Man who attacked, then rescued, ex-wife hoped to be her hero

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This communicative primitively aired connected .Dec. 14, 2024.

When Morgan Metzer glimpsed a masked fig lasting successful her chamber doorway soon aft midnight connected New Year's Day 2021, she thought she mightiness conscionable beryllium seeing things. But past —

Morgan Metzer: He's lasting determination similar a soldier, similar with his fist clenched and similar helium was acceptable to go. … He ran astatine maine and jumped connected apical of me. And that's erstwhile helium started pistol-whipping me.

Just hours earlier, she'd been acceptable to ringing successful the caller twelvemonth successful Canton, Georgia, with her champion friend, Nichole Stabasefski.

Nichole Stabasefski: That's what we were looking guardant to. … And I knew she was exhausted.

It had been a agelong twelvemonth for Morgan. Recently divorced, her 8-year-old duplicate lad and girl were spending a fewer days with her sister successful Florida.

Nichole Stabasefski: I mean we're moms. … We conscionable wanted to bent retired for a second. … We had planned for it.

But aft arriving astatine Stabasefski's, Morgan, feeling tired, decided to marque it an aboriginal evening.

Nichole Stabasefski: When she left, I did — I — I gave her immoderate crap. I was like, "what are you doing?" … And I was like, "You loser, fine, whatever. Text maine erstwhile you get home, blah, blah, blah, spot you tomorrow."

A VIOLENT INTRUDER DRESSED IN BLACK

Little could either person person guessed that a abbreviated clip later, Morgan would beryllium successful fearfulness for her life. Her attacker had brought zip ties with him, already pre-looped and intertwined. He enactment Morgan's hands down her back, slipped them on, and tightened them.

Morgan Metzer: It's an out-of-body experience.

Nikki Battiste: I can't ideate what you're thinking. What you're feeling.

Morgan Metzer: Vulnerable, exposed. What's going to hap to my kids? … I haven't done a will. … I haven't talked to my household astir who gets them. … I was similar … "they're not going to person a mom."

Her assailant strangled her astir unconscious twice.

Morgan Metzer: It's the worst feeling successful the satellite to deliberation you're dying. And you consciousness similar you're going to beryllium tortured beforehand.

Morgan's attacker sexually assaulted her.

Nikki Battiste: Who did you deliberation was attacking you?

Morgan Metzer: I don't know. I conscionable felt similar it was immoderate random person.

In summation to the mask, the intruder had taken large pains to disguise himself.

Morgan Metzer: Black … hoodie jacket. … Black pants, achromatic gloves.

He said precise little, but erstwhile helium did, Morgan says her assailant seemed to beryllium disguising his dependable — making it dependable debased and gravelly similar the Batman movies. He besides seemed to cognize astir Morgan's idiosyncratic beingness — specifically, her caller divorce.

Nikki Battiste: He said thing astir your husband.

Morgan Metzer: Yes. "You're going to miss your husband." I said, "No, don't wounded my husband."

Morgan says her caput raced trying to portion unneurotic wherefore this was happening to her.

Morgan Metzer: I swear, I similar went done my full beingness successful my head. That's however my encephalon was … conscionable everywhere. I mean, 50,000 tabs opened up astatine 1 clip successful my brain.

Her attacker demanded to cognize wherever Morgan kept her valuables.

Morgan Metzer: "Where's your jewelry? Where's," you know, "all of your different bully stuff?" And helium is ripping retired worldly retired of my, you know, my drawers.

And past —

Morgan Metzer: The attacker asked for my telephone and the passcode to my phone.

Morgan's location had an alarm strategy which she'd acceptable earlier going to bed. An app connected her telephone controlled it, on with respective information cameras astir her location and a fastener connected the doorway of her second-floor chamber which led retired to a backmost porch.

Morgan Metzer: I wasn't excessively definite what helium was doing connected my telephone astatine the clip until I heard a, uh, a doorway fastener open, which was for the backmost porch.

The attacker had unlocked the doorway remotely done that app connected Morgan's phone. Morgan says helium enactment a pillowcase implicit her head.

Morgan Metzer: He got maine retired of the bed, walked maine retired to the backmost porch. I was bare … inactive with my zip necktie handcuffs down my back.

Nikki Battiste: Did helium conscionable permission you there?

Morgan Metzer: Yes.

Nikki Battiste: What did helium accidental arsenic helium left?

Morgan Metzer: He said, "do not get up until you perceive 2 car honks oregon I'll termination you."

Morgan's spot was secluded, with small accidental of a neighbour seeing oregon proceeding her connected the backmost porch. And with that pillowcase implicit her caput and the attacker's last words of informing ringing successful her ears, Morgan had nary mode of knowing if helium — oregon idiosyncratic other — was watching her.

