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

Attack survivor Marti Hill (Marti Hill)

Produced by Chris Young Ritzen and Stephen A. McCain

Prairie Village, Kansas | Sept. 8, 2010

STEPHANIE SCHEIBLER | MARTI'S CO-WORKER: I think that day will stay with me forever.

JAN SCHUL: MARTI'S CO-WORKER: September 8th 2010, was a normal day at the office. ... Then there was a 10:00 production meeting and Marti wasn't in it.

That was extremely unusual. ... Marti is very dependable and reliable.

Marti is ... a big bunch of dynamite in a little bitty package. She might weigh 97 pounds soaking wet. But she gets stuff done.

STEPHANIE SCHEIBLER : She is a genuine, good hearted, outgoing, fun person. ... She is a hard worker and she is always trying to make everything better.

JAN SCHUL: We work for an apparel company. It's a small manufacturing facility. It's a tight- knit group.

STEPHANIE SCHEIBLER : The meeting was over and I asked, "Where's Marti?" And somebody said, "We don't know." ... I sent her a quick text ... maybe something had come up. No reply to the text. I called her a few times. ... She never phoned me back. That's why I knew that something was wrong because she would not just miss work.

TOM MAI | MARTI'S BOSS: There was a real sense of concern. Tears. What do we do? What should we do?

About 11:30 ... I decided to drive by her house. When I arrived there, her car was sitting in the driveway.

I walked up, rang the doorbell. No answer. Knocked on the door. No answer. So I went back to my car. And my cell phone and I ... called the office and said ... "The house seems eerily empty. I think perhaps you should call the police."

Photos

The crime scene »

BILL BALDWIN |PRAIRIE VILLAGE POLICE DEPARTMENT: The neighborhood is a very quiet, residential neighborhood. We don't get many calls in that area.

I went up to the front door and I noticed that the door was closed and not locked.

I opened up the door and said, "It's the police department. Marty, are you home?" ... I said that over and over again.

I do notice... what appears to be a woman's purse sitting on a table in the kitchen or dining area ... Seeing the purse there told me that -- you know, I'm married and my wife doesn't go anywhere without her purse -- so at that point I was kinda thinking well maybe she is here somewhere then.

I saw no clues upstairs that would indicate any kind of struggle. ... And then I started walking down the stairs to the basement.

When I got to about two or three steps from the very bottom I noticed that there was a person laying on the floor, kind of in a fetal position ... covered head to toe in blood ... and there was a large amount of blood surrounding this person on the floor.

Marti was breathing. It seemed like it was somewhat labored.

I knelt down next to her ... and I asked her over and over again, "Who did this? Who did this to you Marti? Who did this to you?" ... I wanted to get, I guess what could have been a dying declaration if that was what that was gonna be.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• Next Page »

[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!