The “Batman” Intruder | Full Episode + Post Mortem | Forensic Files

[Music] 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 Metszer'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 them 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. 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 Mets. 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. [Music] [Music] He's standing there like a soldier, like
with his fists clenched, like he was ready to go. When Morgan Messer 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 living dipping 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. 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
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 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. I 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 asalent 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 through 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 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 Mzer. [Music] When Morgan's ex-husband, Rod Mezer, 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 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? Someone knocks on his window in the early morning hours of New Year's Day. He obviously went to the worst. He
thought that the 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. Weather was perfect. It was outside. So,
thank goodness for the weather. [Music] 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 smart. 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. [Music] 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. where 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 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 it 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 sofa because he had 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 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. I I think you made a lot of
mistakes. I make big mistakes. So, you arrested him for having taken those photos secretly? That's correct. That's
correct. You're kidding me. We're not kidding you. That's not a joke. Come on. But
could investigators prove that Rod Metser had attacked Morgan that [Music] night? Watch him get
[Music] 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. who's 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 Liver 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 at 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.
[Music] 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 swirly. 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.
What do you make of Rod Mzer's interview with police? For an in-depth look at the
evidence, go to 48 hours.com. You're only making me feel good 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. 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. I 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 [Music] journey. It's a true crime double feature. First, revisit the case against
Scott Peterson. This case remains an enduring mystery. Then, new updates on the John Benet Ramsay murder. Do you
believe this case could be solved? Yes, I do. 48 hours true crime double feature. CBS next Saturday, 98 central
and streaming on Paramount Plus. [Music] Welcome back to Postmortem. I'm your host Ann Marie Green and today we're
discussing the case of Morgan Mzer who was assaulted in her home by an intruder but incredibly she survived to tell the
story and she also brought justice to her asalent. So joining me today is CBS News correspondent Nikki Batis and
associate producer Mike Loftess. Welcome guys. Thanks for having us. Good to be here. And remember if you haven't
listened to the 48 hours episode yet, you can find the full audio version just below this episode in your podcast feed.
So go ahead and take a listen, then come on back for the conversation. Morgan and
Rod Metser, they are childhood sweethearts, right? They meet when she's 14. He is 17, which I thought was a
little old cuz you know at that age that's quite an age gap. But nonetheless, they fall in love. They
date for quite a long time. They get married when they're in their early 20s and then they have twins. But then
Morgan said Rod starts to become abusive and Morgan files for divorce. And then weeks after the divorce was
finalized, Rod says to her, "I have pancreatic cancer." And then we find out in the hour that he lied about
pancreatic cancer. Who lies about that? Did Morgan think that he faked the cancer diagnosis in order to persuade
her to get back together with him? I think in the moment she believed he had pancreatic cancer and was worried enough
about him that she actually took him back into her house to try to take care of him. And she was saying, "Look, you
need to tell your family." He hadn't told anyone else at that point and he didn't want to. And she started to get
frustrated. Later after this assault transpires and she reflects and investigators tell her, "Look, this was
a fake diagnosis. We have a fake letter from a doctor, a fake email account, you
know, fake bill." I asked her that question. I said, "Do you think that this was a way to try to get back to
you? Do you think this was just part of his bigger plan?" And she does think reflecting that it wasn't in an effort
to try to get her to feel badly for him, take him in. I mean, cancer and particularly pancreatic cancer is a
tough tough battle. I don't know if he had like a long-term plan. I don't think it's easy to sort of fake pancreatic
cancer treatment. You're you're going to look sick. You're going to be tired. I don't think he thought this out. It's
one of the deadliest cancers. And his younger brother had passed away from leukemia and yet he does this. I mean,
on top of all this, investigators found that, you know, he made fake hospital bills and stuff to try and show that he
had cancer. He searched cancer diagnosis letter online. So, he went through great
lengths to try and prove this. Yeah, his searches were like a treasure trove as we learn as the hour sort of unfolds.
