The Mad Chopper

by Fred Rosen, Kent Allard

In 1978, Larry Singleton brutally raped and mutilated a 15-year-old girl -- using a hatchet to turn her arms into bloody stumps. The girl survived -- and bravely testified against the monster. However, Singleton was paroled after spending only 8 years in prison -- and stabbed another young woman to death. How, as Singleton awaits punishment for a savage murder, an outraged public is left to question a legal system that let a serial slasher free...to kill.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Serial Killer

Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

American true crime author and former columnist for the Arts and Leisure Section of The New York Times.

Rosen's published works in the genre include Lobster Boy, There But For the Grace: Survivors of the 20th Century’s Infamous Serial Killers and When Satan Wore a Cross.

He is also the winner of Library Journal’s Best Reference Source 2005 award for The Historical Atlas of American Crime, and has written many other works of historical non-fiction including Cremation in America, Contract Warriors and Gold!.

Reviews

[Lee Husemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading true crime books for years and I had not heard of The Mad Chopper before. It was really nice to read about someone that I was not familiar with, Lawrence Singleton. Author Fred Rosen did a fantastic job presenting this very sad story that held my interest until the end.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wouldn't want to meet him in an alley.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting (and horrific) case. The book was admirably concise at 161 pages, but still managed to drag in the middle when during police questioning, the perpetrator's denials went on and on and on...

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreadful, nauseating story of Mary Vincent and what happened to her life after she was kidnapped, raped and had her hands chopped off at 15 by some random piece of filth sex criminal. The story very properly focuses on her and his effect on her, and how she improbably survived all of it.

[Bill reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Larry Singleton had survived the bloody Battle at Pork Chop Hill while serving in Korea. He was later a seaman on a supply ship in Vietnam. He passed vigorous tests to earn a Captain's license and worked as a merchant marine. His first wife died of cancer and his second wife described him as a wonderful husband when he was sober.
Mary Vincent ran away from a troubled home at fifteen and was sleeping in cars near the U of C Berkeley when she accepted a ride from Larry Singleton. He drove his van to a desolate area and proceeded to rape the girl repeatedly. He then cut off her arms at the elbow and left her to die in a drainage ditch. Miraculously, she survived and crawled two miles to a highway where she was rescued.
Larry was soon caught, tried and convicted of seven counts including rape and attempted murder. California law had a maximum sentence of fourteen years in 1978.
After being paroled eight years later, he was assisted by family members in Florida. Twenty years had not calmed his inner demons. He was a regular customer of Roxanne Hayes, a mother of three and a woman with over one hundred arrests for prostitution. He brought her home, cooked dinner, and after the meal the couple had a romantic encounter. Roxy complained of the rising price of cocaine, and in a dispute over the financial terms of their tryst, Larry lost it and stabbed the unfortunate woman to death.
The trial was quick and Singleton was incarcerated at the prison in Starke.
The book was published in 1998 and an Internet search provides the reader with a satisfying conclusion. The Mad Chopper is a good read.

[Clarke]

It feels weird rating this book so I won’t. What I will say though is that Lawrence Singleton is an absolute monster. I hope he rots. I also learned that the American judicial system fails at the most crucial times. I hope Mary Vincent has/had (I don’t know if she passed away) a peaceful life.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Attempted murder of a teenage girl then 20 years later he killed a prostitute

I recall the news reports of the teenager whose arms were chopped off in California, but I never heard of the stabbing death of the prostitute until I saw this book. Fred Rosen does a good job of telling about the crimes and making the victims and the perpetrator very vivid as you read. I think any true crime fan would find this book to be a page Turner as I did. Hats off to him!

[Sunni · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 committed by Lawrence Singleton through the eyes of all those involved 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.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

The book was very well written and kept my interest peaked. The only section I found repetitive was the quoted sessions during his first arrest when he refused to confess

[stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

borrowed from rick giordano.

[Trisha Ryan]

interesting book