A man attacked his ex-wife in disguise before rescuing her to try to win her back, police say. | Forensic Files

something like this to happen in our town was crazy. I mean, really kind of unheard of.
Canton is just beautiful. You've got a lot of trees, tons of places to go hiking,
so it's really cute. This was one of those cases that when it happened, everybody knew that this was
bad. Citizens don't want to think that monsters live amongst them. On New Year's Eve of 2020, I went to
Nicole's house. I'm Morgan Metser's best friend. We were going to have a glass of wine,
stay inside, and just chill. we're going to stay there and watch the ball drop together. But I left early. I
was like, "We never get to, you know, hang out." And she's like, "No, I'm just really tired."
>> I got home. I just didn't have any interest waiting up for the fireworks. Closed the house down and I went to bed.
She was alone. She recalled waking up about 11:59. >> I woke up because of fireworks cuz I can
hear him in the distance. and I got down and kissed my dog and I was like, "Happy
New Year's and I go lay back in bed. >> She went back to sleep and then the next
thing that she knew she woke up and there was this figure standing in her door. >> I opened my eyes. They flung open and
that's when I saw the shadow of a man's body standing there, you know, all in black and just lit up by the light in
the background. He had a mask on. And I screamed so loud. He pounced on me. He then hit me with a
gun. Then he punched me. >> He turned her over and he put these handcuffs on her that were fashioned
with zip ties. >> What was your attacker saying? Was he saying anything? >> Yes. He said, "You're going to regret
this. You've done really wrong now." It was the sound of Batman's voice. >> She described it like Batman. kind of
like Batman trying to disguise his voice. >> He would keep continuing to hit me,
pistol whip me. He'd strangle me a few times to the point of where I know I was about to pass out.
>> Did you think you were going to die? >> Yes, I did. Who would want to do this to Morgan
Mzer? Nobody should want to do this to Morgan Metser. >> Eventually, I would learn the intruder
was somebody that I knew. He was not the kind of person that most people suspect
of something like this. He's standing there like a soldier, like with his fist clenched, like he was
ready to go. >> When Morgan Metser glimpsed a masked figure standing in her bedroom doorway
shortly after midnight on New Year's Day 2021, she thought she might just be seeing things,
but then >> he ran at me and jumped on top of me. And that's when he started pistol
lipping me. >> Just hours earlier, she'd been ready to ring in the new year in Canton, Georgia
with her best friend, Nicole Stabisfki. That's what we were looking forward to, and I knew she was exhausted.
>> It had been a long year for Morgan. Recently divorced, her 8-year-old twin son and daughter were spending a few
days with her sister in Florida. >> I mean, we're moms and we just wanted to hang out for a second. We had planned
for it. >> But after arriving at Nicole's, Morgan, feeling tired, decided to make it an
early evening. When she left, I did I I gave her some crap. I was like, "What are you doing?" I was like, "We never
get to, you know, hang out." And I was like, "You'd lose her." Fine. Whatever. Text me to get home. Blah blah blah. See
you tomorrow. >> Little could either friend have guessed that a short time later, Morgan would be
in fear for her life. Her attacker had brought zip ties with him, already pre-looped and intertwined. He put
Morgan's hands behind her back, slipped them on, and tightened them. >> It's an outer body experience.
>> You can't imagine what you're thinking, what you're feeling. Vulnerable, exposed.
What is going to happen to my kids? I haven't done a will. I haven't done I don't I haven't talked to my family
about who gets them. I was like, "They're not going to have a mom." >> Her asalent strangled her nearly
unconscious twice. >> It's the worst feeling in the world to think you're dying, and you feel like
you're going to be tortured beforehand. >> Morgan's attacker sexually assaulted her. Who did you think was attacking
you? >> I don't know. I just felt like it was some random person. In addition to the mask, the intruder
had taken great pains to disguise himself. >> Black hoodie jacket, black pants, black
gloves. He said very little, but when he did, Morgan says her asalants seemed to
be disguising his voice, making it sound low and grally like the Batman movies. He also seemed to know about Morgan's
personal life, specifically her recent divorce. He said something about your husband.
