A Home Invasion in Colts Neck

Summary

48 Hours Podcast: A Home Invasion in Colts Neck

Host: CBS News
Episode Title: A Home Invasion in Colts Neck
Release Date: July 14, 2025

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Introduction to Colts Neck and the Victim

Colts Neck, New Jersey, a serene and affluent community located just 50 miles from New York City, epitomizes the quintessential suburban idyll. Amidst its bucolic landscapes lies a modest farmhouse, home to Donna Anshako and her 20-year-old daughter, Kirsten. In July 2013, this peaceful setting was shattered by a violent home invasion that would forever alter their lives.

The Home Invasion Attack

In the early hours of July 6, 2013, Donna Anshako, an assistant prosecutor with Monmouth County, found herself alone in her farmhouse. As she prepared for bed around 11:30 PM, a terrifying intrusion unfolded.

Donna Anshako [06:07]: "I lost in total close to three quarters of the blood in my body. There's no earthly reason why I'm alive. None."

An unidentified young male armed with a large knife forced his way into Donna's home. Without warning, he launched a brutal attack, stabbing her repeatedly in the face, neck, and chest. Donna recounts the harrowing moments of the assault:

Donna Anshako [09:08]: "I tried to slam and shut the door. My fingers were protruding out. He stuck the knife through the opening and cut my finger so that I immediately let go of the door."

Despite the immense trauma, Donna's resilience enabled her to survive the attack, though she sustained severe injuries, including 37 stitches on her face and neck, and 38 staples in her chest.

Emergency Response and Donna's Survival

After the assault, Donna managed to summon the strength to make a 911 call, despite her debilitating injuries.

Donna Anshako [15:20]: "My hands are covered in blood. My touchscreen. I was trying to swipe and swipe. So I ended up having to wipe my hands off, wipe the phone off, wipe it down on the bed, and then I was able to do the touch screen and get through to 911."

The call provided crucial information about the attacker, including a detailed description:

Donna Anshako [16:00]: "He was probably about 17, white, real skinny, curly hair, blonde, dirty blonde hair, backpack."

Paramedics and police arrived within eight minutes of the call, rushing Donna to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Her daughter Kirsten, who had been at a party, returned to a house enveloped in flashing lights and police activity.

The Investigation: Initial Leads and Evidence

Detective Andrea Tazzi led the investigation into the home invasion. Initial leads included a report from a worker at a nearby restaurant who witnessed a suspicious individual walking through their drive-thru.

Donna Anshako [04:19]: "They called because they saw a subject walking through their drive through. I have her detention. Police. One of my customers in drive thru."

Surveillance footage from the area revealed a young man matching Donna's description. Further complicating the case was the discovery of Donna's stolen BMW, abandoned with blood stains, providing DNA evidence crucial to the investigation.

Brennan Doyle: The Suspect

As the investigation progressed, Brennan Doyle emerged as the primary suspect. A 16-year-old local student-athlete with no prior criminal history, Brennan's profile matched the description and DNA evidence found at the scene.

Donna Anshako [25:02]: "Yeah, that was incredibly accurate. He was like a surfer kid or a skateboarder or something like that."

Investigators discovered that Brennan had attended Donna's wedding and was staying with his family in Colts Neck. A significant breakthrough came when a matching knife from Brennan's household was found atop a shopping center roof near the crime scene.

Donna Anshako [35:51]: "There'S DNA in her vehicle that links to him. It's indefensible."

The Arrest and Trial

In October 2013, with mounting evidence—including DNA matches and the recovered knife—Brennan Doyle was arrested on charges of attempted murder, carjacking, and weapons possession. Despite conflicts surrounding his bail, where Doyle was allowed to remain free, the prosecution pressed forward.

During the trial, Doyle admitted to his actions, leading to a plea deal where he faced charges as an adult. This decision resulted in a 15-year prison sentence, though Donna felt this was insufficient justice for the brutality of the attack.

Donna Anshako [43:37]: "Anger. Just very angry."

Aftermath: Recovery and Advocacy

The physical and emotional toll of the attack left Donna grappling with severe PTSD. Determined not to be engulfed by her trauma, she founded a support group for survivors of violent crimes, connecting with others who shared similar experiences.

Donna Anshako [44:06]: "Reason we took to the support group was to help each other cope."

Donna's advocacy extended beyond local support, as she engaged with trauma therapists, offered self-defense classes, and educated both inmates and police cadets to foster understanding and prevention.