Um, so this case is particularly different uh for 48 hours, not only because Morgan survived, but also
because she details how much Rod was gaslighting her. Can we talk a little bit more about gaslighting and what was
Morgan experiencing? She told us a story which um we have in the show about when
they went on a trip to a lake and she said he physically attacked her and he said that she was kind of being upset.
She was being out of control and he had to do this to constrain her and she believed it. You know, she started
believing maybe I was upset. Maybe I was out of control. So this is a prime example of of gaslighting in this story.
One thing I will say, what is unique is that Morgan did leave him eventually. She did. Um, which which we don't always
see, but I think the gaslighting was gradual and became more severe. She also tells us a story in the hour about Rod
essentially throwing himself down the stairs and then telling their kids that she had pushed him, right? And her best
friend also told us that Rod would make Morgan believe that she was crazy, that this was her fault for some reason or
another. And you know, gaslighting has become a term that we hear so often now. Mhm. Well, when I think about the fact
that they met when she was just 14, and I know he was a teenager as well, um, you know, you sort of have to take into
account that they have grown up together. And so, she's gone from being a young teen to an
adult woman with this person influencing her the whole time, for better or for worse. And so I I wouldn't be surprised
if you know what we hear in the hour are some pretty egregious examples of gaslighting, but I'm sure there were
probably little things happening all along, you know, over the years that maybe she did pick up on, maybe she
didn't, maybe she just got used to. Yes. I think she has told us that reflecting
back, you know, she can see it now, but I think it took her a while to initially
because who would? Yeah. It's the love of your life since you were married in your 20s. Yep. Right. And she told us
that her friends and family even believed him and took his side, too. Oh my gosh. So, you know, that's that's
where the gaslighting comes in. She's really convinced of this cuz everyone around her is saying this. Wow. All
right. So, let's go to the night of the attack. It's New Year's Eve of 2020. Morgan was sleeping in her bed, but then
she wakes up in the middle of the night and there's a figure standing in her door. And according to Morgan, he had a
voice like Batman. Um, Rod starts beating her and then he ties her hands with zip ties before sexually assaulting
her. Morgan said he strangles her twice until she nearly passed out uh during the attack. And after this sort of
mystery intruder left, Morgan's ex-husband Rod then shows up. He calls 911. I want to play an extended clip of
the 911 call that wasn't in the show. Sir, what's the cell telephone number you call me from in case we get
disconnected? 404. I have no idea. I haven't even looked. Um, I had somebody come over and I live
in an apartment and somebody's tapping on my windows talking about my life and I couldn't get on the phone so I ran
over here and I walked on the back of the house. She was on the back porch uh and the back doors wide open.
Okay. Okay. So, sometimes with 911 calls, you sort of get an inkling that it like it's not legit, right? I mean,
he sounds reasonably concerned. Does anything stand out about the 911 call? He he makes a move that
investigators told us was very suspicious and he basically offers the 911 operator an alibi, saying, "I was
home and I heard a knock on my window." And we know from many of the true crime stories that we've covered that it's a
token move by men and women who ultimately are convicted of their crimes. Right? So immediately that that
alerted the investigators, right? He's already offering so much information and all the operator asked for is what's
your name and address? And he's already coming up with where he was at the time.
Oh, see I did not pick up on that. But that totally make makes sense. you know, name and address and and the condition,
what help she needs. That's the sort of stuff you would be talking about, right?
Like, I just found my wife and she's, you know, beaten badly and not, oh, I was home and someone knocked on my
window. That wasn't necessary. Ah, fascinating. Bad move. Yeah. What one of many, it turns out, as the hour unfolds,
in the hour, uh, Morgan said that she suspected the intruder actually could be her ex-husband when he picked her up.
and she said it really felt familiar because he had done that before when she was pregnant. But was that the first
time that she suspected it it could be Rod? I think this is a question a lot of the viewers will have because you feel
like you just know your husband especially someone you've known for years but she has indicated that it
crossed her mind it might be Rod earlier than that but it was really that moment
that lifting of her off the bed that made her positive it was him. She knew that feeling. He was very sort of
delicate in doing it like she was when she was pregnant. And I think if people are saying, "Well, how could she not
know it was him?" Look, to the same point is the father of her children, the man she's loved for 20 years, she
doesn't want to believe that it's him. And so, she is avoiding believing that it's him until she just can't anymore.
She's like, I know that feeling. Yeah. And that touch. Yeah. Um because the thing about this assault uh that struck
me is that it was really violent. Um, you know, we've seen cases where people have sort of done something similar, you
know, pretended uh to be an intruder, but typically if the victim is someone they care about, they're not that
violent. No. I said to the lead detectives, um, when you saw how violent the attack was, what did that tell you?
And they, it's personal. It's personal. And it turned out it was. Yeah. I mean, he could have
killed her. I couldn't quite figure out how he thought this was going to end. I think we all wonder that. I think only
