The Dateline NBC episode titled The Match explores a near-fatal attack on a high school girl named Brittani Marcell by a 34-year-old man in 2008. Dianne Marcell, Brittani's mother, found her daughter covered in blood at their house in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A man stood near an injured Brittani, holding a shovel in his hand.
Dianne fled and called for help after the suspect attempted to attack her. The investigation continued for a long time as Brittani slowly recovered from her injuries over the years.
She also had to undergo therapy to cope with the trauma of the incident. Nearly eight years later, the culprit was caught and convicted of assault.
What is the story of Brittani Marcell from Dateline?
As seen on Dateline: The Match, Brittani was reportedly waiting at home for her mother—they were supposed to have lunch together. But when Dianne arrived, Brittani was lying on the floor, unconscious and bleeding. A stranger stood inside the house with a shovel in his hand. He tried to attack Dianne, but she fled and called for help.
What did Justin Hansen do to Brittani Marcell in Dateline?
As narrated on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, the initially unidentified male turned out to be Justin Hansen, who was responsible for Brittani Marcell’s injuries. He had reportedly hit her with a shovel on the head and other parts of her body, leaving her to bleed to death.
After the police took over the crime scene, they discovered a shovel, a knife, and some duct tape. They also retrieved a small sample of Hansen's blood, which he left behind after cutting himself on a piece of broken glass. Dianne described the scene in the show:
"I see a person I’ve never seen before in my house and he’s holding a shovel and he walks through my living room, drops the shovel and walks through the dining room and around to the kitchen, and I am looking at him and he tells me I’m next, while he’s reaching for a butcher knife."
Although Hansen’s blood at the scene didn’t lead to immediate results, the case was reopened in 2013. After further investigative efforts, a DNA match for Justin Hansen was found, and he was finally caught and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
What injuries did Brittani Marcell have?
Following the attack on Brittani, she was immediately admitted to a nearby hospital with critical injuries. The unidentified male (later identified as Justin Hansen) escaped after almost battering her to death.
When the medical team examined Brittani, she was in a critical condition after sustaining multiple fractures in her arms and skull.
There was hardly any movement in her pupils and her reports showed very little brain activity. What we learn from Dateline's episode The Match is that Brittani's optic nerves were severely damaged. Her wrist was broken and she had to be put to a medically induced trauma.
What is Brittani Marcell doing now?
Brittani Marcell regained consciousness after being in a coma for 10 days following the brutal attack. At the time, she had lost all memory of the incident. The head injuries severely affected her brain, and she had to relearn basic tasks such as reading, writing, walking, and even swallowing food.
After spending years in a rehabilitation center, Brittani eventually graduated from high school and college. During a hypnosis session, she described her attack and mentioned Justin, a man she had only encountered a few times at a mall.
When Justin Hansen began his sentence, Brittani had undergone more than 20 surgeries and was awaiting another to correct her smile, which was affected by partial paralysis.
As for her current whereabouts, there is no solid information. However, according to reports, she currently lives in Texas and is being supported by her family as she continues to recover from the trauma.
For more information, stay tuned to SoapCentral.
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