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How a teenager survived being kidnapped by a serial murderer<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/01\/AIGNSFXNABHP5ETTTDSLYOZD3Y-2.jpg” title_text=”AIGNSFXNABHP5ETTTDSLYOZD3Y” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-gallery-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#111111″ text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”-2.75%||||false|false” custom_padding=”4px|8px|4px|8px|true|true” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Lisa McVey was just 17 when she was abducted by serial killer Bobby Joe Long<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
At 2am on 3 November 1984, Lisa McVey was cycling home from her shift at Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Tampa, Florida. It was meant to be the last time the 17-year-old made the eight-minute journey, because the following day, she planned to take her own life. She\u2019d already written her suicide note.
But as Lisa cycled along the deserted street, she noticed a maroon car idling in a car park. Riding past, she glanced back when she was knocked off her bike, and a gun put to her head. Lisa later said that, as her assailant dragged her into his car, she didn\u2019t want to die. \u201cI knew in that moment I had to survive… I told myself I was going to live.\u201d
Lisa endured a 26-hour ordeal at the hands of serial killer Bobby Joe Long, but she escaped and her courage finally brought him to justice. Now, 40 years later, Lisa\u2019s story is back in the spotlight, as the film about her life \u2013 Believe Me \u2013 is topping the charts on Netflix.
Lisa, now 54, described her childhood as \u201chorrific\u201d. Her mother was an alcoholic and drug addict, and she\u2019d spent much of her early years in the care system, going from one abusive home to another. Then, when Lisa was 14, her grandmother offered her a place to stay at her home in Tampa. But it wasn\u2019t the haven Lisa had hoped for. Instead, her grandmother\u2019s boyfriend began sexually abusing her. Shockingly, Lisa\u2019s grandmother was well aware of the abuse, telling Lisa she needed to \u201clearn how to please a man\u201d. Having endured so much, Lisa was ready to end it all. She said, \u201cI was tired of living.\u201d
Lisa knew there was a killer on the loose in her area. Bobby Joe Long\u2019s first victim was discovered in May 1984, when the Hillsborough County Sheriff\u2019s Office was alerted that the body of a woman had been found on an overpass, naked and bound with rope. Between May and November, the bodies of ten women were found in the Tampa Bay area. Some were sex workers and dancers, others were students. Almost all of the women had been raped and strangled, before being dumped on the side of the road.
Lisa said of the murders, \u201cIt frightened me because where I worked at, I used to have to ride a bicycle. I always used to wonder, \u2018Will I be the next victim?\u2019 And then you think, \u2018It can\u2019t happen to me\u2019. But it did.\u201d\u2028<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/01\/1538167205074-2.jpg” title_text=”1538167205074″ force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-gallery-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#111111″ text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”-2.75%||||false|false” custom_padding=”4px|8px|4px|8px|true|true” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Avid crime show fan Lisa, was determined to remember everything she could to help police find Long<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Long accosted Lisa on her way home from work, dragging her off her bike and into his 1978 Dodge Magnum. He ordered her to strip and perform a sex act on him. She was then tied up, before being gagged and blindfolded. She said, \u201cI remember pleading with God, \u2018Whatever you do, just don\u2019t let him kill me\u2019.\u201d And Lisa believed the abuse she\u2019d endured as a child gave her the determination to survive. She said, \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to allow someone else to take anything else from me.\u201d
In the 26 hours that followed, Lisa gathered an extraordinary amount of information \u2013 her love of detective shows meant that she knew what kind of evidence the police would need to catch her killer. Despite being blindfolded, she caught a glimpse of the Magnum badge on Long\u2019s car and noted the white seats and red carpet. She also paid attention to the twists and turns of the journey they took. Lisa said, \u201cI was very good with directions and landmarks, because I rode a bicycle to work every single day.\u201d
When they arrived at an apartment building, Lisa counted the number of steps she climbed. Peeking under her blindfold, she could make out that her attacker\u2019s skin was white \u2013 she even noted that he was left-handed. Once in the apartment, Lisa was subjected to a horrific ordeal. She said, \u201cI was raped over and over. I lost count.\u201d But Lisa refused to be broken. She asked Long if she could go to the bathroom, and while alone inside, she made a point of leaving her fingerprints all over the sink, walls and toilet.