Conclusion

"A Home Invasion in Colts Neck" is a poignant exploration of resilience in the face of unimaginable violence. Donna Anshako's journey from victim to advocate highlights the strength of the human spirit and the pursuit of justice. While the legal resolution provided some closure, Donna's ongoing efforts to support fellow survivors underscore the enduring impact of trauma and the importance of community support.

Donna Anshako [45:19]: "This is artwork. They're beautiful artwork. You could either get sucked into the darkness or you just keep going. I did what I had to do to be here today. And go another day."

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Notable Quotes:

• Donna Anshako [06:07]: "I lost in total close to three quarters of the blood in my body. There's no earthly reason why I'm alive. None."
• Donna Anshako [14:20]: "I don't remember my feet or my hands actually touching the stairs...But the motivation was you."
• Donna Anshako [25:02]: "Yeah, that was incredibly accurate. He was like a surfer kid or a skateboarder or something like that."
• Donna Anshako [35:51]: "There's DNA in her vehicle that links to him. It's indefensible."
• Donna Anshako [43:37]: "Anger. Just very angry."
• Donna Anshako [44:06]: "Reason we took to the support group was to help each other cope."
• Donna Anshako [45:19]: "This is artwork. They're beautiful artwork. You could either get sucked into the darkness or you just keep going. I did what I had to do to be here today. And go another day."

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Further Resources:

For a more comprehensive understanding of this case, visit the 48 Hours website or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts.

Transcript

[Donna Anshako]

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[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

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[Donna Anshako]

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[Donna Anshako]

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[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Affluent.

[Donna Anshako]

Affluent. It's a quiet place, tiny, unassuming house. Just a simple farmhouse.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Colts Neck has a lot of these.

[Donna Anshako]

Yes, this beautiful little farmhouse with this beautiful farm star, you know, in the middle of it. In July of 2013, I was an assistant prosecutor in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Donna Ancho was alone. She had just gone to bed for the evening. An intruder came into her house and attacked her, stabbing her repeatedly. 911, where's emergency? Oh, my name is Don Angchaka.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

I just got stabbed really bad.

[Donna Anshako]

Kid just came in and stabbed me. I can't break my heart. I'm pouring gushing blood. Okay, I'm losing consciousness. Keep your eyes open. Donna. Donna. I was driving home. It was maybe like 3 o' clock in the morning. 3:30. As I pulled up closer, I saw big SUVs, cop cars, lights flashing everywhere. I was like, where is my mom? And they were like, well, she has been attacked and she's on her way to the hospital. They couldn't tell me whether she was alive or she wasn't. I was new into Major Crimes. I didn't have the experience at some of the older detectives, so I had never seen that much blood before. Why would somebody do this? Who did this? What did she ever do to anybody? You know, on that night, in the early morning Hours. We got a 911 call from a worker from this restaurant.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

About how far from Donna's house are we standing? Right here.

[Donna Anshako]

This is about an eight minute drive. They called because they saw a subject walking through their drive through. I have her detention. Police. One of my customers in drive thru.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Were approached by a man with no.

[Donna Anshako]

Shirt but had a knife in his hands, knocking on windows, carrying a knife. One of the witnesses who saw the young man, she agreed to come in and give us a. A sketch. Everybody was asking about the police sketch. It was in every store. People were frightened.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Can you tell me about the tip?

[Donna Anshako]

I get a call. The woman on the other end says that she's calling about the stabbing in Colts Neck. She said, I think my cousin may have something to do with that.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Sam tiny. Colts Neck, New Jersey sits just 50 miles from New York City, but it might as well be a world away. So in July 2013, this quiet community was rocked by news of a violent home invasion where the victim was stabbed repeatedly. The only thing more shocking.

[Donna Anshako]

My name is Donna Ongshako.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

The victim survived.

[Donna Anshako]

I lost in total close to three quarters of the blood in my body. There's no earthly reason why I'm alive. None.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

If I had asked you at the time to give me a list of 100 things you're worried about, where would have home invasion been?

[Donna Anshako]

Oh, no, never.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Donna worked for a company that brokered fuel for ships on the nearby Jersey shore. She and her daughter Kirsten lived in this farmhouse on the edge of flower fields.

[Donna Anshako]

She was 20 when she had me, so we're only 20 years and one day apart.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Friend Sharon Sharp hired Donna decades ago. Kirsten had just been born.

[Donna Anshako]

Yeah, Kirsten was a baby. I thought she was really brave being a single mom very young. I was by her side all the time.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Kirsten, who now works as a welder, recalls what life was like just prior prior to her mother's attack.