>> Yes, you're going to miss your husband. And I said, "No, don't hurt my husband."
>> Morgan says her mind raced trying to piece together why this was happening to
her. >> I swear I like went through my whole life in my head. That's how my brain was
just everywhere. I mean, 50,000 tabs open up at one time in my brain. >> Her attacker demanded to know where
Morgan kept her valuables. >> Where's your jewelry? Where's, you know, all of your other nice stuff? and he's
ripping out stuff out of my, you know, my drawers. >> And then >> the attacker asked for my phone and the
passcode to my phone. >> Morgan's house had an alarm system which she'd set before going to bed. An app on
her phone controlled it along with several security cameras around her home and a lock on the door of her second
floor bedroom which led out to a back porch. I wasn't too sure what he was doing on my phone at the time until I
heard a door lock open, which was for the back porch. >> The attacker had unlocked the door
remotely, threw that app on Morgan's phone. Morgan says he put a pillowcase over her head.
>> He got me out of the bed, walked me out to the back porch. I was naked, still with my zip tie
handcuffs behind my back. >> Did he just leave you there? >> Yes. What did he say as he left?
>> He said, "Do not get up until you hear two car honks or I'll kill you." >> Morgan's property was secluded with
little chance of a neighbor seeing or hearing her on the back porch. And with that pillowcase over her head and the
attacker's final words of warning ringing in her ears, Morgan had no way of knowing if he or someone else was
watching her. >> I just listened to the stream and tried to be as peaceful and calm as I could.
40 minutes passed. Then a sound in the distance struck terror in Morgan all over again.
>> I hear somebody walking up. >> Unable to see, she feared her attacker had returned to finish the job.
>> I hear them shuffling and walking and they hit the stairs and I knew they were
at the top when he hit the first board and it creaked really loud. >> That's when Morgan heard a very familiar
voice. Oh, honey, what happened? >> Morgan's grueling ordeal was finally over. And who would turn out to be her
rescuer? Her ex-husband, Rod Mezer. When Morgan's ex-husband, Rod Mzer, turned up at her house, he immediately
called 911. >> Cherokee County 911. >> Somebody Somebody broke in over here. She was on the back porch. Uh, and the
back door was wide open. She was tied up with a hood over her head. >> As they waited for help to arrive, Rod
tried to console Morgan. >> I'm going to be right here. I'm going to leave the door open. Okay.
>> He came up and rescued her on the back porch. >> Saved her. >> Saved her. >> Her hero.
>> Absolutely. >> Sergeant Dakota Livers was a detective with the Cherokee County Sheriff's
Department in 2021. He had a lot of questions. Exactly why had Rod gone to Morgan's home in the middle of the
night? >> This was Rod's apartment right here. >> That's correct. He moved here shortly
after the uh the divorce. Rod said he'd received an eerie message about Morgan that night.
>> He was getting ready for bed. He was brushing his teeth when he heard knocking on his window. That knocking
was accompanied by a voice in which he could only decipher the word Morgan was being said.
>> Concerned, Rod said he tried calling Morgan, but she didn't answer. What did he say he was thinking? I mean, someone
knocks on his window in the early morning hours of New Year's Day. >> He obviously went to the worst. He
thought that something was uh going to happen to Morgan or something might be happening to Morgan.
>> Rod told investigators he'd gotten in his car and made the 12minute drive over
to his ex-wife's house. Despite being divorced, Rod said he was still looking out for Morgan. Their relationship
stretched back nearly 20 years. How old were you when you met Rod? >> 14 years old.
>> Was it love at first sight? >> Yes, it was. It was It was scary. how fast it was.
