Dateline: The Match – 5 harrowing details about the attack on Brittani Marcell, explored

The attack on Brittani Marcell is a disturbing and emotionally disheartening attempted murder case in U.S. history. The murder happened on September 11, 2008, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when a 17-year-old, Brittani Marcell, was attempted murdered and assaulted by using a shovel as a weapon. She survived but sustained traumatic brain injuries and memory loss.

For nearly a decade, the case remained unsolved because Brittani was dealing with severe injuries and was unable to drop any clues. Her mother, who saw the man, was unable to identify him. Therefore, this was leading the officers nowhere. However, when she recovered, the case was reopened, and she finally dropped a name. The case was also featured in a Dateline episode, which covers true crime stories. Read on to know 5 harrowing details about the case.

Here are the 5 harrowing details of Brittani Marcell's case as shown in Dateline

Brutal attack with a shovel

Brittani Marcell was savagely beaten with a shovel in her home. The assault was so violent that it crushed the left side of her skull. It was her mother, Daine, who found the body of her daughter when she arrived home. She was also threatened by the attacker before he fled the scene. In the Dateline episode, she recalls the horrific scene and how he witnessed a stranger with a shovel in her house.

“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,” Diane recalled to “Dateline: Secrets Uncovered,” on Oxygen

Brittani recovered from a major brain injury and named the attacker

Brittani was rushed to the hospital, where doctors initially doubted her survival. She spent two weeks in a coma and underwent nearly 20 surgeries. She goes blind in one eye and deaf in one ear because of the assault. She suffered a major brain injury and had to learn the basic functions of walking and speaking again. But she started to recover.

In 2016, when she had partially recovered her memory, she named Justin Hansen, a former acquaintance.

DNA evidence leads to a breakthrough

Initially, the authorities were shooting in the dark, with the DNA tests yielding no matches in the national database. But in 2016, Brittani finally revealed a name; they collected Hansen's DNA from a discarded cup, and here, their search comes to an end. They found that the blood drop they got on the victim's sunglasses matched Hansen's. Later, it was discovered that he was a frequent visitor to the mall where she worked and that the police had a lead.

Justin Hansen's arrest and plea

In 2017, nearly nine years after the attack, Justin Hansen was arrested and charged with kidnapping and attempted murder. Initially, he denied the accusation but then agreed to a plea deal. In 2018, Hansen pleaded no contest to charges of attempted murder and aggravated burglary and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

“I mean I want to go to trial, I wanted to clear my name but I just felt like the odds were against me and I didn’t want to chance 50 to 60 years away from my kids and that is kind of what pushed me into the plea,” he told “Dateline”

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Brittani's remarkable recovery

In the Dateline episode, Brittani revealed that Hansen had some jealousy of her, suggesting the reason behind the attack. Despite the traumatic injuries, Brittani showed remarkable resilience. She underwent extensive rehabilitation, including cognitive behavioral therapy, to regain her abilities. She had already undergone 22 surgeries, and she underwent one more to regain her smile. Brittani has been an inspiration for others as she has now completed her college degree, as per Dateline.

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