Rod knows what his actual intention was on the way to her house that night. I feel like that's something that is going
to get conflicting reactions from the audience is what his true intention was and whether he decided to back out of
doing something, taking it a step further in the moment or not because she said, "I love my husband. Don't hurt my
husband." Right. She said she could feel the room change after that was said. Investigators of course go through Rod's
phone uh while they're at the scene and they find photos of Morgan on his phone um that appear to be taken without her
consent. This is in the hidden folder. If you have an iPhone, there is a folder literally labeled hidden uh when you go
through your your folders. And if you are hiding evidence there, it will be found. Yeah, it's not
the best place. Not the best place. So, there are these photos of Morgan. They They're able to arrest him for invasion
of privacy because of that. They do this in order to get him in custody so that he does not destroy any additional
evidence. Is that sort of a common practice? Like if you can nab a suspect on something else and and what did you
think of that tactic? By doing that, they were able to then get a search warrant on his car in his apartment. you
know, if he was free, he could go back and destroy some of the evidence, the zip ties, etc. that were found in his
apartment. So, this was great uh for the investigators cuz now they can go in and
search his car, search his apartment, and they found some of the key evidence that, you know, the incriminating
evidence for it. I think any good investigator immediately looks at an iPhone, a cell phone, because it's
really a road map of our minds, our movements. It tells a whole story. [Music] Welcome back everyone. Uh 2 days after
Morgan's attack, Sergeants interviewed Rod Mezer. Now, we saw portions of this interview in the hour where Rod is
actually argumentative uh with the investigators. He's he's trying to get the upper hand, almost trying to
intimidate them. Um what was your reaction to his behavior uh during the police interview? It was really
interesting to watch. I mean, he first off, he denies having zip ties at his apartment. I don't know how they got
there. That's what he keeps telling investigators. I don't know how. And they're like, well, who put him there?
That was the biggie. I felt like a lot of the other evidence he could have made an excuse for, but why do you need zip
ties? Yeah. And his his response is like, I don't know. There's something fishy going on here. And the cops are
like, well, did do you think we put them there? And he was like, I don't know. You know, I don't know anything. And
then they also found um a book in there called Seven Ways to Be Her Hero, which again he said, "Oh, of course I'm
reading that. I'm trying to win my wife back." Like, "Of course I'd be reading that." And then he points out that it
wasn't open. You know, he never even opened it. But when they brought up, we found the zip ties. That's the moment
when he was really like, "I don't want to talk to you guys anymore. You know, I want a lawyer." And that's when he
starts getting really upset and really starts realizing he's their prime suspect. I think what struck me is that
anyone who watches true crime knows that sometimes in interrogations, investigators might might say something
that isn't entirely true to try to get something out of someone they're questioning. But in this
case, Seven Ways to Be Her Hero is not a book most people have. And Rod Mzer knew
he had that book. Rod Metzer knew he had zip ties. Rod Metser had to have known what they were saying were facts and
that they they knew they were on to him and that they'd seen this evidence. And the fact that he was
still playing dumb essentially, for lack of a better word, just didn't make any sense to me. Like I I didn't understand
what you're not helping yourself. And it was honestly his demeanor was just pretty brazen, I think. Yeah. Speaking
of the evidence, investigators found uh Rod's browser history and that he searched, and this is a quote, "How long
to choke someone unconscious?" Rod was ultimately charged with 10 counts relating to the attack, including
kidnapping, aggravated assault, sexual battery. How come he wasn't charged with attempted murder? I think it's a great
question. It's a question that Morgan herself asked the investigators and they told her that essentially because Rod,
he had a gun, didn't shoot her, one, and two, took her off the bed and put her out on the porch knowing she was fully
alive. saved him from an attempted murder charge. And she said, "Well, but what about the strangulation?" Like, she
thought, as she told me in the hour, she was going to die. Yeah. And they said, "Well, that's the aggravated assault
charge. That's for the strangulation." But I think it's a really good question. I think Morgan really struggled with
that because I think she believed certainly at some points that he intended to kill her. Yes. And might
have been hard too on their part, the investigators in the in the DA too to take that step in court, you know, prove
the attempted murder charge. Um there's a chance he might have fought that too and and let it go to trial uh if that
was included. Oh yes. Maybe they didn't think they could get a conviction on an attempted murder charge, but they did
get a deal. Rob Metser was offered a plea deal and he accepted it. Um so they didn't have to go through a trial and he
got a pretty hefty sentence, right? 25 years in prison with an additional 45 years of probation. 25 years is a long
time, but he's still going to be, you know, a middle-aged man when he gets out. Is Morgan concerned about her
safety? I asked her sort of just how she's feeling. You know, I don't think she's actively
concerned about her safety. He is not allowed to contact her. I hope I think she hopes that he'll respect that. I
think at the moment she feels okay. I think right now she's just sort of in the present and trying to take care of
