THE ODYSSEY OF LAWRENCE SINGLETON

Since his parole from prison, where he served about eight years of a 14-year sentence for raping a 15-year-old girl and hacking off her forearms with an ax, Lawrence Singleton has been shuttled from one Northern California community to another. The state Department of Corrections has attempted to keep Singleton’s movements secret, but here is what is known of his journey.

1) April 2-21: Antioch mayor protests Department of Corrections plans to parole Singleton there. Acknowledging the public outcry, Corrections agrees not to release Singleton in Antioch, but fails in efforts to place him with relatives in Tampa, Fla., when Florida officials reject the parolee.

2) April 24: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and four city councils win a temporary restraining order from a Superior Court judge in Martinez barring the Department of Corrections from placing Singleton anywhere in Contra Costa County. The next day, Singleton is paroled from California Men’s Colony, San Luis Obispo, and heads to Northern California under escort by parole officers.

3) April 28: San Francisco wins a temporary restraining order barring Singleton from the city after Police Chief Frank Jordan is told by the state that Singleton would be staying there for as long as two weeks.

4) April 29: Singleton is spirited out of a hotel near Redwood City after reporters learn that he has spent the night there.

5) May 8: The 1st District Court of Appeal overturns the temporary restraining orders in Contra Costa County and San Francisco, allowing the state to place Singleton where it sees fit.

6) May 15: Corrections officials abandon plans to secretly place Singleton in El Cerrito after Contra Costa County officials disclose the location.

7) May 18-22: Singleton is temporarily housed in Richmond, where he is denounced by the mayor and other officials.

8) May 23-25: Singleton is moved into an apartment in Rodeo by two parole officials who describe him as a “cantankerous” relative. His whereabouts are soon disclosed, however, and on May 25, a mob estimated at 500 people gathers at the apartment. At least one person is quoted as calling for a “lynching party.” Singleton, wearing a bulletproof vest, is escorted out of town by sheriff’s deputies.

9) May 26-28: Singleton is temporarily moved to Concord. On Wednesday night as many as 175 people gather at a hotel where Singleton is rumored to be staying, but he is not there. On Thursday, Singleton is moved to an undisclosed location.