary Vincent, now Mary McGriff, married
19:28Tony McGriff and became the mother of
19:31two sons. Currently, she lives
19:34peacefully in Vaughan, Washington, away
19:36from public attention.
19:38as she shared in 2023,
19:41"I'm just happy with life. There are so
19:44many wonderful things out there." This
19:47case led to the passage of the Singleton
19:49Act in 1987 in California, mandating
19:53sentences of 25 years to life for crimes
19:57involving torture. This was an important
20:00legal change born from Mary's pain, but
20:04that will protect countless other
20:06victims in the future.
20:08Mary Vincent's story reminds us of the
20:10importance of reforming the justice
20:12system, protecting the vulnerable, and
20:15never underestimating the power of human
20:18will. This is also a warning about being
20:21careful with strangers while being a
20:24hymn about the amazing resilience of
20:26humans.
20:28If you find this story meaningful,
20:30please share it to honor Mary Vincent's
20:32courage and remind everyone of the
20:34importance of protecting victims of
20:36violence. Don't forget to subscribe to
20:39the channel and hit the notification
20:41bell so you don't miss other true crime
20:44stories that will make you reflect on
20:46the darkness and light in the human
20:49soul. Thank you for following the case
20:51files. Mary Vincent proved that even in
20:54the darkest circumstances, hope and
20:57courage can still triumph.
21:00See you in the next episode.

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