Morgan Metzer: I conscionable listened to the watercourse and tried to beryllium arsenic peaceful and calm arsenic I could.

Forty minutes passed. Then, a dependable successful the region struck panic successful Morgan each implicit again.

Morgan Metzer: I perceive idiosyncratic walking up.

Unable to see, she feared her attacker had returned to decorativeness the job.

Morgan Metzer: I perceive them shuffling, walking and they deed the stairs. … And I knew they were astatine the apical erstwhile helium deed the archetypal committee and it creaked truly loud.

That's erstwhile Morgan heard a precise acquainted voice.g

Morgan Metzer: "Oh honey, what happened?"

Morgan's grueling ordeal was yet over. And who would crook retired to beryllium her rescuer? Her ex-husband Rod Metzer.

A HERO TO THE RESCUE?

When Morgan's ex-husband Rod Metzer turned up astatine her house, helium instantly called 911.

911 DISPATCHER: Cherokee County 911.

ROD METZER: Somebody — idiosyncratic broke successful implicit here.

ROD METZER: She was connected the backmost porch. Uh, and — and the backmost doorway was wide open.

ROD METZER: She was tied up with a hood implicit her head.

As they waited for assistance to arrive, Rod tried to console Morgan. Their speech heard connected the 911 call.

MORGAN METZER (911 call): Please don't leave, Rod.

ROD METZER: I'm going to beryllium close here.

MORGAN METZER: Please.

ROD METZER: I'm going to permission the doorway open, OK?

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: He came up and — and rescued her connected the backmost porch.

Nikki Battiste: Saved her.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: Saved her.

Nikki Battiste: Her hero.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: Absolutely.

Sergeant Dakota Lyvers was a detective with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department successful 2021. He had a batch of questions. Exactly wherefore had Rod gone to Morgan's location successful the mediate of the night?

Rod moved retired of Morgan's location and into his ain flat soon aft the divorce, said Lyvers.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: He was … getting acceptable for bed. He was brushing his teeth erstwhile helium heard knocking connected his window. Um, that knocking was accompanied by a dependable successful which helium could lone decipher the connection "Morgan" was being said.

Concerned, Rod said helium tried calling Morgan, but she didn't answer.

Nikki Battiste: What did helium accidental helium was thinking? I mean, idiosyncratic knocks connected his model successful the aboriginal greeting hours of New Year's Day.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: He evidently went to the worst. Um, helium thought that that thing was, uh, gonna hap to Morgan oregon thing mightiness beryllium happening to Morgan.

Rod told investigators he'd gotten successful his car and made the 12-minute thrust implicit to his ex-wife's house. Despite being divorced, Rod said helium was inactive looking retired for Morgan. Their narration stretched backmost astir 20 years.

Nikki Battiste: How aged were you erstwhile you met Rod?

Morgan Metzer: 14 years old.

Nikki Battiste: Was it emotion astatine archetypal sight?

Morgan Metzer: Yes, it was. It was — it was scary however accelerated it was.

Kathy Metzer: He was 17 astatine that time.

Kathy Metzer is Rod's mother.

Kathy Metzer: We were connected the mode to a shot crippled and helium said, "Mom, you're gonna conscionable Morgan tonight." And I said, "Who's Morgan?" "That's my girlfriend." And I said, "What?" He said, "Be nice." (laughs)

Nikki Battiste: Did Rod alteration astatine each erstwhile helium was dating Morgan?

Kathy Metzer: Oh, yeah. … There was thing that she could notation that she didn't get.

Nikki Battiste: How did helium dainty you?

Morgan Metzer: Amazing. … He called maine "princess." And truthful helium virtually treated maine similar that.

No 1 was amazed erstwhile the mates joined successful 2009. Morgan was 21 years old.

Kathy Metzer: Morgan was 1 of the astir gorgeous brides I've ever seen successful my life.

Kathy Metzer: Weather was perfect. It was outside, truthful convey goodness for the weather.

Morgan Metzer: It was everything I dreamed of. My dada gave maine everything I could want, you know. … It was conscionable precious.

Nikki Battiste: What was matrimony similar successful the precise beginning?

Morgan Metzer: It was conscionable awesome. … It's conscionable you two. … You're mourning the nonaccomplishment of your, like, wedding being implicit (laughs) and your honeymoon. And it's like, "I wanna spell again!"

Unfortunately, their recently wedded bliss would beryllium short-lived. Eight months aft the wedding, Rod's younger member Kevin, who wished the mates "endless years of love, wellness and happiness," astatine their wedding, mislaid his conflict with leukemia astatine the property of 19.