her kids. 25 years is still a long time. So I think right now she's she's okay and he's not allowed to contact Morgan
or the kids in any way. So So after the 25 years in prison, he then has 45 years
of probation and he's not allowed to contact Morgan even during the probation. So basically that is the end
of his relationship with his children as well. It seems that way. Yes. Did she talk about what kind of father he was?
She did say during the interview that he was a good father. The the thing with these cases is there's never a good
answer to why, but why would you mess up that relationship as well? I know I struggle with that too is we're parents,
so it's hard to imagine. And the one thing I'll say about Morgan, and I I I respect this. I'm sure a lot of the
audience will, that even given what she's gone through and Rod's in prison, having pleaded guilty to these crimes,
she's told us that one of her children who, you know, are young still, bring up their dad. She talks about the memories
like she tries to keep him in a good light for them. You know, the dad that he was, the dad that they knew. And I
think that really shows a lot of grace on her part. Absolutely. Absolutely. So, one of the things that you managed to do
is you actually interviewed Rod's mom, and I want to talk a little bit more about that. I'm curious if the kids have
a relationship with his family. At the moment, according to Rod's mom, they don't. It was clear to
me that Rod's mom, Kathy, would love to see her grandchildren, but I think out of respect for Morgan, she hasn't. And
I'm sure that's difficult for her. How that will transpire in time. I'm not sure. Yeah. Because she would have known
Morgan all this time, too. Since Morgan was 14, it's got to be heartbreaking. I'm glad she spoke because I think often
when we see cases like this, you do think, well, what kind of family did that person come from? And it's clear
that she loves her son. Um, why do you think she spoke to 48 hours? What did she want to get across? Does she believe
he's guilty? I asked her several times if she thought Rod was guilty. She never said either way that she did believe he
was guilty or not guilty. What she did say is that he pleaded guilty. That was her response to my repeatedly asking her
about his guilt. I think she spoke to 48 hours because she's still his mom. She still loves him. She did tell me that
he'd been through quite a bit of trauma. We know when we talk about in the hour that his younger brother died of
leukemia. They had been very close. She said that hit him very hard. We also learn in the hour that Morgan and Rod
lost a baby at 18 days. Obviously crushing for anyone. So I think that she feels her son was broken in a way and
wanted to make sure that someone spoke for him. And he's the the last one in her immediate family cuz Rod's father,
her husband, also passed away. So, you know, it's it's Rod and and and the twins. Boy, she's been through a lot. So
much. It was really my heart broke for her because she has lost both sons in a way. She lost a grandchild. She lost her
husband and her only surviving son is in prison. She speaks to him by phone often
in prison and she's worried about him. Did she talk about how those conversations go with Rod from prison?
We were able to listen to snippets of a small number of calls between Rod and his mom. And this was
earlier on when he was in prison. And initially, you know, it's a mom worried about her son. She's trying to figure
out what's going on legally. She's trying to see what he needs. He's diabetic. And I think currently she's
mostly worried about his health. She has told me she's worried he will die in prison. His diabetes has gotten so bad.
and she says the prison isn't providing the care that he needs, the medical care
that he needs. Morgan is incredibly courageous telling this story. She does not have to do this. I'm sure she wants
to go on with her life. How is Morgan doing right now? I saw her again after we sat down for quite some time. We
chatted again in in Georgia and asked her how she's doing and she said, you know, things are going pretty well.
She's trying to rebuild her life. She wants to help other women and men who've been through something like this
gaslighting. She spoke at a a domestic violence event recently to share her story and try to help women and she said
she hopes to write a book, too. I mean, I could really see her doing it because I I thought to myself in the interviews
with you that she looks remarkably well for someone who has gone through such trauma. And I think what I saw was
strength. She's remarkably strong. And I'm glad you brought that up actually because we talked for it had to have
been about 2 hours the first time we sat down. And I don't know that she was emotional at all, maybe briefly. And I
was struck by that. And I believe I said that to her in the interview. I'm struck
by how strong you are. It's amazing given what you've been through. And then we learned that during her victim impact
statement in court. She doesn't cry once. You know, she's just strong. Um it's it's notable and it's noticeable
how strong she is. And she's also been just so great working with us um throughout this because she wants people
to know about this. A lot of people are now going to learn about gaslighting. She wants this story to be told to help
others, you know, because people can start noticing the signs before it gets worse. Exactly. It's a good reminder. Do
not ignore the little red flags because they can become big red flags. And in this case, she's really lucky to be
alive. Very lucky to be alive. Yeah. Well, thank you both of you for helping her tell her story. Um, and it's always
great having you guys here. Thanks. Thanks, Emry. Thanks. Thanks for having us. If you like this series Postmortem,
please rate and review 48 Hours on Apple Podcasts and follow 48 Hours wherever you get your podcast. And you can also
listen adree on Amazon Music, Wry Plus in the Wandry app or with a 48 hours plus subscription on Apple Podcasts.
Thanks again for listening.

