Marked for death, survivor of savage attack continues to ask "why?"

Saint Luke's Hospital | Kansas City, Missouri

DR. HARRY WILKINS III | TRAUMA SURGEON: When I walked in ... they had just wheeled her in. I could not tell if it was a man or a woman, couldn't tell if she was young or old, couldn't tell what race she was.

It just appeared to be a lifeless form with dried blood and this swollen head. ... My first thing was to assess to see, "Had they brought me a live person or not?"

What we found was the major veins, skin, muscle of the left neck had been completely cut through. And the major artery actually had a couple of scrapes on it. So it's literally millimeters away from having been cut through.

For the next hour-and-a-half we just meticulously cleaned and put back together all of those injuries.

Photos

The crime scene »

I remained still very concerned about her head. ... In addition to the cut ... she had all these bruises and swelling to her face. ... And head injury to me is something I take very seriously. ... Concussions, which is essentially what she had ... can lead to swelling. And they can look fine initially and then die 24 sometimes 72 hours later.

Some of the nurses were starting to get very quiet and tears sort of welling up. And then in the back of my mind, I'm going, "wait a minute. This happened in my neighborhood. Let me get a call into my wife. Let me find out where my kids are."

It starts slowly hitting you in waves, the enormity of what really had happened.

MACKENZIE HILL |MARTI'S DAUGHTER: My grandma picked me up and we went to the hospital. And they took me straight back to the ICU.

I had no idea how serious it was because I wasn't getting a lot of information. I didn't even know what happened.

I saw my mom ... And I just started bawling. I didn't recognize her. Her eyes were swollen shut. ... Her arms, her legs, her hands were the only think that I could recognize.

SHIRLEY ROTH | MARTI'S MOTHER: I don't know how to describe it, other than you just have knots in your stomach and you are in disbelief.

Marti's head was swollen like three times the size of her normal head. It was just unbelievable. You're kinda in shock that this is your daughter laying there.

MACKENZIE HILL: My brother -- I just know my brother was very angry because it's his -- our mom. But no one can do that to HIS mom. Like that just got him really worked up. The both of us. The fact that somebody could just hurt our mom. Like, you can't just try and take our mom away from us.

As a teenager, of course, I had been sassy with my mom. And we got into arguments. Seeing her in that state just made me feel so bad for everything that I had said. Ever. Any little teenager thing. ... I just wish I could take it all back. ... I got really close to her and I said, "I will never be mean to you. Ever again."

DETECTIVE LUKE ROTH | PRAIRIE VILLAGE POLICE DEPT.: When we got to the hospital ... some key things I noticed ... was that her clothes appeared to be intact. Her bra appeared to be intact and there were no signs of sexual assault. ... Every step of the process you're looking for some sort of motive.

At that time, I was advised her mother had arrived at the hospital and I went to speak with her to obtain any information we could to assist us with this investigation.

SHIRLEY ROTH: That was why they were asking me if I could think of anyone who might have done this to Marti.

DET. LUKE ROTH: Marti's mother tells us that she has an ex- husband, by the name of Steve Hill. She advised us that Marti and Steve ... they communicate regularly.

Her mother also told us [Marti] was a workaholic. She very rarely left the house. To her knowledge she wasn't dating anybody. And if she was not working, she was typically at home.

Marti was still unable to communicate with us. We had very limited information as to who she might have been with, who she may have had recent communication with. And naturally your first thought is possibly the ex-husband might be responsible.

MACKENZIE HILL: The detectives ... asked me about my parents. They kept asking like, "Do your parents get along?" I remember being really defensive. ... Like my dad would never do this. And no one that I know would.

DETECTIVE JASON WAKEFIELD | PRAIRIE VILLAGE POLICE DEPT.: We go to Marti's ex husband's house, Steve Hill, to interview him that night.

He was very cooperative ... invited us into the house. He gave us the full account of what he had done that day and told us about his history with Marti and that they had some rough times together. But he loved her and he would never hurt her. ... He wanted to know who did this just as bad as we did.

DET. LUKE ROTH.: And that's where it became very difficult for us. ... We were stuck with the information of Mr. Hill was not a suspect and very limited after that.

MACKENZIE HILL: Me and my dad had a lot of conversations trying to get to the bottom and think of who would have done it. ... Someone had broken into my grandma's house a few days before. ... maybe it was the same person and maybe someone was after our family.

SHIRLEY ROTH: They had bandages over her cuts in her neck so we really couldn't see them. But we could see the blood coming from her eyes. It was just kinda tears with blood dripping down her eyes.

At that point, we still weren't sure what was gonna happen. ... We knew she was fighting to stay alive.

MACKENZIE HILL: I just remember ... I started crying. "All I want to do is talk to my mom." Like the only think I wanted to do was talk to my mom.

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[Kdawg3511]

I don't understand "the system." Why do people like Pennington go to prison with even the option to get out or live? Yes, it's 28 1/2 years, but he is still eventually being set free. He ruined many people's lives forever. I will never understand criminal justice (an oxymoron).

[thinkpeople_think]

Get It Together People!!!!

To The Family,

All My Best Wishes & Prayers.

[thinkpeople_think]

**And Victim,

[Jonseen]

I wonder why they expect Brian to tell them WHY? I'm a little curious about that. I suspect if they knew his real reasons it would be too chilling to live with. Such as, "I just wanted to kill a person with my bare hands so I'd know what it feels like." Or, "I just wanted to find out what it feels like to slit someone's throat and watch them bleed."

