How a 17-year-old Convinced a Serial Killer to Spare her Life

Lisa McVey had always been a survivor. Growing up a victim of abuse, daughter of a mother with drug and alcohol problems, Lisa was sexually assaulted on a regular basis between 14 and 17 years old. Forced deep into depression, even contemplating suicide, Lisa had no way of knowing that her experience with abusive men would one day save her life.

Lisa’s Abduction

With an alcoholic mother who lost their home due to addiction, Lisa had to fend for herself from a young age.

When she was 14 years old, Lisa moved in with her grandmother and her grandmother’s partner. As Lisa’s mom was living on the street, Lisa had nowhere else to turn.

When the abuse began, at the hands of her grandmother's partner, Lisa’s fighting spirit was all that kept her going. Regularly raped in her own bed, Lisa’s despair grew and grew.

At 17 years old, Lisa began working a job at a local doughnut shop, hoping that she could earn money enough to leave her Grandmother’s home.

In the winter of 1984, Lisa reached an all-time low. Unable to escape her abuser, she felt that life was no longer worth living. By the night of November 3rd, 1984, she had concluded that suicide was her only option. Lisa decided that when she got home that night, she was going to end her pain and her life forever. Lisa had already written a suicide note.

That night, a chance encounter with a serial killer would change Lisa’s life and give her back the fighting spirit that she needed to survive, and ultimately, to live.

As Lisa rode her bicycle home from her shift, a car drove into her.

Surprisingly, the man leaping from the vehicle was not coming to Lisa’s aid. Quickly he came to Lisa, pointed a gun at her head, and pulled her into his car. Once inside the vehicle the man produced a knife and blindfolded Lisa before speeding off with them both inside.

A little while later, the pair arrived at the man’s apartment. Once inside, Lisa was raped countless times. As she endured these heinous violations, Lisa found her thoughts turning to survival:

“I was deathly afraid that he was going to kill me. Here I was thinking about killing myself, and now I was going to be fighting for my life.” — Lisa McVey, The Tampa Tribune

After hours in the man’s apartment and with no clue as to his identity, Lisa found her fighting spirit and began to think about how she could save herself from certain death — her captor had made it clear that he would kill her.

Lisa knew that to live, she would need to make her captor see her as a human being. As someone with whom he could empathize and relate.

Gathering courage, Lisa began talking to the man, asking him about his life, his thoughts, and his motivations. All the time he talked, Lisa was plotting her next question or comment. Drawing on her experience with predatory men, she was able to steer the conversation to the point where her abductor gave away some critical information that she could use.

The kidnapper disclosed that he’d been dumped by his girlfriend and felt humiliated; he was taking his revenge on young women that he didn’t know.

Lisa immediately honed in on his pathetic excuses and insecurities, turning them to her advantage.

‘’I told him that I would have been proud to be his girlfriend and that he seemed like a decent man’’ — Lisa McVey, The People.

This disgusting man was so in touch with his ego, that Lisa’s plan quickly began to work. Now that Lisa had his attention, she concocted a story to appeal to him.

Claiming to have a sick father, she managed to convince her rapist that he would be a bigger man if he let her go. Freeing her was a courageous and noble thing to do.

After enduring 26 hours in his apartment, the man discarded Lisa on the outskirts of town and left her there — alive.

“When he released me and drove off, I took off my blindfold and saw this amazing oak tree. I had wanted to die before and now I wanted to live.” — Lisa McVey, The People.

Man Hunt

Her ordeal over, Lisa was ready to turn to the police for help. Amazingly, despite being subjected to such a horrific ordeal, Lisa was able to guide the police.

Not only could she provide an astoundingly accurate description of her abductor, but she was also able to describe how she’d heard him stop the vehicle and knew he’d used an ATM, just before he dropped her off.

By peeking under her blindfold in his apartment and in his vehicle, Lisa had gathered vital clues and the police wasted no time.

Using the ATM lead that Lisa had given them, the police quickly pulled up bank records and found that only one male had used that ATM within the time window they’d established — Bobby Joe Long.

Bobby Joe Long — Thief, Rapist, Abductor, Killer

Lisa was shocked to hear that she’d been captured by a notorious killer. At the time of her attack, Long was already wanted by police across Florida for multiple rapes and suspected murders.

Before moving to Florida, Long had also committed more than 50 rapes across California.

On the west coast, Long was known as the Classified Ads Rapist. Long would scour newspaper adverts where homeowners listed unwanted small appliances for sale. Claiming to be a buyer, Long would then go to the home in the hope of finding a woman alone. Which he did. Many times. Long would then ask to use the bathroom, where he’d prepare his ‘rape kit’ before attacking the woman and robbing the house.

Long was tried and convicted for rape in 1981 but requested a new trial, which was granted but the charges were dropped. Following Lisa’s escape just 3 years later, the police had a description and other details, they launched a fresh manhunt.

Tragically, Long abducted, raped, and murdered two more women that week; Virginia Johnson (18) and Kim Swann (21).

Finally, Long was apprehended outside of a cinema. Immediately waiving his rights, he confessed to Lisa’s abduction and rape. When presented with evidence of his other crimes, Long was startled and suddenly reverted to ‘no comment’ and requested a lawyer.

Long reached a plea deal for eight of the murders and the abduction and rape of Lisa McVey. Long pled guilty on September 24, 1985, to all of these crimes, receiving:

1 x five-year sentence

4 x 99-year sentences

28 x life sentences

1 x death sentence

Long managed to appeal the death sentence for decades, but in 2019, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed his first-ever death warrant — Bobby Joe Long’s death warrant.

30 years after being convicted, Long would die for his heinous crimes against women.

On 23rd May 2019, Bobby Joe Long ate his last meal of roast beef, bacon, french fries, and soda. Once prepared for the lethal injection, Long declined to make a final statement and was declared dead at 6.55 pm local time.

Lisa McVey had a front-row seat for the execution.

Some brave women survived rape, violence, and robbery at the hands of Bobby Joe Long, but many did not. Lisa McVey was one of only two women to survive once Bobby Joe Long became a serial killer.

Following her ordeal, Lisa got the help she needed and could finally make her way in the world. Determined not to be a victim ever again, Lisa told her story and went on to join the police force.

In 2019, Lisa said:

My empowerment comes from being so helpless and lost, that feeling I had when I was 17 years old. I’m not lost anymore.

I’m on top of my mountain and it feels pretty good.

Lisa has been a Police Officer for 17 years now. Largely motivated by what happened to her in her childhood, Lisa is determined that no one will get hurt on her watch.

Additional Sources

Surviving a Serial Killer — Lisa McVey by Emily Thompson — Mobidology podcast 2019

A Convicted Serial Killer Executed By Dakin Andone — CNN 2019

Escaping a serial killer: “I’m a survivor” Fox 13 Tampa Bay, Fox News.

Bobby Joe Long — Wikipedia

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