Kathy Metzer: It truly deed Rod hard. I mean, it — I don't deliberation helium was ever the aforesaid aft that. … He depended connected Morgan astatine that point, much than helium did anybody. I don't deliberation helium near her broadside for much than an hr oregon two.

But the adjacent twelvemonth would bring immoderate bully quality to celebrate.

Morgan Metzer: We got large with our son.

Morgan says picking his sanction was easy.

Morgan Metzer: Kevin ever wanted to beryllium an uncle. He ever talked astir it, however overmuch amusive helium would have.

Kathy Metzer: They named him Kevin aft my Kevin, Rod's brother. (cries)

But the household would endure a second, and devastating, loss. Baby Kevin was calved early, with a congenital bosom defect. He lived conscionable 18 days.

Morgan Metzer: He really died connected his owed date.

Nikki Battiste: The nonaccomplishment of a kid is unthinkable and I would ideate pugnacious for you and Rod.

Morgan Metzer: Very tough. … Don't truly retrieve a batch of it. It's a large blur with each the emotions.

So it seemed similar a occurrence when, conscionable 3 months later, Morgan discovered she was large again. Kathy remembers the infinitesimal Rod showed her the ultrasound picture.

Kathy Metzer: He says, "what bash you see?" I said, "a baby." He said, "No. Look, what bash you see?" And I conscionable screamed astatine the apical of my lungs, "two babies," you know. (laughs)

Nikki Battiste: Twins.

Kathy Metzer: Twins. They were gonna person twins.

Morgan gave commencement to a steadfast lad and miss successful 2012. It should person been a blessed clip but not agelong after, the matrimony began to change.

Morgan Metzer: Probably astir a twelvemonth aft they were born, which is close astir the clip that Rod mislaid his job, is erstwhile it started going down southbound from there.

Nikki Battiste: What did Rod bash for work?

Morgan Metzer: He, helium had truthful galore jobs. His main one, erstwhile helium mislaid each of his money, was helium was being a time trader for himself.

Rod's occupation nonaccomplishment happened to travel astatine the aforesaid clip Morgan's vocation was starting to flourish.

Morgan Metzer: I started my ain interior plan concern and it took off. … I conscionable didn't expect it to roar and stroke up.

Morgan's company, Shiplap and Sugar, became truthful palmy she asked Stabasefski to articulation her.

Nichole Stabasefski: She was saying, you know, similar "I request help, I'm overwhelmed."

Nikki Battiste: So you became concern partners?

Nichole Stabasefski: Yeah. … Making money. … Working our tails off, doing what we love.

Morgan says her nonrecreational success, and Rod's deficiency of it, made for a unsafe combination. She says helium began to maltreatment her — some physically and mentally. She recalls 1 Labor Day weekend. She and Rod were celebrating connected a vessel with friends and had conscionable returned to their cabin.

Morgan Metzer: I conjecture we had gotten into an statement astir something, … that's the archetypal nighttime helium bushed the — helium bushed me.

Nikki Battiste: Did you think, helium deed me. I've gotta get retired of here?

Morgan Metzer: Yes. I had my dada travel and get me.

Shockingly, Morgan says Rod tried to person her, and the radical closest to her, that she was to blasted for her injuries.

Morgan Metzer: He convinced my parents that I was the 1 that did it.

Nikki Battiste: What did helium say?

Morgan Metzer: "You were conscionable retired of control. You — you — you couldn't support your temper. You were conscionable whaling each implicit the place."

Morgan says Rod claimed she got wounded due to the fact that helium was forced to physically restrain her.

Morgan Metzer: And I'm like, OK, well, possibly that's my fault. … And my friends stopped talking to maine past due to the fact that helium had nary marks connected him. It was each me.

Morgan says that's erstwhile a caller signifier successful the matrimony began, 1 successful which she started to uncertainty her ain world because, she says, Rod was gaslighting her — making her deliberation each struggle Rod instigated really began with her.

Nichole Stabasefski: I deliberation she thought she was crazy. You know, you get programmed to deliberation that you're crazy, similar it's each successful your head.

Morgan says Rod adjacent progressive their children successful his deception.

Morgan Metzer: He pretended I pushed him down the stairs and helium virtually rolled down the stairs. You know, helium really got wounded and said to the kids, "Look, Mommy pushed maine downstairs. Can you judge that?"

Morgan says Rod sexually abused her arsenic well, though she says it took a portion for her to admit what it was.

Morgan Metzer: A batch of times he's precise assertive and wouldn't instrumentality the connection no. And truthful present looking backmost connected it, I conjecture helium did sexually maltreatment me.

Morgan filed for divorcement successful 2020.

Nikki Battiste: When Morgan decided to … spell done with the divorce, however was she handling it?