>> He was 17 at the time. >> Kathy Metser is Rod's mother. >> We were on the way to a baseball game
and he said, "Mom, you're going to meet Morgan tonight." And I said, "Who's Morgan?" "That's my girlfriend." And I
said, "What?" He said, "Be nice." >> Did Rod change at all when he was dating Morgan?
>> Oh, yeah. There was nothing that she could mention that she didn't get. >> How did he treat you? Amazing. He called
me princess and so he literally treated me like that. >> No one was surprised when the couple
married in 2009. >> We are gathered here today in the presence of God. >> Morgan was 21 years old.
>> Morgan was one of the most gorgeous brides I've ever seen in my life. Love is patient. Love is kind. It
doesn't >> Weather was perfect. It was outside. So, thank goodness for the weather.
>> It was everything I dreamed of. >> My dad gave me everything I could want. You know, it was just precious.
>> You may kiss to your heart's content. >> What was marriage like in the very beginning?
>> It was just awesome. It's just you two. You're mourning the loss of your like
wedding being over and your honeymoon and it's like I want to go again. >> Unfortunately, their newly wetted bliss
would be short-lived. 8 months after the wedding, >> I wish you both endless years of love,
health, and happiness. >> Rod's younger brother, Kevin, lost his battle with leukemia at the age of 19.
And >> it really hit Rod hard. I mean it I don't think he was ever the same after
that. He depended on Morgan at that point more than he did anybody. I don't think he
left her side for more than an hour or two. >> But the next year would bring some good
news to celebrate. >> We got pregnant with our son. >> Morgan says picking his name was easy.
>> Kevin always wanted to be an uncle. He always talked about it, how much fun he
would have. >> They named him Kevin after my Kevin, Rod's brother. >> But the family would suffer a second and
devastating loss. Baby Kevin was born early with a congenital heart defect. He lived just 18 days.
>> He actually died on his due date. >> The loss of a child is unthinkable. And I would imagine tough
for you and Rod. >> Very tough. Don't really remember a lot of it. It's a big blur with all the
emotions. So it seemed like a miracle when just 3 months later, Morgan discovered she was
pregnant again. Kathy remembers the moment Rod showed her the ultrasound picture.
>> He says, "What do you see?" I said, "A baby." He said, "No, look. What do you
see?" And I just screamed at the top of my lungs, two babies, you know, >> twins.
>> Twins. They were going to have twins. >> Morgan gave birth to a healthy boy and
girl in 2012. It should have been a happy time. But not long after, the marriage began to change.
Probably about a year after they were born, which is right around the time that Rod lost his job, is when
it started going down south from there. >> What did Rod do for work? >> He He had so many jobs. His main one
when he lost all of his money was he was being a day trader for himself. >> Rod's job loss happened to come at the
same time Morgan's career was starting to flourish. I started my own interior design business and it took off, but I
just didn't expect it to boom and blow up. >> Morgan's company, Shiplap and Sugar,
became so successful, she asked Nicole to join her. >> And she was saying, you know, like, I
need help. I'm overwhelmed. And became business smarter. >> Yeah. >> Making money, working our tails off,
doing what we love. Morgan says her professional success and Rod's lack of it made for a dangerous combination. She
says he began to abuse her both physically and mentally. She recalls one Labor Day weekend she and Rod were
celebrating on a boat with friends and had just returned to their cabin. >> I guess we had got into an argument
about something. That's the first night he beat the he beat me. >> Did you think he hit me? I've got to get
out of here. >> Yes, I had my dad come and get me. Shockingly, Morgan says Rod tried to
convince her and the people closest to her that she was to blame for her injuries.
He convinced my parents that I was the one that did it. >> What did he say? You were just out of
control. You You couldn't keep your temper. You were just wailing all over the place.
>> Morgan says Rod claims she got hurt because he was forced to physically restrain her.