[Donna Anshako]

We were going to the gym multiple times a week. Not only was she, like, mentally strong, but she was physically strong. She was so fit. She did tough mudders with Kirsten. I like that competition. I like to show strength, physical strength. Things couldn't have been any better at that time.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

That's when Saturday of July 4th weekend rolled around. Monmouth County. Detective Andrea Tazzi says they were having a heat wave.

[Donna Anshako]

It was humid, but we had no rain or anything like that. I mean, it was a dry night. So Donna had her windows open. Yes, she had her windows open just to obviously to circulate air. Kirsten was out At a party. So I was home doing laundry. I'd say about 11, 11:30. I decide I'm gonna get ready for bed. I let the cat out. I went, brushed my teeth.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

But just as she was drifting off.

[Donna Anshako]

To sleep, I heard what I thought was the cat. I heard something, and I remembered, oh, I forgot to let the cat in.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Without turning on any lights, Donna headed downstairs to open the front door for her cat.

[Donna Anshako]

But instead, when I opened the door, I saw someone standing there. In the split second after seeing this person on my porch, I saw the knife. He was trying to cut into the screen of the window that was right next to the front door.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

She says she didn't recognize the young white male standing right in front of her holding a large knife.

[Donna Anshako]

I tried to slam and shut the door. My fingers were protruding out. He stuck the knife through the opening and cut my finger so that I immediately let go of the door. And then he pushed his way in. I'm backing into my kitchen. We're face to face. It didn't register to me that he was actually going to stab me.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

But without a word, that's exactly what the stranger did.

[Donna Anshako]

He slashed my cheek. And you can see that here. And actually, it starts back here. There was no way to process that that happened.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Donna's attacker came at her with the knife again.

[Donna Anshako]

He then slashed three times on this side of my neck.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

She tried grabbing the knife, but only cut her own hand in the process. Did you feel like you were dealing with somebody who was really strong?

[Donna Anshako]

No, but I felt like he was very sure, like he was very in control of himself.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Donna was starting to weaken from the injuries.

[Donna Anshako]

I felt like my legs were gonna give out, so I braced myself against the corner of my bathroom Right next to the front door.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Sure enough, she slid down to the floor.

[Donna Anshako]

I was in fetal position, and I'm bleeding. And he came over, and it was kind of like he was playing, you know, with the knife and just started jabbing at me. So that's when he caught me here, and he got me in the back of my neck here.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Finally, Donna's attacker spoke to her.

[Donna Anshako]

This was when he decided to ask me for my car keys and if I had a lighter.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

A lighter?

[Donna Anshako]

Mm. I just answered him. There's a lighter in my purse. And my purse was on the table back in the kitchen. So he went over and was rummaging through my purse and got the keys, got the lighter.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Donna's assailant ended up taking her entire purse with him, but not before returning one last time. To Donna, still bleeding on the floor.

[Donna Anshako]

He said, you dead, bitch, and plunged the knife into my chest.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Once he plunges the knife in and then removes it, what does he do then?

[Donna Anshako]

He just walked out the door.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

With no neighbors in earshot, Donna knew she must get help somehow. Your phone isn't in reach?

[Donna Anshako]

No, my phone was upstairs in my bedroom, charging.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Donna had no landline in the house. But even as the blood was draining rapidly from her body, she had one pressing concern above her own survival.

[Donna Anshako]

Kirsten could come home and find me. I just didn't want her to have to experience any level of the horror that I had just gone through or any other levels in finding me there dead.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

So this is a mother's instinct, as pure as it gets?

[Donna Anshako]

Yes, absolutely. Yeah.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

You know you have to get upstairs if you're gonna be able to make a call for help, right? How do you get up those stairs?

[Donna Anshako]

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[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

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[Donna Anshako]

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[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

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[Donna Anshako]

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[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

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[Donna Anshako]

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[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Former Monmouth county assistant prosecutor Lori Gerhardt says Donna Anshaka was determined her daughter Kirsten would not come home. To find her dead, she knew she had to get to her cell phone upstairs.

[Donna Anshako]

I don't remember my feet or my hands actually touching the stairs. The energy that it took for me to get up off the ground and up those stairs, I was definitely guided. The amount of Strength that goes into that is just unimaginable.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

But the motivation was you.

[Donna Anshako]

Yeah. Yep. Maybe I was there guiding her in spirit.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Once Donna made it upstairs, she faced a new challenge. After peering out her bedroom window, she had a car sitting right here.

[Donna Anshako]

Right. She had a car sitting right in this area. I could still see the car was there and I could see the car was on and he was in it. If I take my phone off the charger, it's going to light up. He's going to see the light.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Afraid her attacker would come back for her, Donna did her best to hide the light of the phone. Then just getting it to work became the next hurdle.