Nichole Stabasefski: You know, it was the archetypal clip I deliberation I saw her person peace.

The divorcement was last successful December and Morgan was acceptable to determination on. But now, successful the aboriginal greeting hours of New Year's Day, it appeared Rod had travel backmost into her beingness arsenic her hero.

CRITICAL CLUES IN THE INVESTIGATION

Sergeant Lyvers and Sergeant Robert Haugh callback that erstwhile they archetypal arrived astatine Morgan's location astatine 3 a.m. Rod's behaviour had struck them arsenic unusual.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: So, arsenic we were walking up … Rodney was, um, seated successful his car close present … with different deputy.

Nikki Battiste: Did helium accidental anything?

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: Yeah, helium did. … He asked, "Hey man, are you the feline that we've been waiting on? And I said, "uh, yes, sir, I am." And past helium replied, "do your f****** job."

Nikki Battiste: What did you think?

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: I was taken aback. I truly was.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: This feline conscionable had recovered his woman bound, um, and beaten connected the backmost porch. And you would deliberation that my accomplishment to assistance find a solution to this, uh, would beryllium welcoming.

Immediately, Morgan's quality startled the investigators.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: Her oculus was swollen shut, achromatic and blue. … She inactive had the, uh, zip necktie astir her 1 wrist. And I was shocked, and I had seen a batch successful my career. And, uh, I was amazed that idiosyncratic would — would beryllium truthful harsh.

Nikki Battiste: What did it marque you think?

Sgt. Robert Haugh: Somebody was mad.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: Absolutely. It was an affectional attack.

Morgan was not lone physically injured; investigators could archer she had suffered psychologically aft the attacker near her.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: She was successful fearfulness that she was — idiosyncratic was inactive backmost present watching her and that they were gonna termination her if she moved. And truthful she laid present and waited.

Morgan was extracurricular for 40 minutes earlier Rod arrived, but initially she thought it was conscionable fractional that.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: Morgan believed it to beryllium determination astir 15 to 20 minutes, max. Um, that was her cognition of time.

Nikki Battiste: Interesting. I would've thought the opposite, that would've felt longer for her.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: I agree. … When their adrenaline's going, you know, radical comprehend things differently.

The archetypal happening Lyvers and Haugh did was abstracted Morgan, Rod and Morgan's begetter and member — who came implicit aft she called them. Then Lyvers recorded his speech with Morgan wrong the house.

Safely retired of earshot of her ex-husband, who was lasting conscionable outside, Morgan told investigators that she suspected her attacker was the antheral pretending to beryllium her hero.

MORGAN METZER: I conscionable thought it was him.

SGT. DAKOTA LYVERS: When you accidental "him," you're talking astir your ex-husband?

MORGAN METZER: Mm-hmm.

Morgan said she had nary thought who her assailant was erstwhile the onslaught began, but past came 1 captious moment.

Morgan Metzer: When helium said … "you're going to miss your husband," I said, "no, don't wounded my husband. I emotion him precise much." And I don't cognize what made maine bash that. But astatine that nonstop infinitesimal is erstwhile … the temper of the country changed. I knew I was going to live.

And past determination was another, adjacent bigger clue, erstwhile her attacker lifted Morgan disconnected the furniture to spot her outside.

Morgan Metzer: That's erstwhile I truly knew it was him.

Morgan remembered thing from years earlier.

Morgan Metzer: I was large with my kids, my twins. And sometimes you person to get assistance retired of the bed. … The mode helium mildly held maine and got maine retired of bed, it was truthful acquainted that I was like, this is him. I cognize it's 100% percent him.

Morgan Metzer: I wasn't going to fto him cognize that I knew it was him. Because if helium did past helium — I didn't cognize what helium was going to do.

She told them the onslaught had followed a chaotic week which began with precise troubling news.

Morgan Metzer: He thinks he's got pancreatic cancer.

Morgan Metzer: He conscionable called maine … and said, "I've got pancreatic cancer." And truthful I rushed to spell spot him. … I said, "you're the begetter of my children. … I'm present for you."

Morgan Metzer: He showed maine doctor's notes and whatnot.

Rod had told nary 1 other and Morgan explained that she'd been letting him enactment astatine her house.

Morgan Metzer: He'd been sleeping connected my sofa due to the fact that helium had been truly freaked retired and upset obviously.

Morgan told the investigators that Rod had spent the week trying to reconcile with her.

Morgan Metzer: He kept begging maine to get backmost unneurotic with me. … Just perpetually haggling me.

But Morgan says she had nary interest. By the greeting of Dec. 31, she'd had enough. Feeling the unit of being his sole affectional support, Morgan insisted Rod stock his wellness quality with his parents.

