I finally fixed this problem. Someone on the apple forums had posted about this prior to it working for me. Unfortunately, I missed a portion of the answer.
Pop the cover off the ipod by using a special plastic tool or I just use guitar picks to avoid scratching the case. There is a battery ribbon that runs from the front of the case to the back. Disconnect it for 10 MINUTES. After 10 minutes reconnect it, plug it into the wall for a few minutes and then it will register with Itunes. Unfortunately a system restore is required but it’s better than throwing it away.
The part i missed was the 10 minutes to allow for a complete discharge. I replaced the battery and backplate but it didn’t take 10 minutes.