[Donna Anshako]

My hands are covered in blood. My touchscreen. I was trying to swipe and swipe. So I ended up having to wipe my hands off, wipe the phone off, wipe it down on the bed, and then I was able to do the touch screen and get through to 911.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

My name is Don Angchak. I just got stabbed really bad.

[Donna Anshako]

Kid just came in and stabbed me and he stole my car. Okay, okay, okay. Just stand up on me. Okay.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Where did you get stabbed?

[Donna Anshako]

In the neck.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Blood is cushing out and in the chest. Detective Andrea Tazzi says Donna's ability to place that call despite her injuries was amazing. But then Donna did something even more extraordinary. She gave a detailed description of her attacker.

[Donna Anshako]

Okay, do you know what he looked like?

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Yeah, he was probably about 17, white, real skinny, curly hair, blonde, dirty blonde hair, backpack.

[Donna Anshako]

It was pretty chilling to listen to Donna and be able to hear her accurately talk about, this is what happened. This is what he looks like. I'm losing consciousness and then hear her fade out. Donna? Donna? Hello? Donna? Donna? Yes, ma'. Am. I think I just sat down for a minute.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Police and paramedics arrived less than eight minutes after Donna dialed 91 1, but her attacker had already fled. Donna was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical center and into trauma surgery. It would be a few more hours before Kirsten arrived home from her party to a house surrounded by flashing lights.

[Donna Anshako]

I saw the caution tape and that her car was gone.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Police told Kirsten what happened to her mother. You were deeply shaken.

[Donna Anshako]

Oh, yeah. I remember at one point my knees buckled. They had the suv, the undercover cop car. The trunk was open. So I was like, can I sit here because I feel like I'm going to pass out.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

As Kirsten was processing the news, an all out manhunt had already begun for Donna's assailant. Detective Tazi says another 911 call had come in shortly before Donna's attack, I.

[Donna Anshako]

Was going to pick up my daughter, and there was a kid hitchhiking from.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

A driver who saw someone walking along the road near Donna's house.

[Donna Anshako]

They saw a young man with a backpack and khaki pants. He was walking close to the fog line and kind of stepping into traffic. And she felt that he was going to kind of a hitchhiker. He was on the northbound side walking southbound, and I'm afraid he's going to get hit by a car. How old? About, I'm going to say, like, 18, 19, 20, something like that. She was concerned because she just thought that maybe he needed help in some way.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

And was a car dispatched?

[Donna Anshako]

Yes, yes. They didn't find him, though.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Still, the Good Samaritan driver had inadvertently given the investigation its first lead.

[Donna Anshako]

I felt that the hitchhiker was my person. It was too coincidental for that time of the night in that area for somebody to be walking. And then 15 minutes later, Donna's calling, saying that she was stabbed.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

And there was about to be another tip. Not long after Donna's 911 call from a fast food restaurant five miles from.

[Donna Anshako]

Her house, they saw a subject walking through their drive through, knocking on windows, carrying a knife. And it looked like it had blood on it.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Employees from the Taco Bell quickly called police.

[Donna Anshako]

Do you have any description of him? Yeah, he was wearing, you know, like, those army pants, and he had no shirt. He was white with, like, really, like, bushy hair, but it was, like, long, like, the skater type hair. How old was he? I don't know. He looked like he was, like, 18.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Police rushed to the Taco Bell and started canvassing the nearby shopping center. They didn't find their suspect, but they did find something else.

[Donna Anshako]

So there had been a BOLO put out on Donna's vehicle.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Be on the lookout.

[Donna Anshako]

Right. And in the process of looking for this person here, they found the car.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Donna's stolen car. This BMW had been ditched behind a movie theater.

[Donna Anshako]

It was lights on, and it was running, so it clearly wasn't an abandoned vehicle.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Tazi says the car would become crucial.

[Donna Anshako]

There was blood all over it. And so we were hoping that we would get some kind of DNA evidence of our suspect.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Did you?

[Donna Anshako]

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[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

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[Donna Anshako]

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[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

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[Donna Anshako]

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[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

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[Donna Anshako]

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[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Sharon Sharp will never forget the dread she felt when she arrived at the hospital to see her friend Donna Onshako, only to be told she wasn't there. I'm picturing the color draining from your face and the air leaving your lungs, like, totally.

[Donna Anshako]

No, this cannot be. There's no way. She has to be here.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Did you think maybe she had died?

[Donna Anshako]

Yes. Yes.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

It turned out with her attacker still on the loose, the hospital had admitted Donna under an alias to protect her. Sharon was allowed to see Donna the.

