this is brittani marcell today. says when she came to at the hospital, she had no memory of that terrifying day. was it scary not being able to remember anything? >> it was scary after they told me what had happened. >> reporter: so you at first didn't know why you were in the hospital? >> right. i thought i was in a bad car accident. they're like, "that's far from what happened to you. you were beaten traumatically, with a shovel, in your house." it was hard to take in. very. >> they had to go in and remove part of the lower left temporal lobe of her brain. it's about a nickel size. they removed probably three by four, four by three part of her skull. >> reporter: wow. >> implanted that in her abdomen. >> reporter: that's a pretty big size. >> right. >> reporter: that's a big chunk of skull. >> they cut her abdomen and put it inside her abdomen. it healed inside of her abdomen. so she had to wear this helmet. >> reporter: eventually doctors would put the piece of healed skull back in brittani's head. they cover the

brittany marcelle was a vibrant and carefree 17-year-old girl hoping to be a tv reporter one day untilhat is your name? >> diane marcell. >> reporter: the teen's mother arriving home to find her being beaten and a man standing over her holding a shovel. >> is your daughter breathing? s's brehi but m. consousn>> reporter: she's rushe hospital. her skull badly fractured. at the scene among the evidence is a single drop of blood. a calling card inadvertently left behind by whoever did it. brittany survives but her memory doesn't. investigators go years with no firm leads until this apparent breakthrough. a psychologist trying hypnosis. this is the moment brittany begins to relive the attack. >> tell me what's happening. >> he's -- he's hurting me. >> how? >> with a stick or something big. i'm bleeding. >> did he say anything? >> huh-uh. >> not a word? >> no. >> after that was done the doctor told me that she's going to probably start remembering rr: ts tl what hped.oveashe says she sttsememberin >> she said, jodi, i remember the name justin hansen. she said, i remember working at the kios