>> And I'm like, "Okay, well, maybe that's my fault. and my friend stopped talking
to me then because he had no marks on him. It was all me. >> Morgan says that's when a new phase in
the marriage began. One in which she started to doubt her own reality because she says Rod was gaslighting her, making
her think every conflict Rod instigated actually began with her. >> I think she thought she was crazy. You
know, you get programmed to think that you're crazy. Like it's all in your head.
Morgan says Rod even involved their children in his deception. He pretended I pushed him down the
stairs. He literally rolled down the stairs. You know, he actually got hurt and said to the kids, "Look, mommy
pushed me downstairs. Can you believe that?" >> Morgan says Rod sexually abused her as
well, although she says it took a while for her to recognize what it was. A lot of times he was very aggressive and
wouldn't take the word no. And so now looking back on it, I guess he did sexually abuse me.
>> Morgan filed for a divorce in 2020. When Morgan decided to go through with the divorce, how was she handling it?
You know, it was the first time I think I saw her have peace. >> The divorce was final in December, and
Morgan was ready to move on. But now, in the early morning hours of New Year's Day, it appeared Rod had come back into
her life as her hero. Yeah. >> Sergeant Livers and Sergeant Robert Hawk recall that when they first arrived at
Morgan's house at 3:00 a.m. Rod's behavior had struck them as unusual. >> Yeah. So, as we were walking up, Rodney
was seated in his car right here with another deputy. >> Did he say anything? >> Yeah, he did. He asked, "Hey, man. Are
you the guy that we've been waiting on?" And I said, "Uh, yes, sir, I am." And then he replied, "Do your job."
>> What did you think? >> I was taken aback. I really was. This guy just had found his wife bound and
beaten on the back porch. And you would think that my arrival to help find a resolution to this uh would be
welcoming. >> Immediately, Morgan's appearance startled the investigators. Her eye was
swollen shut in black and blue. She still had the zip tie around her one wrist and I was shocked and I'd seen a
lot in my career and I was surprised that somebody would be so harsh. >> What did it make you think?
>> Somebody was mad. Absolutely. It was emotional attack. >> Morgan was not only physically injured.
Investigators could tell she had suffered psychologically after the attacker left her. She was feared that
she was someone was still back here watching her and that they were going to kill her if she moved. And so she laid
here and waited. >> Morgan was outside for 40 minutes before Rod arrived, but initially she thought
it was just half that. >> Morgan believed it to be somewhere around 15 to 20 minutes max. That was
her perception of time. >> Interesting. I would have thought the opposite. That would have felt longer
for her. >> I agree. Where their adrenaline's going, you know, people perceive things
differently. The first thing Livers and Hawk did was separate everyone seen here through this
zoomedin front porch security video. Morgan, Rod, and Morgan's father and brother who came over after she called
them. Then Livers recorded his conversation with Morgan inside the house. >> Spell your last name for me.
>> M E T Z P R. safely out of earshot of her ex-husband who was standing just outside. Morgan told investigators that
she suspected her attacker was the man pretending to be her hero. >> I just thought it was him.
>> When you say him, you're talking about your ex-husband. >> Mhm. >> Morgan said she had no idea who her
asalent was when the attack began. But then came one critical moment. >> When he said, "You're going to miss your
husband." And I said, "No, don't hurt my husband. I love him very much." And I don't know what made me do that. But at
that exact moment is when the mood of the room changed. I knew I was going to live.
>> And then there was another even bigger clue when her attacker lifted Morgan off
the bed to place her outside. >> And that's when I really knew it was him. >> Morgan remembered something from years
earlier. >> I was pregnant with my kids, my twins, and sometimes you have to get help out
of the bag. The way he gently held me and got me out of the bed, it was so familiar that I was like, "This is him.
I know it's 100% him." >> Wasn't going to let him know that I knew it was him. Cuz if he did, then I didn't
know what he was going to do. >> She told them the attack had followed a chaotic week which began with very
troubling news. >> He thinks he's got pancreatic cancer. He just called me and said, "I've got
pancreatic cancer." And so I rushed to go see him. I said, "You're the father of my children. I'm here for you." He
showed me doctor's notes and whatnot. >> Rod had told no one else. And Morgan explained that she'd been letting him
stay at her house. >> They've been sleeping on my step because he'd been really freaked out and upset.