[Donna Anshako]

Next day, an intensive care room I've never seen before. It looked like an enlarged, massively enlarged cockpit wall because there were tons of machines behind her. And she looked almost like a puppet. Surgery was seven hours, I believe.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Despite losing three quarters of the blood in her body, trauma surgeons had saved Donna's life, but at a tremendous cost. You may find the pictures you're about to see disturbing.

[Donna Anshako]

I pretty much looked like a living cadaver. I had 37 stitches on my face and neck, 38 staples in my chest, seven stitches in my hand, and now internally, my sternum is wired shut.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

And as for that final stab to Donna's chest just before her assailant left it.

[Donna Anshako]

Missed my heart by the edge of a dime is what I remember them telling me.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

The edge of a dime. When she talks about the margin that the knife missed her heart by.

[Donna Anshako]

Yeah, if she was any slouched over any more, that would have been it.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Kirsten says as soon as her mother was able to talk, she had one simple Request.

[Donna Anshako]

I remember her saying, all I smell is this blood in my hair. Can somebody please wash my hair?

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Sharon says they got permission. And then she and two of Donna's family members did their best to wash Donna's hair as she lay in her hospital bed.

[Donna Anshako]

We were determined to see if we can make her smile. So we turned it into a ridiculous idiot session with three of us like a factory line. We laughed through our tears, and anytime anybody would get too serious, we would make it funny.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

But her hair was far from Donna's biggest concern. She was sure her attacker would find her and finish the job.

[Donna Anshako]

She was convinced that he was in the hospital. And we kept telling her, no, you're here under an alias. I survived. I stood face to face with him. I could 100% positively identify him. He's coming back for me.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Detective Tazi says they were pretty sure the young man knocking on windows at the Taco Bell drive thru shortly after Donna's attack was their suspect. Within two days, a customer who saw him met with a police sketch artist.

[Donna Anshako]

And was able to provide pretty great details on the person she saw that night.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Investigators then took the sketch to the hospital. What did Donna say when she saw that sketch?

[Donna Anshako]

She said, yeah, that was incredibly accurate. She tweaked it a little bit. She said that, yes, that looks like the person who stabbed me. His curly blond hair. He was like a surfer kid or a skateboarder or something like that.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Former assistant prosecutor Lori Gerhardt says the sketch of the suspect was soon plastered all over Monmouth county and on law enforcement social media.

[Donna Anshako]

So people are obviously talking and trying to figure out, do we know him, where is he from, who is this kid? And it's scary because you like to have a sense of security in your community.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Investigators reviewed the cameras of stores in the shopping center near the Taco Bell to see if they'd get lucky and spot their suspect, hoping the more images they had, the more likely the chance of identifying him.

[Donna Anshako]

We were trying to go back and look at video from various businesses to see the description and really to put out the bolo like, this is who we're looking for.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Security cameras had captured the suspect. Once again.

[Donna Anshako]

The surveillance we got from the store over there was from the inside the store, but it was pointing outwards.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

I see. And it definitely caught him.

[Donna Anshako]

Oh, yeah, you could see him walking. Wow.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

As police kept looking for the suspect, Donna was turning a corner, at least physically. Amazingly, after just four days, Donna Anshako was released from the hospital. Sharon says that was all due to the training Donna had done prior to the attack.

[Donna Anshako]

Clearly, she's very physically fit. She couldn't have survived this if she wasn't.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

It's an amazing thing. You were out in four days. But as you leave the hospital, you are also walking back into a world where whoever did this to you is still out there.

[Donna Anshako]

Right. But also, I wasn't going back to the farm. I wasn't going back to my house. No. There was no way, in fact, Donna.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Would never step foot in her house again. She and Kirsten moved in with family living in New Jersey. Then, just eight days after the attack, not long after the police sketch began circulating, Detective Tazi's phone rang.

[Donna Anshako]

I take the call. And the woman on the other end says that she's calling about the same stabbing in Colt's Neck. I said, okay. I said, how can I help you? And she said, I. I think my cousin, Brennan Doyle may have something to do with that.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

It was the first time Tazzi had heard the name Brennan Doyle. He was just 16 years old. His cousin told Tazi word was going around her family that Brennan was involved in the Colts next step. The cousin had seen Brennan just days prior to Donna's attack between July 3rd.

[Donna Anshako]

And 6th, because he was up in Connecticut for her wedding with his family.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

He had attended her wedding.

[Donna Anshako]

He attended her wedding. And she was able to provide us a picture of what he looked like during the time he was up there for the wedding. The photo she sends is Brennan with long, curly hair with wearing camouflage shorts, looking very much like the kid in the sketch. And more importantly, on the videotapes, Brennan's.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Resemblance to this sketch all around town was about to become even more important because of what the cousin told Detective Kazi happened a few days later.

