Marti Hill survival story to air Saturday on CBS’s ’48 Hours’

This weekend, people across the country will hear the story of a courageous Prairie Village woman’s fight for survival in the face of a brutal assault, and the expert investigative work by local law enforcement that brought her attacker to justice.

Chief Wes Jordan (left) presents Marti Hill with the “Spirit of Fortitude” award as Capt. Wes Lovett looks on in April 2012.

After months of production, CBS News’ 48 Hours will air “The Stranger You Know,” an episode telling the story of Marti Hill on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Hill was savagely beaten and left for dead in the basement of her Fontana Street home in September 2010. Hill clung to life until police, alerted by Hill’s co-workers that she hadn’t shown up that day, found her barely breathing and rushed her to the hospital.

Two Prairie Village police officers, detectives Jason Wakefield and Luke Roth, were able to track down and question Brian Pennington, a Missouri man who had done handyman work at Hill’s house. Their skilled work on the case led to Pennington’s conviction in December 2011. He is serving a 28 year sentence in prison.

The 48 Hours segment was originally slated to air in the fall of 2012, but producers decided to do additional interviews, pushing the air time back a few months.

Here’s a preview:

In anticipation of the airing of the show, Hill has launched a website.