Larey was able to awaken the residents of the house and phone the police. Meanwhile, Hollis had regained consciousness and managed to flag down a passerby on Richmond Road. The motorist left Hollis at the scene and drove to a nearby funeral home where he was able to call the police. Within thirty minutes, Bowie County Sheriff W. H. "Bill" Presley and three other officers arrived at the scene of the attack, but the assailant had already left. They found Hollis' pants 100 yards away from the parked car.