[Donna Anshako]

She was staying at Brennan's family's lake house in New Hampshire as a wedding gift. And Brennan, his brother and the mother showed up there unexpected.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Hang on. This woman is in Lake Winnipesaukee. She's on her honeymoon.

[Donna Anshako]

Yes.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

And all of a sudden, there's Brennan, Brennan's mother, Brennan's brother crashing her honeymoon.

[Donna Anshako]

Yes. And the dog.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

But what was even more surprising was Brennan's appearance.

[Donna Anshako]

Brennan's hair was cut.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

The next time she sees him, he's cut his hair.

[Donna Anshako]

Yes.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

So that's a big red flag.

[Donna Anshako]

Yes.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Brennan Doyle's cousin told investigators that Brennan showed up just days after Donna's attack, hundreds of miles from home, with his hair suddenly cut short. Similar to this. Like Donna, the Doyle family resided in Colts Neck. Former assistant prosecutor Lori Gerhardt.

[Donna Anshako]

They Lived in a very nice house. Two sons, a mom and a dad. The life of a typical Colt Snacks teenager. It's a life of wealth. It's a life of privilege.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Doyle was a student athlete on wrestling and hockey teams. Detective Tozzi started digging into his background.

[Donna Anshako]

He had never been arrested. There was never any charges filed against him prior to our investigation.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

According to the prosecutor's records, police had been called to the Doyle house for what they refer to as family conflicts. The location of the home would turn out to be very important. Where did Brennan live?

[Donna Anshako]

So if you make a right up here and you go up maybe a quarter of a mile on the left.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

So that's close.

[Donna Anshako]

Yeah.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

The teen and his family lived within walking distance of Donna's house, up the very road that driver had reported seeing someone she described as a young hitchhiker just prior to Donna's attack.

[Donna Anshako]

I'm afraid he's going to get hit by a car.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

When does the Doyle family return to Colts Neck?

[Donna Anshako]

Later in July.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

With Brennan and his family back in town, Tazi reached out to the family, saying investigators were canvassing the neighborhood. What happened when you went to the house?

[Donna Anshako]

We spoke with Mrs. Doyle. She was nervous. Her voice was cracking.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

And did this raise an eyebrow for you?

[Donna Anshako]

It did. We asked if Brennan and his brother could come and look at the composite sketch and if they had any idea who that person might be on the sketch.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Did Brennan come out?

[Donna Anshako]

He did.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Tazi says she wanted to see Brennan's hair to confirm what his cousin had told her, that it had been cut much shorter. It seemed the teen tried to stay a step ahead. When he came out to greet the.

[Donna Anshako]

Detective, he was wearing a hat. He was wearing a baseball hat. I think wearing a baseball cap was a calculated move.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

It might have been, but it didn't work.

[Donna Anshako]

You could tell his hair was cut short.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Next, Tazzi showed Brennan the police sketch of the suspect, the same one Donna helped tweak to look just like her attacker. How did he react?

[Donna Anshako]

He looked away. He looked at it, looked away and said, I don't know. I don't know. He was nervous and he was scared, and he got very quiet. There is a reaction. Eyes are down, no eye contact. People are nervous. Mom starts redirecting the conversation.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Doyle's family and his attorney denied our request for an interview. We asked CBS News consultant defense attorney Matt Troiano to study the case file. And I think that that probably confirms what they believe going in. Brennan's odd behavior and resemblance to the sketch and video evidence may have been Striking. But with nothing else to go on yet, Tazi thanked the Doyles for their time and left. Did you know that was your guy?

[Donna Anshako]

I was pretty confident that we were on the right track with him, but we also have a duty. We had other leads that were coming in, so we were doing a lot of follow ups.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

As investigators worked the case, Donna was struggling. Weeks after the attack, the reality of what had happened to her had taken hold.

[Donna Anshako]

I lost everything that night. I lost my home, had nowhere to go. I lost my car. They took it into evidence.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Donna, you lost more than half your blood.

[Donna Anshako]

Exactly. I lost. I lost a lot.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Donna says that's when, in addition to her physical recovery, she faced a new challenge.

[Donna Anshako]

Symptoms of PTSD started to show up. I'm not eating, I'm not sleeping. I don't care about anything. I'm angry, I'm sad, I'm happy, I'm, you know, every emotion under the sun. At any minute, I felt like I was going crazy. I was always thinking, I don't know who this kid is, but he, he climbed through the window in that second that I fell asleep, and now he's hiding in the closet, you know, kind of crazy thoughts.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Sharon Sharp says Donna's fear meant even friendly visits required a new protocol, including announcing her arrival every step of the way so as not to trigger Donna.

