Thankfully, the three men did not kill her, but Ms Marshall's eye is black and blue. One of the men punched her after they broke through the glass patio door of her Commercial Avenue home early New Year's morning.
"It didn't hit me until I heard footsteps running upstairs," she said.
In the next bedroom was 14 year old Zaire, the grandson she cares for. He has cerebral palsy and needs constant care.
"He was really quiet. He knew something was going on. The guy came back and said he's sleep," Marshall said.
Could the criminals have come to this house mistaking it for another? They stole 50 dollars from her purse and a pair of earrings, but left smaller bills and her credit cards. They demanded valuables they would not find here.
"Asking me where was the safe and the gold? I told them I don't know what you're talking about," she said.
Marshall does have a wall of awards, gratitude for her years of service to many organizations. She wonders if any of this is retaliation for speaking up about crime in the area. On Christmas Eve, someone threw a rock through her kitchen window. Whatever is behind the attacks, she says it won't shut her down, although it has left her shaken.
"I am Blessed. It's something I won't forget. I haven't slept, but how could you?" she said.
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