Obviously, >> Morgan told the investigators that Rod had spent the week trying to reconcile
with her. >> He kept begging me to get back together with me, just constantly haggling me.
But Morgan says she had no interest. By the morning of December 31st, she'd had enough. Feeling the pressure of being
his sole emotional support, Morgan insisted Rod share his health news with his parents.
>> He said, "No, absolutely not. I'm not telling anybody." And that's when I was
like, "Okay, get out." >> Morgan says Rod spent the day texting her. >> You need to get back with me. I'll make
enough money. You can quit your job right now. Fed up with it all, Morgan lied and told Rod she'd be sleeping
elsewhere that New Year's Eve night. >> Staying at my parents house tonight. I'm
turning my phone off. Like, give me some space. >> As Morgan shared her suspicions with
investigators, she didn't know if they would accept what she was telling them. >> I've been mentally, emotionally,
physically abused. >> Because Rod made her feel like she was to blame for years.
>> That's what he's built in my brain. But that all changed when Sergeant Livers
told her he believed her >> and I just melted. He heard me. I have not been heard in years. Nobody
listened. Nobody heard me. And he heard me. >> That started the investigation into
Rodney Messer. >> Rachel Ash is the deputy chief assistant district attorney for Cherokee County.
She works exclusively on domestic violence cases. Parker, an emotional support dog, is often with her to
comfort victims. Ash says investigators were perplexed that Rod had come to Morgan's house that
night after she told him she'd be at her parents. >> Why'd you even come here? Why didn't you
go to her parents' house? Why didn't Why didn't you check with her parents? >> He claimed it was just habits.
>> What I would do? >> Are you scratching your heads? >> Yeah, we we questioned him on it.
Rod said that after hearing that knocking on his window and someone saying Morgan's name, he tried phoning
Morgan to warn her. Sergeant Hawk wanted to check. >> I think that's what problems. Hey,
where's your phone? >> Rod handed his cell phone to the investigators. >> Gave them permission to look through his
phone. >> And what they found came as a surprise. >> It was an Apple iPhone and it had a
hidden folder and in the hidden folder were images of Morgan partially dressed. a lot of photos of Morgan nude and those
photos of Morgan nude. It was pretty apparent that she didn't know he was taking those photos of her.
>> She was quite alarmed. >> Investigators also discovered Rod had snapped pictures of Morgan's cell phone
showing text messages between her and another man. They considered these and the photos of Morgan to be an invasion
of privacy. >> You didn't have that permission. Y'all don't have that relationship. She's
baffled that you have that. That's stalkerish. >> We knew we had to get him in custody
while we started doing search warrants and started investigating to prevent him from destroying evidence.
>> People make mistakes and I >> I think you made a lot of mistakes. >> Make big mistakes.
>> So, you arrested him for having taken those photos secretly. >> That's correct. That's correct.
>> You kidding me? >> Nope. We're not kidding you. This is not a joke. Come on. But could investigators
prove that Rod Metser had attacked Morgan that night? Watch him get arrested, walk to the car, and be put in. It was
kind of like, is this really happening? Was any part of you sad? >> No, not at the time. I was angry
and just sore. >> Even as they booked Rod for taking those pictures of Morgan and her texts, Hawen
Livers had already developed a theory about why Rod might have attacked her. >> I believe he thought he was going to
come in and and rescue her and be the savior and win her back. Investigators hoped home security
cameras would support their theory, but they quickly learned that all the video from the time of the attack had been
erased through the app on Morgan's phone that the asalent had used to unlock her
back porch door when he left. Morgan's attacker took her phone with him. It was never recovered. Were you ever able to
retrieve those missing videos from the security company? >> No. Once videos are deleted, they're
deleted from their cloud. But since Morgan had a home security system, how did the attacker get in
without setting off the alarm? It did not take long to figure out. >> This is the window the attacker entered.