[Donna Anshako]

I'm going to come around the hedges now and I'm going to enter the backyard. I'm going to be touching the gate in 3, 2, 1. I would shake my keys first, which had bells on them. Say it's me, Sharon. I'm coming.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

The investigation lasted through the summer of 2013. Brennan Doyle remained the only likely suspect. Detective Tazi says investigators took the next step. In September.

[Donna Anshako]

We got a warrant to obtain his DNA, his fingerprints, photographs of him, just things that are personal to him.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

When the results came back, there's a.

[Donna Anshako]

Fingerprint match, then ultimately there's a DNA match.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Brennan Doyle's DNA was a spot on match to unknown DNA found in Donna's car in a number of places. 11 different DNA samples and pieces of.

[Donna Anshako]

Evidence found in that vehicle.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

And really, there's no reason why Brennan.

[Donna Anshako]

Doyle's DNA should be in this woman's vehicle. He's a stranger to her.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

One more crucial piece of evidence was found in early October in the most unexpected spot.

[Donna Anshako]

Repairmen were servicing an air conditioning unit that was on the top of the strip mall. They found the knife on the roof right near the air conditioning unit.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

A knife looking weathered, as though it had been there for months found on a bowling alley roof in the very same shopping center where the Taco Bell was located and where Donna's car had been abandoned. How important was the knife?

[Donna Anshako]

It ended up being very important because the knife was from a set. We determined that that knife matched another knife that we knew came from the Doyle household that had been taken months earlier.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Through a twist of timing and fate, the Colts Neck police already had another night from the Doyle home taken after police were called to the house a few weeks prior to Donna's attack following an altercation between Brennan and his brother.

[Donna Anshako]

There's a knife that's apparently used by the younger brother in a threatening manner. Police are called, police take the knife and the situation ends. There was no charges or anything that came of it, but they secured the knife in their evidence vault. It was the same brand name, the same look. It was a silver knife.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

It was from the same collection.

[Donna Anshako]

Correct. That was kind of the icing on the cake to get a search warrant. They had moved during the course of this investigation, so we got a search warrant for their new home.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

The search of the new Doyle residents are also in Colt's Neck turned up the rest of the knife set matching the one found atop the shopping Center. In late October 2013, Brennan Doyle was arrested. What kinds of charges was he facing?

[Donna Anshako]

Serious ones. Attempted murder, carjacking, weapons possession. These are the most serious of crimes that we what do you make of the evidence against Brennan Doyle? Take a look at the complete [e-mail] rated T for Teen. Each year, thousands of adults lose their shred. It's an epidemic simply known as shred loss. But it doesn't have to be this way, because rekindling your shred is as easy as playing the new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4. With new parks, cross platform, multiplayer and sick new game modes, we can put an end to shred loss everywhere. Hit the new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 and show the world that the shred's not dead. Get Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 available now on WhatsApp. No one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Months after Donna's brush with Death. Her alleged attacker, Brennan Doyle, was in custody facing six counts, including attempted murder and carjacking. He pleaded not guilty.

[Donna Anshako]

You have to look at the seriousness of the offense.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

The prosecution felt the crime warranted trying Doyle as an adult, even though he was 16 at the time.

[Donna Anshako]

And in juvenile court, Brennan is looking at four years maximum in a youth detention facility. In adult court, he's looking at up to 30 years.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

A judge would rule an assistant prosecutor Gerhardt's favor, but there was a catch. Doyle would now be entitled to post bail set at $760,000, which he did. When you heard he was out, did all of the fear come rushing back?

[Donna Anshako]

It wasn't so much fear as it was anger that he was even allowed to be bailed out.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

The thought of running into Doyle terrified Kirsten. She says he even haunted her dreams.

[Donna Anshako]

I didn't realize how much it was affecting me. I had no idea until I was, like, falling asleep, and all I see is his face.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

As prosecutors develop their case, the details of what happened that horrific night began to emerge. What does Brennan Doyle say happened the night of July 6, heading into the morning of July 7, 2013?

[Donna Anshako]

Mushrooms. He says he was under the influence.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Of hallucinogenic mushrooms, according to investigative reports he examined. Matt Troiano says that on the night of Donna's attack, Doyo claimed he was losing 10 touch with reality and had gotten into a fight with his father. He has a knife in his hand. Dad kicks him out, and he kind.

[Donna Anshako]

Of loses his mind, makes bad decisions.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Police thought it was likely that Doyle, who lived a short distance away, approached Donna's home looking to steal her car.

