and told her something that got her attention. >> he said, "anything that ever happens can be found on microfiche at the library." >> this is a light bulb moment for you? >> uh-huh. i was like, "well, what is that?" and he said, "all the newspaper articles, all the police reports. anything you've ever done that's on a record or that's happened is going to be on an archive." >> reporter: that night brittany scored a lift to the library and headed straight for the archives. >> and i just started scanning all the newspapers they had on file. after i found her obituary, i found another article and the headline was "19-year-old found on road, dead." so i read through that one, and then thereas another one. >> and this is your mom, this is not a -- >> uh-huh. right. >> paper for school or an historic figure. this is your mom you're researching. >> yeah. and so i think it was more of a shock, you know, and i just -- every article that was on there. >> reporter: shocking to read about her mother's death in black and white. she'd never let herself picture the accident in her head. >> -- woman found on road dies of head injuries. >> reporter: the articles didn't