In 1978, Lily Grant was filled with hope and ambition. At just 15 years old, she was a dedicated dancer, with her teachers believing she had the potential for a successful career in the arts. Her dreams included traveling the globe to perform. However, one fateful night while hitchhiking to her grandfather’s house in California, everything changed. The traumatic experience she endured not only altered her life but also led to significant changes in California’s legal system.
Hitchhiking was quite common in 1978, a time when many individuals lacked personal transportation. Lily was traveling with two fellow hitchhikers to escape her parents’ tumultuous divorce and stay with her grandfather. When a 50-year-old man named Charles Hawkins pulled over, he offered her a ride alone, claiming there wasn’t enough space for her companions in his van. He assured Lily he would take her as far as Interstate 5, and trusting his words, she got in.
However, Hawkins had ulterior motives. During the drive, he made unwanted advances and missed the exit. When Lily insisted he turn back, he feigned ignorance and complied. Shortly after, he pulled over, claiming a need to use the restroom. Lily, seeking fresh air, exited the vehicle. While she bent down to tie her shoe, Hawkins struck her on the head with a hammer, bound her hands, and forced her into the back of the van. What followed was a horrific night of repeated assault.
In the morning, in a gruesome attempt to conceal his crime, Hawkins severed both of Lily’s arms with a hatchet and discarded her into a 30-foot culvert pipe, leaving her for dead. But despite her severe injuries, Lily refused to give up. She used dirt to pack the stumps of her arms, climbed the steep incline, and walked three miles to find help, raising her arms to minimize blood loss. After one car passed her by, a compassionate couple stopped and rushed her to the hospital.
Lily’s detailed account of Hawkins helped authorities create a composite sketch that quickly led to his identification. However, in a tragic twist, the lenient laws of the time only allowed for a maximum sentence of 14 years, which Hawkins received after being convicted of multiple serious crimes.
After serving just eight years for “good behavior,” he was released. Despite having threatened Lily at his trial, he committed another crime in 1997, attacking a woman named Sarah Reid, which reignited public outrage. This led to the drafting of the “Grant bill” in California, aimed at preventing early release for offenders of torture-related crimes. Lily testified in the second trial, advocating for the bill, which established a minimum sentence of 25 years for such offenses. Hawkins was ultimately sentenced to death but passed away in prison from cancer in 2001.
Now 58, Lily Grant has faced numerous challenges stemming from her traumatic past, including PTSD. Nonetheless, she is a proud mother of two and has creatively adapted by constructing her own prosthetics from discarded items. By 2009, she emerged as a talented artist, focusing on powerful female imagery. Despite her accomplishments, Lily has expressed a desire for privacy in her life.
While progress has been made regarding the prosecution of sexual offenders, significant gaps remain. According to RAINN, only 230 out of every 1,000 reported sexual assaults make it to the police, and only 46 cases result in an arrest—leaving a staggering 995 offenders free. Less than half a percent of reported rapes lead to a conviction and prison time, highlighting the urgent need for reform in how we address sexual violence.
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