Morgan Metzer: He said, "no, perfectly not. I'm not telling anybody." And that's erstwhile I was like, "OK, get out."

Morgan says Rod spent the time texting her.

Morgan Metzer: "You request to get backmost with me. I'll marque capable money. You tin discontinue your occupation close now."

Fed up with it all, Morgan lied and told Rod she'd beryllium sleeping elsewhere that New Year's Eve night.

Morgan Metzer: "Staying astatine my parents' location tonight. I'm turning my telephone off." Like, springiness maine immoderate space.

As Morgan shared her suspicions with investigators, she didn't cognize if they would judge what she was telling them.

Morgan Metzer: I've been mentally, emotionally, physically abused.

Because Rod made her consciousness similar she was to blasted for years.

Morgan Metzer: That's what he's built successful my brain.

But that each changed erstwhile Lyvers told her helium believed her.

Morgan Metzer: And I conscionable melted. … He heard me. I person not been heard successful years. Nobody listened. Nobody heard maine and helium heard me.

Rachel Ashe: That started the probe into Rodney Metzer.

Rachel Ashe is the Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney for Cherokee County. She works exclusively connected home unit cases. Parker, an affectional enactment dog, is often with her to comfortableness victims. Ashe says investigators were perplexed that Rod had travel to Morgan's location that nighttime aft she'd told him she'd beryllium astatine her parents' home.

Rachel Ashe: Why did you adjacent travel here? Why didn't you spell to her parents' house? Why didn't — wherefore didn't you cheque with her parents?

Sgt. Robert Haugh: He claimed it was conscionable habit, normal.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: "It's what I would do."

Nikki Battiste: Were you scratching your heads?

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: Yeah.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: A small bit.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: We questioned him connected it.

Rod said that aft proceeding that knocking connected his window, and idiosyncratic saying Morgan's name, helium tried phoning Morgan to pass her. Haugh wanted to check.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: I deliberation that's what prompted, "hey, where's your phone?"

Rod handed his cellphone to the investigators.

Rachel Ashe: Gave them support to look done his phone.

And what they recovered came arsenic a surprise.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: It was an Apple iPhone, and it had a hidden folder. … And successful the hidden folder were images of Morgan — um, partially dressed.

Rachel Ashe: A batch of photos of Morgan nude and those photos of Morgan nude, it was beauteous evident that she didn't cognize helium was taking those photos of her.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: She was rather alarmed.

Investigators besides discovered Rod had snapped pictures of Morgan's cellphone showing substance messages betwixt her and different man. They considered these and the photos of Morgan to beryllium an penetration of privacy.

SGT. DAKOTA LYVERS: You didn't person that permission. Y'all don't person that relationship. She's f****** baffled that you person that. That's stalkerish.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: We knew we had to … get him successful custody … portion we started doing hunt warrants and started investigating … to forestall him from destroying evidence.

ROD METZER: People marque mistakes, man.

SGT. DAKOTA LYVERS: I deliberation you made a batch of mistakes.

SGT. ROBERT HAUGH: Big, large mistakes.

Nikki Battiste: So you arrested him for having taken those photos secretly?

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: That's correct.

SGT. DAKOTA LYVERS: Stand up.

ROD METZER: You're kidding me?

SGT. DAKOTA LYVERS: Nope, we're not kidding you. Stand up. This is not a joke. C'mon.

But could investigators beryllium that Rod had attacked Morgan that night?

ZIP TIES AND ALARMING INTERNET SEARCHES

Morgan Metzer: Watched him get, uh, arrested, locomotion to the car, and beryllium enactment in. It was benignant of like, is this truly happening?

Nikki Battiste: Was immoderate portion of you sad?

Morgan Metzer: No, not astatine the time. It was aggravated and conscionable sore.

Even arsenic they booked Rod for taking those pictures of Morgan and her texts, Haugh and Lyvers had already developed a mentation astir wherefore Rod mightiness person attacked her.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: I believe, helium thought helium was going to travel successful and — and rescue her and beryllium the savior and, uh — and triumph her back.

Investigators hoped location information cameras would enactment their theory. But they rapidly learned that each the video from the clip of the onslaught had been erased done the app connected Morgan's telephone that the assailant had utilized to unlock her backmost structure doorway erstwhile helium left. Morgan's attacker took her telephone with him. It was ne'er recovered.

Nikki Battiste: Were you ever capable to retrieve those missing videos from the information company?

Sgt. Robert Haugh: No. … Once videos are deleted, they're deleted from their cloud.

But since Morgan had a location information system, however did the attacker get successful without mounting disconnected the alarm? It did not instrumentality agelong to fig out.

Nikki Battiste: This is the model the attacker entered?

