17-year-old Lisa McVey had decided she was going to end her life. She wrote her goodbye letter and was on her way home after work to end it all when she was kidnapped by a serial killer...and she's alive today because of it.

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The Story Of Lisa McVey

In 1984, 17-year-old Lisa McVey of Tampa, Florida lost her will to live after years of being sexually abused by the boyfriend of a family member.

McVey had written her goodbye letter to her family and tragically decided that when she got home after work from a double shift at her local donut shop, she would end her life.

As she rode her bike home in the 2 am hour of November 3, 1984, her plans were abruptly stopped short.

Suddenly, McVey was violently yanked off of her bike from behind as someone put a gun to her head and said “Shut up or I’ll blow your brains out” according to allthatsinteresting.com.

The attacker then tied McVey up, blindfolded her, and threw her into his car.

McVey says her grandmother's boyfriend who had sexually abused her for years would routinely put a gun to her head and threaten to kill her if she ever told anyone. As a result, McVey was fairly collected as her abductor threatened to kill her because sadly, she was used to it, and...what's the difference? She was about to kill herself anyway right?

 

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Tied up and blindfolded, Lisa McVey was eventually able to see slightly under her blindfold and methodically began making mental notes of every piece of information she could just in case she survived.

From allthatsinteresting.com -

"First, she used a small open space below the blindfold to size up the car — a red Dodge Magnum.

McVey tracked the minutes passing, noted that they were driving north, and counted every step as McVey took her inside his apartment in Tampa."

For the next 26 hours, Lisa VcMvey was repeatedly and viciously assaulted and raped by her abductor.

However, it was during these abhorrent, unimaginably tragic 26 hours that McVey realized she didn't want to die.

Using her incredible intelligence, her newfound urge and will to live, and information she says she learned from watching "a lot of crime shows", Mcvey transformed into something her abductor never saw coming.

Serial Killer Bobby Joe Long

Bobby Joe Long Serial Killer
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While 17-year-old Lisa McVey clearly understood how dangerous her situation was, what she didn't know at the time was that her abductor was serial killer and serial rapist Bobby Joe Long.

From allthatsinteresting.com -

"Before he kidnapped Lisa McVey, Bobby Joe Long had already murdered eight women. He would go on to kill two more after releasing McVey. In addition, Long had also committed more than 50 rapes."

Long was eventually sentenced to death for two of the ten murders and was executed by lethal injection on May 23, 2019.

So, how did McVey keep from becoming another one of Long's victims?

She began making up stories in an attempt to humanize herself to her abuser, and it worked.

The story that seemed to make the biggest impact on Long was when McVey lied to him and said her father was very ill and that she was his only caregiver.

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After 26 hours of torture and rape, suddenly Long blindfolded her again and told her he was taking her home.

Clearly, McVey didn't believe him and thought for sure this was it.

At roughly 4:30 am Long eventually stopped his car behind a business and told her to get out and wait 5 minutes before taking her blindfold off.

According to McVey, as she got out of the car, Long said "Tell your father he’s the reason why I didn’t kill you."

12 days later, due to the information Lisa McVey was able to gather and share with police, Bobby Joe Long was arrested.

In 2004 McVey entered the police academy, eventually becoming an officer with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office where she currently works specializing in sex crimes.

Read more at allthatisinteresting.com.

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