Customer Reviews

The Mad Chopper

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Very few murderers have the horrendous history of Larry Singleton. Kent Allard spells out the legal prostitution of the state of California who released Singleton after he mutilated and raped beautiful 15-year-old Mary Vincent in 1978. When Singleton was paroled after serving only 8 years in prison, Californians were outraged. A small army of law enforcement officers wasted tax payer money to guard him as though he was a famous star. Eventually he moved to Florida where he knifed to death a mother during a sex act. Allard's accurate account records the horrible deeds of a monster. By memorializing Singleton's pitiful life Allard forces his readers to take a cold, hard look at our justice system. Recently victim Mary Vincent whose arms were chopped off by Singleton appeared before California Governor Grey Davis. She is a beautiful young woman who has incredible talent as an artist. She has recently married and feels optimistic about her future now that Singleton is on Florida's death row.

Larry Singleton a monster personified. Paroled after only 8 years because the "assault" with which he was charged could not give him a life sentence. Chopping off both arms of a child could produce only an "assault conviction." Singleton had no problem being a "good" convict, and got time off for good behavior. Because of our present laws designed to protect the rights of the perpertrator California taxpayers had to foot the bill to protect this monster after he was paroled. Not even local governments in the state could keep him out of their midst. Why doesn't it surprise me that another woman became his victim. At least the state of Florida doesn't fool around with it's criminals. Perhaps Singleton will pay for his victimization.

I didn't expect much when I picked up this book- I got a whole lot more than I bargained for.

Larry Singleton is a strange fellow. I really liked how the book contained chapter after chapter of direct quotes taken from police interviews. The subject is grisly, but the cat and mouse game is hilarious. Larry trips himself up with lie after lie, time after time.

You almost feel sorry for him.

The book maintains a healthy balance, however, as we feel the pain and gain a lot of empathy, and sympathy, for his victims- especially his first.

This was a fast read. I couldn't put it down.

I was afraid, at first, the book might be too graphic- and too morbid- but it wasn't. It was well written and a real page turner.

This true story was written and published while this piece of work was on death row for the murder of Florida resident Roxanne Hayes, and it was partly because of foolish California laws which were in effect at the time, that this crime, this man's second major trial, and second conviction even happened.

Up until 1978, Merchant Marine and Korean War veteran Larry Singleton had kept a clean nose in the eyes of the law. Though he was a hard-core drunk he was a quiet neighbor, had a military pension, loved making macrame, and seemed to keep to himself. But he obviously wasn't against picking up a young, pretty hitchiker and having his way with her.

15-year-old Mary Vincent, through a series of unfortunate events, had found herself on the streets and alone, with nowhere to turn, so she decided to hitch a ride to her grandparents' house and get some support while she figured what to do with her life. Long-and-short: Singleton took her to a wooded area, raped her, then panicked at the thought of being convicted of raping a minor, going to prison, and losing his pension. After strangling her to the point of unconsciousness, HE TOOK A HATCHET FROM HIS VAN AND LOPPED BOTH OF MARY'S ARMS OFF AT THE ELBOW and left her to die in a ditch! And to make it worse, SHE WOKE UP JUST IN TIME TO SEE THE HATCHET BLADE SLAM THROUGH HER ARM! She was picked up the next morning by the side of the road and taken to the hospital, and a week or so later, Singleton was arrested after being identified from a police sketch. (side note - a fisherman found one of her arms in the San Francisco Bay)

There is a long passage in this book documenting the police interrogation about this crime, and it displays just how Singlton's mind worked. He trips himself up again and again with lie after lie, and if it weren't such a gut-wrenching story, it would be funny, because he actually expects the police to believe his story, even though he clearly doesn't even believe it himself. During the writing of this passage, some paragraphs were mistakenly removed and inserted elsewhere during the interrogation; the part where Singleton is being questioned about his relationship with his daughter. It was obviously an error during the writing, but figuring out where it goes isn't too hard, though a little confusing at first.

The story goes on to tell about his early release (he served 8 years of a 14-year sentence...meanwhile, Mary Vincent's arms are gone permanently) and how hard it was to find a place to live. He had police protection, due to fears of vigilante justice. It wasn't fair, who protected Vincent? He had police protection until he settled in Florida, while she struggled to survive, even living in an abandoned gas station for a while because she had nowhere to go.

Then this doofus ruined any chance he had at a normal life by procuring the services of local prostitute Roxanne Hayes and killing her while he was drunk and high on pills. It makes for sad, gripping reading, because Hayes was a very nice woman, just doing some things the law said not to do. This review seems to give a lot away, but not really. The story is infuriating, because it depicts the hatred he carried around in his heart, the fear Vincent had for her own life, her daily struggle, and how he got caught killing Hayes; this was a particularly vicious assault, almost like an angry animal pulverizing it's helpless prey.

Singleton was dirt. The book doesn't reveal his ultimate fate, though he did get his in the end: He was sent to Death Row, the oldest inmate in the prison system to be sentenced to death, and the one thing he feared in life, cancer, is what did him in. Mary Vincent can now relax (he swore he'd get her one day), the state doesn't have to deal with an execution, and the world is rid of a truly worthless human being, just as repulsive on the inside as on the outside.

Four stars for the rearragning of the paragraphs during the police investigation, lack of trial details, and not waiting until the story actually ended before publishing, but otherwise a very good telling of one really horriffic story.

This is a true story based on killer that I am sure few have heard about, but of the ones that have, many of them have tried to understand. This book is very well written, and recounts the many different aspects surrounding the murders commited by Lawrence Singleton through the eyes of all those invloved in the case. From what I could see the author took great care in preserving details, and made a valiant effort to leave nothing out.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it overnight which was a true feat for me! It was definitely a tragic story but a truly awesome sequence of events. Enjoy!!

Let's face it, the picture says a thousand words. He looks like a mad man. The book does a decent job in recollecting who perhaps done an unforgettable crime. A woman was nearly murdered but survived with artifical hands because Larry Singleton chopped them off to prevent identification but she was still alive and she survived miraculously. Years later, she would recall the crime after he was freed to roam to again and kill again. The book does a thorough job in explaining the background but we'll never know why he did the unthinkable in destroying his first victim's life who was tormented and begged for him to stay in prison. They were wrong to let him loose on the streets and now he is in prison for the rest of his life but judging from the photograph, it may not be long.

Can anyone tell me if there is additional info available on Mary Vincent, the teenaged victim of Larry Stapleton in 1978? Was there ever a book written on her attack, in addition to the mention of her ordeal in the mad chopper? I have read the Mad Chopper. Excellant writer. Straight to the point. Extremely informative. I will watch for other books by the same.