Shraman Mitra
A&E’ ‘I Survived a Serial Killer: Tampa Terror’ chronicles the strange yet terrifying ordeal teenager Lisa McVey had to go through when abducted in 1984. Lisa’s loved ones were fraught with worry, and the police did everything in their power to locate the missing girl. However, in an extraordinary turn of affairs, Lisa McVey returned on her own, having survived the clutches of a serial killer. She claimed that she had used reverse psychology and made her abductor set her free. If this case intrigues you and you want to know where Lisa is today, we have you covered.
Who Is Lisa McVey?
Lisa McVey had a troubled childhood. According to reports, her mother was an alcoholic and a drug addict and thus could not take care of Lisa. Lisa moved in between foster homes until her mother forced her to stay with her grandmother when she was 14. Although she found a permanent roof over her head, her misery was far from over.
Sources state that while living with her grandmother, Lisa was constantly sexually molested by her grandmother’s boyfriend, who lived with them. Lisa even mentioned that the man would also threaten her with a gun. Unable to take the terrifying experience at such a young age, Lisa even contemplated suicide and was about to die by suicide on the day she was kidnapped.
On November 3, 1984, Lisa, then 17, was cycling back home at 2 am from the donut shop she worked at. She was traveling down a dark road when someone grabbed her and yanked her off the bike. She was then abducted at gunpoint, tied up, and put inside a car. While tied up, Lisa even noticed a few details about the kidnapper’s car, which she revealed to the police later.
Lisa was also forced to perform oral sex on her abductor before being taken to his apartment. Surprisingly, even in her terrified and blindfolded state, Lisa remembered every single detail about his apartment, starting from how long it took to get there to the number of steps required to go from the front door to the room she was kept in. While in the apartment, Lisa was mercilessly abused, assaulted, and raped numerous times. However, through their interaction, Lisa understood that the kidnapper did not want to kill her.
She tried to get on his good side and even told him that she had a sick father who depended on her. Moreover, when Lisa learned that her kidnapper had gone through a recent bad breakup, she even told him that she would not mind becoming his girlfriend. At one point, she said that the kidnapper put her hands on his face, which let her feel his features to describe to the police later. Although the kidnapper raped Lisa multiple times and even abused her physically, it seemed like her plan worked as her kidnapper had a sudden change of heart and blindfolded her before leaving her on the side of a road. Lisa McVey was finally free.
Where Is Lisa McVey Now?
Once Lisa returned from her ordeal, her family did not believe her. Her grandmother’s boyfriend psychically abused her until the police decided to step in. Her story was so unbelievable that even the police could not bring themselves to believe it initially. However, she soon met Sergeant Larry Pinkerton, who believed her and even helped her overcome her domestic violence situation by arresting her grandmother’s boyfriend. Lisa was put in a home for teens from where she helped the police identify her abductor. Eight women had gone missing and were murdered from that area previously, and authorities believed that Lisa’s abductor was behind the disappearances.
The police tracked down the kidnapper through their investigation and found that his name was Robert Joseph Long. Lisa even helped the police with the description of her abductor’s car, which helped narrow down the search. Ultimately, Joseph was arrested, and the authorities were able to tie all eight murders to him. He pleaded guilty to numerous charges and was executed in 2019. Lisa McVey managed to overcome her terrifying past and went on to live with her uncle and aunt.
Two years after her abduction, Lisa married a police officer and even had a daughter with him. However, the marriage apparently dissolved after five years and left a profound impact on her mind. Still, she never gave up and worked a few odd jobs before putting herself through the police academy in 2004. Determined to do good as a cop, she is now working as a police officer in Hillsborough County.
At present, Lisa officially uses her married name, Lisa McVey Noland, and is also a grandmother. She never shies away from talking about her experience and has appeared on numerous TV shows and documentaries. In 2019, when Joseph was executed, Lisa was present and revealed that she had to forgive her abductor to free her mind. Lisa’s life is an inspiration to all, and we wish her all the happiness in the days to come.
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