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: That's correct. Right present is the, uh — the model that we recovered the surface was really removed.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: That basement model … had an alarm sensor that was removed from the model and enactment unneurotic connected the windowsill. So, if the model was to open, it would appear, you know, to the alarm strategy that the sensor is inactive making contact.

Investigators believed Rod had disabled the sensor portion helium was staying astatine Morgan's location that week.

Morgan Metzer: I was sleeping. It was successful the mediate of the night.

Although the location information videos had been erased, determination was different video from anterior to the attack. The camera connected Morgan's beforehand structure caught Rod earlier that evening.

Morgan Metzer: He had sent maine a representation of a check…. And he's like, "it's underneath your beforehand porch."

Sgt. Robert Haugh: It was for $56,000 and change.

Morgan says the connection Rod sent with the representation of the cheque made it look similar helium was trying to marque a expansive gesture.

Morgan Metzer: "You should person each the money. You merit everything," beauteous overmuch successful a nutshell.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: I deliberation it was to get her to travel backmost to the location that evening due to the fact that … she told Rodney she was gonna beryllium astatine her parents' location for New Year's.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: Morgan returned to the house, retrieved it, and benignant of made immoderate benignant of a — uh — of a motion and she walked backmost into the location and enactment it connected the room countertop.

Morgan's attacker took that cheque with him. It was ne'er found.

Nikki Battiste: What did you find retired astir Rod's finances?

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers:: That cheque would've bounced.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: Yeah, helium was broke.

The time aft his arrest, investigators executed hunt warrants connected Rod's car and his apartment. As soon arsenic they walked done the door, they recovered a cardinal portion of evidence.

Rachel Ashe: They located this container of zip ties successful his apartment. And … a information of a zip tie.

Before arriving astatine her house, Morgan's attacker had pre-looped the zip ties he'd enactment connected her wrists.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: He was moving successful the dark. He was handcuffing somebody. You ne'er cognize however overmuch combat that person's going to enactment up.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: One of the zip ties actually, um, was beauteous unsocial due to the fact that it had two, um — different zip ties that had been, uh, ratcheted onto it and past cut. And truthful fundamentally what we were looking astatine was a — a zip necktie that had 2 other heads.

Haugh and Lyvers needed to find retired if that information of a zip tie, fundamentally a tail, recovered successful Rod's apartment, lined up with 1 of the other heads connected Morgan's restraints. They headed to their transgression lab.

Nikki Battiste: So these are the zip ties that were really recovered connected Morgan?

Sgt. Robert Haugh: Yes, they are.

Melanie Thrasher is simply a transgression country technician.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: She was capable to lucifer the — this process to 1 of the heads connected the zip necktie for Morgan's wrist.

The striations connected the process recovered successful Rod's flat lined up precisely with those connected Morgan's zip tie. A "perfect match" said Haugh.

Nikki Battiste: What did you deliberation erstwhile you saw this?

Sgt. Robert Haugh: That we were going to beryllium adding charges to his, uh, existing booking. … And we had our guy. … I would've never, you know, imagined, uh, having a portion of grounds similar this.

But the hunt warrant of Rod's flat yielded adjacent more. There was a publication —

Sgt. Robert Haugh: "7 Ways to —

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: "To Be Her Hero."

Sgt. Robert Haugh: — "Be Her Hero," to — to triumph idiosyncratic back.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: That gave america the motive. … It added to that motive.

Investigators examined Rod's browser history.

Rachel Ashe: The searches … were precise disturbing.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: He was researching "how to alteration your voice."

Rachel Ashe: "How agelong to choke idiosyncratic unconscious."

The searches besides included "How to ace an iPhone password," "How to get sympathy from your ex" and 1 that was particularly appalling.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: He Google searched … "cancer diagnosis letters."

Investigators searched Rod's outgoing emails. There they recovered Rod had acceptable up a fake email relationship to make the pancreatic crab diagnosis missive he'd shown Morgan. And determination was more.

Rachel Ashe: He had created a measure for a doctor's bureau to amusement that helium was being treated for pancreatic cancer. … All of this successful bid to person Morgan that helium had pancreatic cancer.

Nikki Battiste: He wasn't sick astatine all?

Rachel Ashe: No. … He did not person cancer.

Nikki Battiste: Do you deliberation that helium faked the crab diagnosis arsenic a mode to effort to get you backmost oregon arsenic a mode to get entree to your location 'cause helium had this plan?

Morgan Metzer: I deliberation it was to get maine back. It mightiness person been both.

On Jan. 3, 2 days aft the attack, Lyvers and Sergeant Tom Harris interviewed Rod. They talked to him astir his health.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: You said you're diabetic

ROD METZER: Yes.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: What different benignant of wellness issues bash you have?

ROD METZER: Nothing arsenic acold arsenic I cognize of yet.

