Lisa Mcvey Noland did more than escape from a serial killer; she also played an instrumental role in catching the man who abducted her, Bobby Joe Long. Here’s how she did it.
Adjusting Her Blindfold
Long kept Noland blindfolded throughout the abduction, but she was able to loosen the blindfold by clenching her jaw every time Long removed the blindfold and put it back on.
When she relaxed her jaw, the blindfold would be loose enough for her to notice certain details, like the word “magnum” on the dashboard of Long’s vehicle, which helped police identify the car as a 1978 Dodge Magnum.
Memorizing Details
After Noland saw the word “magnum,” she felt motivated to keep track of other details. “From that point on, I said whatever I see, smell, or touch, I’ve got to remember it. I’ve got to keep it in my memory bank, so that if I get out of this, I can go to the cops and give them everything I’ve got in terms of evidence,” Noland told The Independent.
This included details about her whereabouts (such as the direction they drove, the number of stairs leading to the location where she was taken and the time at which he used an ATM) and what the abductor looked like. (Through her loosened blindfold, she saw that he was white and wore a white T-shirt; when she touched his face, she noticed his small mustache and short hair.)
Leaving Evidence
In addition to her observations, Noland also decided to leave her own evidence for the police to find. She left fingerprints all over the bathroom and her used tampon in Long’s vehicle for future crime scene investigators to find.