Reasons such as THAT are going to make this family feel better about what happened? I don't think so. And yet, THAT seems to be the motive of this vile creep.Was he playing with murder, just for the heck of it? I can't see any other reason or motive, IMO.

I think they're better off not knowing.

[travelers345]

What an unusual thing to have happen!

[jakkman]

For all we know, satan could have told him to do this. There is no apparent motive just pure hate and meanness behind his actions. Whenever crimes like this occur, I think that the criminal wants to go to jail so he can be around his own kind. Let the government support him and he doesnt have to work another day for a very long time.

[jakkman]

For all we know, satan could have told him to do this. There is no apparent motive just pure hate and meanness behind his actions. Whenever crimes like this occur, I think that the criminal wants to go to jail so he can be around his own kind. Let the government support him and he doesnt have to work another day for a very long time.

[forever-family]

you all sit here and talk and say Brians a monster maybe you should relize his way of life before you go making comments you watch and read all the things marti is telling but do you not see the many times she changed and or added things to her story. i count multipal if you ask me marti is a lier and shes scared that she might be found out well she has iv watched and read every thing annd i see a big gap that no one else is seeing im sorry but brian would never have a heart to attack a woman such as marti. i mean look kick boxing saved her life some one please tell me where the bruises were on Brian that she so surly put on him from "kick boxing" i see a lie there look at the evidince people honestly none of this adds up if you open your eyes and payed attention you would relize this instead of going for marti and feeling so bad for what happend im sorry i dont feel bad because i dont believe Brian did what shes stating he did. so go ahead get mad at this comment report it if you want all im saying is i dont feel bad for her nore ever will because to me shes nothing but a lier. and she deserves to be in prison for the next 28 years for fauls information. thanks.

[BCM1023]

Okay Sister-Cousin. Unreal. Shame on you, maybe you "thought" you knew Brian, but it's pretty clear that HE IS responsible for this crime. It's decent of you to want to stand by your man, but to call the victim a liar?! to victimize someone who went through so much? You are no better than he.

As for your kick boxing comments, this piece of **** MAN outweighs her by more than 40 pounds, was behind her, grabbed her around her neck and was at least a full foot higher than her level bc of the stairs.... pretty much takes away any advantage kick boxing could have brought to her. But your backwoods ass prob didn't give that much thought... kind of like your spelling and grammar.

My aunt is a personal friend of Marti's. I remember the fear this crime brought to their community, the stress it caused and the outpouring of love that followed. People like you and yours disgust me. There's always an excuse. She's changed her story?!! HE BEAT HER HEAD AND FACE INTO HER CONCRETE BASEMENT FLOOR AFTER STRANGLING HER FROM BEHIND AND THEN HE SLIT HER THROAT AND LEFT HER FOR DEAD. What's never changed is her determination to get better and her words when first asked WHO did this to her. She still suffers greatly from this and it's possible she'll never fully recover. Her nightmare is no where near over. He's where he deserves to be and she's still with us, thanks to her angels from work. <3 U Marti

[ama204]

How many times did he have to bash your head in to make you illiterate? What does it matter his way of life? There is absolutley no excuse for what he did. None!!! You should be ashamed of yourself. Not just because of your spelling and your grammar but for trying to accuse this poor lady of being a lier and for protecting that MONSTER. Thats right I called him a monster and thats what he is. You both need help.

[ama204]

And since she is lying and you seem to know everything........why was her blood on his pants???

[shrinkrapt58]

Forever-family, you weren't listening were you!? The kick boxing was taken up as part of Marti's rehabilitation, after the attack, not before. Secondly, no amount of kickboxing training prepares a petite female for a cowardly, vicious & homicidal attack from behind, especially when the attacker was rendered even more powerful than normal by the extra leverage gained by being 1-2 steps above the victim. As Marti & her mum knew Pennington as a handyman who seemed harmless, Marti had no reason to suspect that he was there to murder her. Even if she had thought that he might want money or was casing her home, not in her wildest nightmares would she have been able to predict the attack. As a Psychiatrist, I can tell you that the only valid indicator of future violence is past violence & due to people hiding their criminal history & the various privacy barriers that vary from State to State, most people wouldn't do a Police Check on every handyman they employ. But you know what? From now on, I think I will......You cannot tell any other way & gut feeling isn't something I'd risk my family on! Now you better do the decent thing & apologise to Marti, her family & all of the people who read your disgraceful post.

[msmomo52]

I watched the show last night...who will ever know why he did it by the doer himself...but I also watch shows like Criminal Minds. One show was about a guy who they called a Dark Triad...three 3 crazy personalities in one...but basically this a person that has no soul, no heart, no conscious, no remorse for things they do to hurt people..just a cold heartless person. Someone somewhere in his family knew something was wrong with this dude a long time ago when he was a kid. Someone should have got him help then. My heart goes out to Marti and her family for being so brave, for living, and being able to cope...Let Brian do the worrying about why...Marti does not need to. I have been in abusive relationships. I am also lucky to be living today. I know it was not my fault, they were crazy, they need help, I did not do anything to cause the abuse.

[sanfran1]

Unbelievable. So glad the police were able to quickly put this monster behind bars. Marti's recovery is nothing short of miraculous...best wishes to her and her website.

[nohater]

criminals don't have to answer the why behind their criminality.

[bearfoot33]

brilliant!