>> That's correct. Right here is the uh the window that we found the screen was actually removed.
>> That basement window had an alarm sensor that was removed from the window and put
together on the window sill. So if the window was to open, it would appear, you know, to the alarm system that the
sensor is still making contact. >> Investigators believed Rod had disabled the sensor while he was staying at
Morgan's house that week. >> I was sleeping. It was in the middle of the night. >> Although the home security videos had
been erased, there was other video from prior to the attack. The camera on Morgan's front porch caught Rod earlier
that evening. He had sent me a picture of a check and he's like, "It's underneath your front porch."
>> Was for $56,000 and change. >> Morgan says the message Rod sent with the picture of the check made it seem
like he was trying to make a grand gesture. >> You should have all the money. You
deserve everything pretty much in a nutshell. >> I think it was to get her to come back
to the house that evening because she told Rodney she was going to be at her parents house for New Year's.
Morgan returned to the house, retrieved it and kind of made some sort of a of a gesture and she walked back into the
house and put it on the kitchen countertop. >> Morgan's attacker took that check with
him. It was never found. What did you find out about Rod's finances? >> That check would have bounced.
>> Yeah, he was broke. >> The day after his arrest, investigators executed search warrants on Rod's car
and his apartment. As soon as they walked through the door, they found a key piece of evidence.
>> They located this bag of zip ties in his apartment and a portion of a zip tie.
Before arriving at her house, Morgan's attacker had prelooped the zip ties he'd put on her wrists.
>> He was working in the dark. He was handcuffing somebody. You never know how much fight that person's going to put
up. One of the zip ties actually was pretty unique because it had two other zip ties that had been ratcheted onto it
and then cut. And so basically what we were looking at was a zip tie that had two extra heads.
Hawk and Livers needed to find out if that portion of a zip tie, essentially a tail found in Rod's apartment, lined up
with one of the extra heads on Morgan's restraints. They headed to their crime lab.
>> So, these are the zip ties that were actually found on Morgan. >> Yes, they are.
>> This is crime scene technician Melanie Thrasher. >> She was able to match this tail to one
of the heads on the zip tie for Morgan's wrist. The striations on the tail found
in Rod's apartment lined up exactly with those on Morgan zip tie. >> That's incredible.
>> Perfect match. >> Perfect match. What did you think when you saw this >> that we were going to be adding charges
to his existing booking and we had our guy. I would have never, you know, imagined having a piece of evidence like
this. >> But the search warrant of Rod's apartment yielded even more. There was a
book. Seven ways to >> be her hero. >> Be her hero to to win somebody back. >> They gave us the motive. I think it
added to that motive. >> Investigators examined Rod's browser history. >> The searches were very disturbing.
>> He was researching how to change your voice, >> how long to choke somebody unconscious.
>> The searches also included how to crack an iPhone password, how to get sympathy
from your ex, and one that was especially appalling. You Google searched cancer diagnosis letters. Yes.
>> Investigators searched Rod's outgoing emails. There they found Rod had set up
a fake email account to create the pancreatic cancer diagnosis letter he'd shown Morgan. And there was more. He had
created a bill for a doctor's office to show that he was being treated for pancreatic cancer. All of this in order
to convince Morgan that he had pancreatic cancer. >> He wasn't sick at all. No, he did not
have cancer. >> Do you think that he faked the cancer diagnosis as a way to try to get you
back or as a way to get access to your house cuz he had this plan? >> I think it was to get me back.
It might have been both. >> Rodney, you know me. I'm investigator Livers. Yes, sir.
>> On January 3rd, 2 days after the attack, Sergeant Lvers and Sergeant Tom Harris
interviewed Rod. They talked to him about his health. >> You said you're diabetic. Yes. What
other kind of health issues do you have? >> Nothing as far as I know of yet. >> I thought you had cancer.