Morgan Metzer's ex-husband rescued her from a masked intruder disguising his voice to sound like Batman.

Watch "The 'Batman' Intruder" and then catch up with CBS News correspondent Nikki Batiste and associate producer Mike Loftus on "Post Mortem" as they delve into the case of Morgan Metzer, who was assaulted on New Year’s Day in 2021 by an intruder later identified as her ex-husband, Rod. The team examines Rod’s manipulation tactics, including gaslighting and a fake cancer diagnosis. They also discuss his 911 call and why investigators thought it was suspicious.

00:00 The “Batman” Intruder 41:35 Listen to a post-mortem on the episode

Listen to "Post Mortem" wherever you get your podcasts: https://cbsn.ws/41RrlL7

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "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 Metszer survived a brutal attack by her ex-husband Rod, who later pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the assault.

Key points

The Intruder's Identity. Morgan discovers her attacker is someone she knows, turning her world upside down.
A Hero's Return. Morgan's ex-husband, Rod, unexpectedly arrives to rescue her during the attack.
The Investigation Begins. Morgan shares her suspicions about her attacker with investigators, leading to a deeper investigation.
Rod's Hidden Folder. Investigators discover a hidden folder on Rod's phone containing nude photos of Morgan.
The Zip Tie Evidence. Investigators find zip ties in Rod's apartment that match those used on Morgan.
Rod's Fake Cancer Diagnosis. Investigators uncover Rod's scheme to fake a cancer diagnosis to manipulate Morgan.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Nobody should want to do this to Morgan Mets.

Morgan reflects on her attack.

2:30WatchMar 28, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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