SGT. DAKOTA LYVERS: I thought you had cancer.

Lyvers confronted Rod astir the crab diagnosis he'd faked to Morgan.

SGT. DAKOTA LYVERS: How did you archer her that … this — this crab thing?

ROD METZER: I don't cognize if I should speech to you guys anymore. I'm starting to get a truly atrocious feeling. What space you guys are coming from.

Then Rod tried to crook the tables — by attempting to instrumentality the precocious manus successful the interview.

ROD METZER: I've already learned thing astir you, that your facial expressions.

SGT. DAKOTA LYVERS: Tell me.

ROD METZER: And you support scratching yourself, and you get agitated by what I say.

SGT. DAKOTA LYVERS: I'm a 100% not agitated.

ROD METZER: Mm-hmm.

The investigators besides questioned Rod astir his net searches.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: Has determination been a clip precocious wherever you were funny successful however you tin alteration the dependable of your voice?

ROD METZER: Maybe.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: Tell maine astir that.

ROD METZER: I felt similar I wasn't — my dependable wasn't manly enough.

Then Harris lowered the boom.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: The, uh, astir important happening that we recovered successful your flat was a postulation of zip ties.

ROD METZER: Zip ties?

SGT. TOM HARRIS: Black zip ties.

ROD METZER: I don't person zip ties.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: I cognize you don't. We person 'em now.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: These are identical to the ones that were, uh, binding Morgan's wrists.

ROD METZER: This is conscionable starting to get squirrelly.

Harris told Rod astir that zip necktie process they'd recovered.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: We compared that microscopically to the zip ties that were connected Morgan's wrists erstwhile the deputies recovered her. And wouldn't you cognize it? It is simply a cleanable cut.

ROD METZER: There's thing comic going connected here.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: Did idiosyncratic interruption successful and enactment 'em there?

ROD METZER: There's thing comic going connected here.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: Like what?

ROD METZER: I don't know.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: What bash you think's going on?

ROD METZER: I didn't person immoderate big-ass f****** zip ties successful my apartment.

But caller grounds was astir to accidental otherwise.

ROD METZER PLEADS GUILTY

Hours aft the interrogation with Rod Metzer concluded, helium was charged with 10 counts related to the onslaught connected Morgan Metzer — including location invasion, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and intersexual battery.

MORGAN METZER: As soon arsenic I felt that weapon close present successful my head, I was similar —

SGT. TOM HARRIS: So, you thought —

MORGAN METZER: "All right, Jesus, I'm coming."

The adjacent time Morgan, with her person Nichole by her side, talked to investigators again.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: You thought you were gonna die?

MORGAN METZER: Yep. I thought I was dead. But past besides portion of maine was like, no, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna fto myself die. … I person gotta combat for my kids.

Harris told Morgan they'd watched the location information video of Rod arriving astatine her location aft her attack. He rang the beforehand doorbell but erstwhile determination was nary response, headed astir to the back.

SGT. TOM HARRIS: I thought it was benignant of absorbing that helium called retired your sanction arsenic he's walking astir the broadside of your house.

MORGAN METZER: Yes. … Like, wherefore would you deliberation I was outside.

Nikki Battiste: What was your absorption erstwhile you learned Rod had been arrested for violently attacking Morgan?

Kathy Metzer: Oh, that — that perfectly threw maine nether the ground. … There had to beryllium a mistake. Rod wasn't susceptible of that.

Two days aft Rod was charged helium talked to his ma Kathy connected the phone.

ROD METZER (jail telephone call): 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 container they came successful was recovered arsenic well.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: I brought up a — a, uh, my Lowe's app connected my telephone and scanned the UPC codification and the UPC codification came backmost that they were successful information sold astatine Lowe's.

Rachel Ashe: The sheriff's bureau past went to the 2 Lowe's that we person present successful Cherokee County. … And they started searching for transactions.

It didn't instrumentality long. Rod Metzer had purchased those zip ties connected Dec. 30 — astir 36 hours earlier the attack; casual to find due to the fact that helium paid with his debit card. Investigators obtained the information video from Lowe's.

Rachel Ashe: This was during COVID and this was during a play wherever everybody was wearing a mask, but for Rodney Metzer. So the surveillance images and the videos that were recovered from Lowe's of him purchasing those zip ties … his look is close determination successful the camera.

Next came the information video from Rod's flat building.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: There's really 1 wrong the, uh — the breezeway there, which leads to Rodney's flat specifically.

Lyvers says determination was nary video of Rod leaving aft helium said idiosyncratic knocked connected his window.

Sgt. Dakota Lyvers: What we bash spot is aft the clip of the incidental that Morgan was attacked, Rodney travel in, disheveled, successful a hurry.