>> Detective Lvers confronted Rod about the cancer diagnosis he'd faked to Morgan.
>> How did you tell her that this this cancer thing? >> I don't know if I should talk to you
guys anymore. I'm starting to get really bad feeling what angle you guys are going.
>> Then Rod tried to turn the tables by attempting to take the upper hand in the
interview. I've already learned something about you that your facial expressions and and you keep scratching
yourself when you get agitated by what I say. >> I am 100% not agitated. >> The investigators also questioned Rod
about his internet searches. >> Has there been a time recently where you were interested in how you can change
the sound of your voice? >> Maybe. Tell me about that. I felt like I wasn't voice wasn't manly enough.
Then Harris lowered the boom. >> The uh most significant thing that we found in your apartment was a collection
of zip ties. >> Zip ties? >> Mhm. Black zip ties? >> I don't have zip ties. >> I know you don't. We have them now.
These are identical to the ones that were binding Morgan's wrist. >> This is starting to get squirly.
>> Harris told Rod about that zip tie tail they'd recovered. And we compared that
microscopically to the zip ties that were on Morgan's wrists when the deputies found her. And
wouldn't you know it, it is a perfect cut. >> There's something funny going on here.
>> Did somebody break in and put him there? >> There's something funny going on here.
>> Like what? >> I don't know. >> I didn't have some big ass zip ties in my apartment.
>> But new evidence was about to say otherwise. You are making me [ __ ] it that you think
I did this. Hours after the interview with Rod Mzer concluded, he was charged with 10 counts related to the attack on
Morgan, including home invasion, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and sexual battery.
>> As soon as I felt that gun right here in my head, I was like, >> "All right, Jesus, I'm coming."
>> The next day, Morgan, with her friend Nicole by her side, talked to investigators again.
>> You thought you were going to die? >> Yep. I thought I was dead. Okay. But then also part of me is like, "No,
I'm not I'm not going to let myself die. I've got to fight for my kids." >> Sergeant Harris told Morgan they'd
watched the home security video of Rod arriving at her house after her attack. He rang the front doorbell, but when
there was no response, headed around to the back. >> We're I thought it was kind of interesting
that he called out your name as he's walking around side of your house. >> Yes. It's like, why would you think I
was outside? What was your reaction when you learned Rod had been arrested for violently attacking Morgan?
>> Oh, that that absolutely threw me under the ground. There had to be a mistake.
Rob wasn't capable of that. >> 2 days after Rod was charged, he talked to his mom, Kathy, on the phone.
>> Why is she doing this to me? She knows it wasn't me. >> But the evidence kept mounting.
When investigators recovered those zip ties from Rod's apartment, the bag they came in was found as well.
>> I brought up a a uh my Lowe's app on my phone and scanned the UPC code and the
UPC code came back that they were in fact sold at Lowe's. >> The sheriff's office then went to the
two Lowe's that we have here in Cherokee County and they started searching for transactions.
>> It didn't take long. Rod Metzer had purchased those zip ties on December 30th, about 36 hours before the attack.
Easy to find because he paid with his debit card. Investigators obtain the security video from Lowe's zoomed in
here for clarity. This was during CO and this was during a period where everybody was wearing a
mask except for Rodney Metser. So, the surveillance images and the videos that were recovered from Lowe's of him
purchasing those zip ties, his face is right there in the camera. I see a security camera here. Next came
the security video from Rod's apartment building. >> There's actually one inside the uh the
breezeway there, which leads to Rodney's apartment specifically. Sergeant Liver says there was no video
of Rod leaving after he said someone knocked on his window. >> What we do see is after the time of the
incident that Morgan was attacked, Rodney come in disheveled in a hurry. >> Just 4 minutes later, Rod is caught on
camera again leaving the building wearing completely different clothes and sneakers and carrying a plastic bag
highlighted here. The timestamp was 1:24 a.m. >> We never found that bag in his car when
we did the search warrant. >> We just don't know where that went. >> Investigators can't know for sure what
was in that bag, but believe it had evidence Rod discarded on his drive back to Morgan's house. The attacker's mask
was never found, but Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ash says they had more than enough to prove
Rod was guilty. This is a prosecutor's dream to put up because the evidence in this case was
overwhelming. Overwhelming. >> But Ash says she wanted to offer Morgan an opportunity for a quicker closure
than a trial would bring in the form of a plea deal for Rod. We went through the pros and cons of
letting him plead guilty, letting him accept responsibility. We agreed we should try. He took it quickly.
