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Betrayal: Secrets and Lies - Season 1 - Episode 04: The New Year Intruder
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00:08I asked Morgan and Rod what does marriage mean to each of them Morgan started with this we will
00:13be together forever for God has sent Rod to me and he is my guardian angel and Rod concluded with
00:20this my only hope for my life is that I can be the man and husband and father that Morgan
00:25and
00:25my future children deserve she really thought he was the love of her life this Prince Charming
00:35we were just really excited to start our life but unfortunately at the start of our fairy tales
00:42when our nightmare began Morgan looked at him to be her protector but what you don't know you don't
00:50know a shocking event happens that changes everything he was no longer my husband he was
01:08somebody completely different somebody ugly somebody that I didn't know who it was a stranger to me
01:37I'm Andrea Gunning and this is betrayal a show about the people we trust the most
01:41and the deceptions that change everything today we meet Morgan who thought she had it all a loving
01:48relationship with her high school sweetheart and the promise of a bright future but after a series
01:54of tragic events that promise turned into peril Morgan what are you hoping people learn from your story
02:03my hope is that women learn to speak up to see if the things that are going on in your
02:09relationship
02:09is healthy or not yeah the guys generally started to believe it was me that I was the problem so
02:16I
02:16didn't say anything I stopped trying to be heard my name is Morgan Metzer I grew up in Canton Georgia
02:28we
02:30have an older brother I'm the middle and then Morgan's the baby sister we have so many wonderful memories
02:36together all girls pretty much dream of finding their prince charming so we always like thought
02:42about you know who our boyfriend would be someday our husband and then when of course you've met Rod
02:48she felt like she found her prince Rod and I met when I was 14 he was 17 and we
02:59were high school sweethearts
03:06my first impression of Rod that he gave off is definitely the big man on campus
03:11everywhere he went everyone knew who he was he was extremely patient funny kind-hearted he had ambition
03:20he was pretty much the whole package I guess you could say he made me feel like a princess
03:27Morgan wanted to be protected and she looked at him to be her protector and so he kind of just
03:32took
03:32on that role Rodney's family came from a lot of money they were very well-to-do Rod's parents would
03:40take a
03:41lot of their kids friends on trips and on these trips we were spoiled given a very lavish lifestyle
03:50I felt like the luckiest girl in the world after high school the couple they're stronger than ever
03:57Morgan follows Rodney to Wyoming where he's training to be a mechanic and she goes to cosmetology school
04:05and then they decide to move back to Georgia and start their careers we grew together naturally as a
04:14couple everything was still innocent and pure I don't ever recall them ever arguing they always
04:24got along from the very beginning they've always been very happy Rod proposed to me after about six
04:32or seven years being together he asked me in front of my family with my grandmother's wedding ring I was
04:40a hundred percent sure I wanted to marry Rod Rod and Morgan the importance of marriage supersedes our
04:50daily activities we got married April 18 2009 I asked Morgan and Rod individually what does marriage
04:57mean to each of them and Rod had this to say marriage good Rod like marriage the wedding was my
05:07dream
05:08everything I could have ever imagined it was a true fairy tale the one of the most beautiful weddings
05:15I've ever seen you may kiss to your heart's content the family was so excited his brother Kevin speech was
05:27wonderful one day I hope I can share the same love they have with a woman as great as Morgan
05:34and for the
05:37first official time Morgan welcome to the family I cried it felt like royalty becoming Miss Metzer
05:58before we got married we did own a house together we resided there after the wedding it was so much
06:06fun
06:07so I wanted to work from a wedding my parents I really wanted to get my husband and I felt
06:10like I had a brother there so it was nice
06:15this year we were hoping that I felt like I had a brother there so it was nice
06:15I felt like I had a brother there so it was nice
06:16Rod had no expectations from me he really didn't
06:21he just wanted me to do what I wanted to do and I wanted to go hang out with friends
06:27that night
06:28he says go out go have fun I'll see you later
06:31We were just overall really excited to start our life.
06:36But unfortunately, at the start of our fairy tales,
06:39when our nightmare began.
06:51Morgan and Rodney's marriage is almost picture perfect.
06:55And then a tragic event changes everything.
07:00Rod's brother passed away of leukemia.
07:13Kevin's passing was very difficult for all of us.
07:16I can only imagine how it made Rod feel.
07:19It was just him and his brother, you know,
07:21and to see the pain of losing a sibling, it was difficult.
07:30It affected both of them.
07:31But Rod was just very quiet.
07:33He was not sociable.
07:35He was not fun.
07:38This death was a test of how the couple would weather dark times together.
07:50I was supportive.
07:52I tried to help guide him in different ways.
07:54Therapy, just talking, listening, asking what it is that he needs.
08:01But Rodney started to change it into somebody completely different.
08:08It was like watching a slow, painful death.
08:23After we lost Kevin, a really good bounce back.
08:27Something exciting that happened in the family was we got pregnant.
08:32I feel like I got a glimpse of that old Rod.
08:36He was elated.
08:38More excited that we were going to name him Kevin after his brother.
08:43It was just exciting after so much of the heartache of losing Kevin
08:47that something so wonderful was about to happen.
08:53At 22 weeks, the couple received devastating news.
