Teen with no arms left for dead in ravine helped catch attacker

(Image: MediaNews Group via Getty Images)

Mary Vincent was just 15 years old when she survived a horrific attack that left her fighting for her life in a ravine with both arms severed.

In the autumn of 1978, Mary had run away from home and was hitchhiking to her grandfather’s house when she was approached by an older man driving a blue van. Though hesitant, she accepted the lift - a decision that would change her life forever.

The driver was 51-year-old Lawrence Singleton, a former merchant seaman.

After gaining her trust, he drove her down a deserted road near Modesto, California. There, the situation turned violent.

According to court records, Singleton knocked Mary unconscious, stripped and bound her, and repeatedly assaulted her throughout the night, ignoring her desperate pleas f