Just 4 minutes later, Rod is caught connected camera again, leaving the building, wearing wholly antithetic apparel and sneakers, and carrying a integrative bag. The clip stamp was 1:24 a.m.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: We ne'er recovered that container successful his car erstwhile we did the hunt warrant.

Rachel Ashe: We conscionable don't cognize wherever that went.

Investigators can't cognize for definite what was successful that container but judge it had grounds Rod discarded connected his thrust backmost to Morgan's house. The attacker's disguise was ne'er found. But Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ashe says they had much than capable to beryllium Rod was guilty.

Rachel Ashe: This is simply a prosecutor's imagination to enactment up due to the fact that the grounds successful this lawsuit was overwhelming, overwhelming.

But Ashe says she wanted to connection Morgan an accidental for quicker closure than a proceedings would bring successful the signifier of a plea woody for Rod.

Rachel Ashe: We went done the pros and cons of letting him plead guilty, letting him judge responsibility. … We agreed, um, we should try. He took it quickly.

On Aug. 4, 2021, Rod pleaded blameworthy to a full of 14 counts related to Morgan's onslaught and the photos recovered connected his phone.

Sgt. Robert Haugh: He agreed to service 25 years connected a 70-year sentence. So, erstwhile helium gets retired successful 25 years, he'll service different 45 years of probation.

Nikki Battiste: I deliberation you adjacent described it arsenic similar a death.

Morgan Metzer: It is simply a death. I've mislaid my husband. He's dormant to me.

At Rod's sentencing, Morgan delivered a unfortunate interaction connection respective pages long.

Morgan Metzer: Once I got started, it conscionable started pouring outta me.

There were nary cameras successful the courtroom. "48 Hours" asked Morgan to work her statement. Here's a information of it.

Morgan Metzer (reading her unfortunate interaction statement): Rod, not lone volition this connection beryllium to my attacker, but it'll besides beryllium my past words to whom I thought was the emotion of my life. … The past 4 years being joined to you was similar surviving with a monster that perpetually tried to interruption maine down and obstruction maine in. … It was a blessing successful disguise. … I tin present locomotion with the assurance knowing the symptom you person fixed maine is turned into power.

Morgan Metzer: I walked disconnected that basal with a 1000 pounds disconnected of my shoulders. It felt truthful good. It felt empowering. And I got the past word.

Nikki Battiste: How was it to perceive to your champion person work this incredibly almighty statement?

Nichole Stabasefski: It was awesome due to the fact that she did not cry. … Her dependable did not shingle … and she said everything she needed to say, and erstwhile she was done, she was done.

Rachel Ashe: She was laying to remainder this relationship. She was telling him this: "I'm ne'er going to beryllium yours," right? "I'm ne'er going to beryllium yours."

Rod's actions that New Year's Day proceed to impact everyone.

Nikki Battiste: Have you been capable to sojourn Rod successful idiosyncratic astatine all?

Kathy Metzer: He hasn't wanted maine to.

Nikki Battiste: Why?

Kathy Metzer: He's acrophobic of my reaction.

Rod has from Type 1 diabetes and Kathy says his wellness is rapidly declining successful prison.

Nikki Battiste: You're disquieted helium could die.

Kathy Metzer: Oh, I'm perfectly disquieted he's going to die.

Morgan says erstwhile the ordeal was down her, she had to instrumentality steps truthful she could recover, seeking therapy to assistance her cope.

Morgan Metzer: Everything happens for a reason. God has everything hap for a reason. And I'm starting to spot that close now. There's conscionable a batch of large things that are happening with us.

She says she is focused connected raising her children, and helping others who find themselves successful akin circumstances.

Morgan Metzer: I'm trying to rise consciousness for … narcissism and gaslighting. … I privation to assistance women recognize they're successful a concern earlier it gets excessively bad.

Nichole Stabasefski: I'm conscionable excited to spot who she continues to turn to become. … She's … beauteous and beardown and resilient. So this is conscionable a steppingstone successful her journey.

Rod Metzer's condemnation prevents him from contacting Morgan and their children successful immoderate way.

"48 HOURS" POST MORTEM PODCAST

"48 Hours" analogous Anne-Marie Green, contributor Nikki Batiste and subordinate shaper Mike Loftus delve into the case, examining Rod Metzer's manipulation tactics, including gaslighting and a fake crab diagnosis. They besides sermon his 911 telephone and wherefore investigators thought it was suspicious.

Produced by Susan Mallie. Ryan N. Smith is the improvement producer. Michael Loftus is the tract producer. Annabelle Allen is the subordinate producer. Marlon Disla, Michelle Harris, and Greg Kaplan are the editor. Lourdes Aguiar is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

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