On August 4th, 2021, Rod pleaded guilty to a total of 14 counts related to Morgan's attack and the photos found on
his phone. >> He agreed to serve 25 years on a 70-year sentence. So, when he gets out in 25
years, he'll serve another 45 years of probation. >> I think you even described it as like a
death. It is a death. I've lost my husband. He's dead to me. At Rod's sentencing, Morgan delivered a
victim impact statement several pages long. >> Once I got started, it just started
pouring out of me. >> There were no cameras in the courtroom. We asked Morgan to read her statement.
Here's a portion of it. >> Rod, not only will this statement be to my attacker, but it'll also be my last
words to whom I thought was the love of my life. The last four years being married to you
was like living with a monster that constantly tried to break me down and fence me in. It was a blessing in
disguise. I can now walk with a confidence knowing the pain you have given me is turned into power.
I walked off that stand with 1,000 lbs off of my shoulders. It felt so good. It felt empowering. And I got the last
word. How was it to listen to your best friend read this incredibly powerful statement?
>> It was awesome because she did not cry. Her voice did not shake and she said everything she needed to say and when
she was done, she was done. >> She was laying to rest this relationship. She was telling him this,
"I'm never going to be yours." Right? I'm never going to be yours. Rod's actions that New Year's Day
continue to affect everyone. >> Have you been able to visit Rod in person at all?
>> He hasn't wanted me to. >> Why? >> He's afraid of my reaction. >> Rod suffers from type 1 diabetes and
Kathy says his health is rapidly declining in prison. >> You're worried he could die?
>> Oh, I'm absolutely worried he's going to die. Morgan says once the ordeal was behind
her, she had to take steps so she could recover, seeking therapy to help her cope.
>> Everything happens for a reason. God has everything happen for a reason. And I'm
starting to see that right now. There's just a lot of great things that are happening with us.
>> She says she is focused on raising her children and helping others who find themselves in similar circumstances.
>> I'm trying to raise awareness for narcissism and gaslighting. I want to help women realize they're in a
situation before it gets too bad. I'm just excited to see who she continues to grow to become.
She's strong and resilient. So, this is just a stepping stone in her journey.

Morgan Metzer is attacked in her home by a masked intruder disguising his voice to sound like Batman. Her ex-husband comes to her aid, but is he a hero? "48 Hours" contributor Nikki Battiste reports in "The Batman Intruder." Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV. (This episode aired Dec. 13, 2025)

True crime. Real justice. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

Morgan Metser recounts her terrifying New Year's Day attack by her ex-husband Rod, revealing domestic violence and psychological manipulation.

Key points

Morgan's New Year's Eve Nightmare. On New Year's Day 2021, Morgan Metser's life turned upside down when an intruder attacked her.
A Hero's Return. Morgan's ex-husband, Rod, unexpectedly arrives to rescue her after the attack.
The Dark Side of Love. Morgan's marriage to Rod deteriorated into abuse after their initial bliss.
Rod's Arrest and Charges. Rod is arrested and charged with multiple counts related to the attack on Morgan.
Morgan's Empowering Statement. Morgan delivers a powerful victim impact statement at Rod's sentencing, reclaiming her voice.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

It's an outer body experience.

5:06WatchMar 24, 2026

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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