At one point, Lisa asked Long why he was doing this. \u2028She said, \u201cHe said, due to a recent break-up, he was getting back at women in general.\u201d But Lisa worked hard to get on Long\u2019s good side. She did everything he said, and didn\u2019t try to fight him or run away, as she was sure this would encourage him to kill her. \u2028She also made up a lie that she lived with her elderly father, saying he was unwell and she was the only person who could look after him. So, when Long placed Lisa\u2019s hands on his face, she knew she was gaining his trust. She said, \u201cI saw his face through my hands. Pockmarks, small moustache, small ears, short hair, clean-cut. Kind of stout, but not overweight. Big guy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Lisa’s ordeal has been turned into Netflix drama Believe Me<\/p>\n
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At around 4am, Long started asking Lisa what he should do with her. Again, her\u00a0 response was an\u00a0 attempt to save her life. \u201cI said, \u2018It\u2019s unfortunate how we met. I could be your girlfriend, I could take care of you and no one ever has to know\u2019. Reverse psychology… treating him like a four-year-old,\u201d she said. \u2028But at this point, Long grew nervous, and said he couldn\u2019t keep her. Instead, he gave Lisa another woman\u2019s shirt \u2013 most likely from one of his earlier victims \u2013 and ordered her to get dressed. He then took her out to his car and asked Lisa where he should drop her off.
After 15 minutes, Long stopped at a bank to use the ATM. Lisa remembers seeing a motorway sign, meaning she knew which area she was in. But she didn\u2019t try to flee, as she was sure Long was testing her loyalty. He then got back into the car, and drove for a further few minutes before dropping her off. \u2028He even hugged her, saying, \u201cTell your father he\u2019s the reason I didn\u2019t kill you.\u201d He let her out of the car and told her to wait five minutes before taking off her blindfold, before driving away. Lisa said, \u201cI pulled my blindfold down and the first thing I saw was this gorgeous oak tree \u2013 and that\u2019s the moment I knew my life was about to change, for the good. Branches of new life.\u201d
Lisa ran back to her grandmother\u2019s house, but her gran wasn\u2019t relieved by her return. In fact, she called the police and told them Lisa was making up a story about being kidnapped. Thankfully, the police said they still had to do an investigation and brought Lisa in for questioning.
Again, Lisa\u2019s calm demeanour meant investigators thought she was lying. That is, until she spoke to Sergeant Larry Pinkerton, who was investigating the murders of women in the area. \u2028Lisa told Pinkerton everything \u2013 from the abuse she\u2019d suffered at the hands of\u00a0 her grandmother\u2019s boyfriend (he was immediately arrested), to every single detail about Long, his car and his apartment.
Because of Lisa\u2019s detailed story, the police were able to look at the records from the ATM where Long had stopped before dropping her off. They compared the list with people who had maroon Dodge Magnums in the area and were able to come \u2028up with a name: Bobby Joe Long. \u2028<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/01\/lisa_mcvey_768x432.jpg” title_text=”lisa_mcvey_768x432″ force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-gallery-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#111111″ text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”-2.75%||||false|false” custom_padding=”3px|8px|3px|8px|true|true” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
After his execution, Lisa told the media that she had forgiven Long<\/p>\n
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Long\u00a0 was arrested on 16 November 1984, 12 days after abducting Lisa. By that time, he\u2019d already killed two more women. He went on to confess to Lisa\u2019s kidnap, as well \u2028as the murders of all the others. Long pleaded guilty at his trial in 1985. It was later revealed that he had a history of hating women. After his parents split up, Long spent most of his childhood with his mother, who he shared a bed with until he was 13. His mum worked in a bar and often brought men home, and Long was said to resent her for it. Long married his childhood sweetheart in 1974, but around the same time, suffered a motorbike accident. He sustained a head injury, which led him to becoming increasingly violent and sadistic.
After his wife divorced him, Long moved to Miami, where he committed at least 50 rapes. He would respond to classified adverts for small appliances and, finding women alone at home, he\u2019d rape them. He was convicted for those crimes in 1981, but after requesting a new trial, the charges were dropped. But at his trial in September 1985, Long was finally brought to justice. According to the\u00a0Florida Department of Corrections, Long was given one five-year sentence, four 99-year sentences, 28 life sentences, and one death sentence.
After her ordeal, Lisa \u2013 who had been placed in a centre for runaway teens \u2013\u00a0 went to live with her aunt and uncle. She said, \u201cThey were the only people who ever showed me love.\u201d Lisa went on to get married and have children, before she started working for the Hillsborough County Sheriff\u2019s Office \u2013 the same force that helped track down her rapist. She\u2019s said, \u201cNo one is going to get hurt on my watch. That was my motivation to become a police officer.\u201d
Bobby Joe Long was finally executed by lethal injection on 23 May 2019, after 34 years on Death Row. Lisa was at the execution, where she sat in the front row, wearing \u2028a homemade T-shirt with the words \u201cLong… overdue\u201d written on it. Speaking to the media, she thanked Long, saying, \u201cThe reason why I say thank you now is that I\u2019ve forgiven you for what you\u2019ve done to me. Had I not forgiven you, I might as well be \u2028in my own prison without walls.\u201d<\/p>\n
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murderer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":1951,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-life"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"closermag","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1949"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1959,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1949\/revisions\/1959"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/closer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Read 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