[Donna Anshako]

I don't know if his intent was to kill Donna. Certainly when he started stabbing her, that became his intent. To me, what he's doing is he's getting rid of the witness.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Gerhardt believes Doyle did not act like someone incapacitated by drugs. Doyle drove five miles to that shopping center. After leaving Donna's house.

[Donna Anshako]

This kid manages to ditch a knife. He abandons the car. And that's not a kid who's so high on mushrooms he doesn't know what he's doing.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Troiano says while a lot of the evidence against Brennan Doyle was strong, the knife, the security camera videos, one thing put this case over the top. What is going to seal the fate of this boy, this kid, is that.

[Donna Anshako]

There'S DNA in her vehicle that links to him. It's indefensible.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

But as it turned out, there would be no need for a defense. In August of 2015, Brennan Doyle agreed to apply. In return, the prosecution dropped all but the two most serious charges, carjacking and attempted murder.

[Donna Anshako]

It was very important for me that he admit his guilt. If he took the plea, he would have to confess his guilt to the court.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

In October 2015, Brennan Doyle, now 18 years old, appeared in Monmouth County Superior Court sentencing. Donna, who'd attended every court appearance, was there to face him one last time.

[Donna Anshako]

Even though I felt overpowered by fear, I wanted him to see me as strong and as a survivor.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

It was an emotional day for Kirsten there to support her. When you would look at him in court, what do you remember feeling?

[Donna Anshako]

Anger. Just very angry. Sorry. The drugs turned me into a monster.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

That night, Doyle was permitted to address the court.

[Donna Anshako]

I pray and hope her wounds will lessen and she will recover eventually. I am asking you to forgive me. Going to prison will be the hardest thing I will ever have to face in my life. I'm afraid.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Brennan Doyle was sentenced to 15 years in state prison. The law requires him to serve at least 85% of that time.

[Donna Anshako]

Justice has to be done on both sides and we have to be sensitive to that. We have a 16 year old kid who for the most part had absolutely no prior history. The court has a balancing act to do.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Did it feel like justice?

[Donna Anshako]

It did not.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

What would have felt like justice to you?

[Donna Anshako]

More like 30 years, 40 years, 50 years, if not longer.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Even with Doyle off the streets, Donna was still struggling. She had found PTSD and domestic violence support groups, but says there were none for victims of random attacks. So in 2015, she decided to create her own survivors of violent crimes.

[Donna Anshako]

Reason we took to the support group was to help each other cope.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Donna connected with fellow survivors Tiffany Ott and Dana Richards. Together they held meetings and felt gratified they could help. When more survivors joined, they're finding relief.

[Donna Anshako]

In knowing that they're not alone.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

But Donna says her work isn't done. Her future plans include helping victims connect with trauma therapists and offering self defense classes. As she grows her support group, she's also educating others. She travels to prisons, meeting with inmates and addresses police cadets so they can understand the victim's point of view.

[Donna Anshako]

I got up, I made it up the stairs to my bedroom where my cell phone was, but I got through to 91 1. She survives and she's building a life. How could anyone not applaud that?

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Donna says the the physical scars that remain are a reminder of the surgeons who saved her life.

[Donna Anshako]

This is artwork. They're beautiful artwork. You could either get sucked into the darkness or you just keep going. I did what I had to do to be here today. And go another day. A couple disappears. We're in a million different directions trying to find her and him.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

A lot of people trusted him with a lot of money.

[Donna Anshako]

He told me that he was adopted by Ronald Reagan's son, who was the man last seen with Diana Duvet. Follow and listen to the 48 Hours podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

I'm Dexter Morgan.

[Donna Anshako]

I've been through hell, but now I'm back for my curtain call. And what better place place to hide than New York City?

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

There may be a new area code.

[Donna Anshako]

But my code never changes. In a city full of monsters, my dark urges will feel right at home.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Dexter Resurrection Starring Michael C. Hall, Uma.

[Donna Anshako]

Thurman and Peter Dinklage. New series now streaming on the Paramount plus Premium plan.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

Now streaming on Paramount plus. The suspect is trying to evade us.

[Donna Anshako]

You're walking into the unknown.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

We had somebody out there staring starting fires for the heck of it.

[Donna Anshako]

It's dark. There's no road signs. We need the help of Air1.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

When there's chaos below, he's bailing on foot.

[Donna Anshako]

This individual did not want to be caught. They go high, the helicopter sees you. He never realized we were above watching him the whole time.

[Detective Andrea Tazzi]

An all new season of Chopper Cops now streaming on Paramount plus.