09:00The baby has a congenital heart defect.
09:04They did say he would need multiple heart surgeries,
09:07eventually possibly a heart transplant.
09:09There was a lot of unknowns.
09:12Nobody wants to hear that their baby is going to be sick
09:15or potentially need all these treatments and surgeries
09:19and be in pain after they're born.
09:23Right after I'd had Kevin, they let me hold him for a second.
09:27They took him from me pretty much immediately.
09:29He was a week old when he had his first heart surgery.
09:38I remember dropping to my knees, and I said,
09:41God, either take him home with you or let me bring him home.
09:50And the next day is when God decided to answer my prayer
09:56but decided to take him home with him.
10:02It wrecked her.
10:03It wrecked her soul.
10:07Any mother to lose a child is just unimaginable.
10:13From what Morgan had shared with me
10:15and how Rod processed the loss of baby Kevin,
10:18it was more of he just stayed busy.
10:22He kept himself away, and she grieved by herself.
10:33I feel like my sister handled it well,
10:34but she was devastated, and she wasn't herself,
10:37nor was Rod.
10:38So, yeah, it was awful.
10:42Ugh.
10:48As Morgan continues to grieve the loss of her child,
10:52she gets some amazing news.
10:55I got pregnant after the loss of Kevin
10:58about three months later.
11:00It was just a gift that was sent from baby Kevin to them
11:04to be like, don't be sad.
11:06You know, it's going to be OK.
11:07We've got a baby on the way, you know?
11:10The first ultrasound, Kevin's doctor was in there,
11:14and she looked at me, and she goes,
11:16of course you would give me a high-risk pregnancy after Kevin.
11:21You're having twins.
11:24I handed Rod the ultrasound thing,
11:27and he's like, two?
11:28I said, yeah, and he was so excited.
11:32Almost a year to the day of losing baby Kevin,
11:34Morgan gives birth to twins, Mason and Amelia.
11:42So after the twins were born,
11:43Morgan was a stay-at-home mom.
11:46And that's when I could just tell that Rod wasn't happy
11:50or he was going through something,
11:52but it was something that she kind of kept private.
11:56He struggled with sharing my time.
11:59Anything that took me away from taking care of him,
12:03he would get irritated.
12:04But it wasn't where people would notice it.
12:09He was just like, honestly, just miserable and hating life.
12:13He was a mechanic.
12:15Rod was making countless mistakes.
12:18Certain things went wrong.
12:22Soon, Rodney was unemployed,
12:23but Morgan thought that they would be OK financially.
12:27We had an amazing home that was paid for outright.
12:31He did have inheritance from a great aunt,
12:34but he eventually told me the money was gone.
12:39I realized that Rod was waiting for his grandmother to die.
12:44But when his grandmother passed away,
12:46he did not receive anything.
12:50Then they get the notice
12:52that they're going to potentially be losing the house.
12:56It put a strain on our relationship
12:59because that's when he ran out of any options
13:02to be able to provide for the house at all.
13:06She was going to have to be the one to step up
13:08because he obviously couldn't.
13:13So I started my own interior design business,
13:16Shiplap and Sugar.
13:17It took off.
13:19After the first year,
13:20I was voted the number one interior designer in Canton,
13:23and I was still able to rock at being a mom.
13:27We got to work together and run this business.
13:30It was so much fun.
13:32They didn't lose their house.
13:34We had more business than we knew what to do with.
13:38Eventually, Rodney,
13:39he started working for my company as a handyman.
13:42He would do built-in bunk beds.
13:43He'd make me floating shelves.
13:45He'd hang everything.
13:48But he didn't like being the worker.
13:52In my opinion,
13:53I felt like to me,
13:54Rodney would find ways to sabotage the projects.
13:57I would see something like the stupid curtain rods
14:01not having the right measurements,
14:03even though that was your one job.
14:10I would tell him to do something,
14:12and he would do it incorrectly.
14:15He would convince me
14:16that I told him to do it that way,
14:18and it would be my fault.
14:21She had a hard time deciphering
14:24if what he was saying was true or not.
14:27Looking back on it now,
14:29he definitely was gaslighting me.
14:31Once Rod saw that I was able to become successful
14:35for our family,
14:36and I had the drive,
14:37he still wanted the control.
14:40The way he spoke to me did change.
14:42He wanted to degrade me.
14:44He wanted to make sure
14:45I knew who was in charge.
14:51He would antagonize me,
14:55and then as soon as I would lose my cool
14:57is when he would go quiet,
14:59and he'd start recording me
15:01and say,
15:01look at how crazy you're being.
15:06Gaslighting was Rodney's M.O.
15:08I can beat you down.
15:09I felt like a horrible mom.
15:10I felt like a horrible provider.
15:13Overall, I didn't look forward
15:14to getting up every morning.
15:17A lot was on her plate,
15:18but she wanted to protect her kids,
15:21make sure that they didn't know
15:23that something was going on with mom.
15:27One day, Rod and I
15:29were having a disagreement.
15:31We were going up the stairs,
15:33the kids were listening,
15:35and all of a sudden,
15:37he's falling down the stairs.
15:42And then as soon as when
15:43he hit the bottom stairs,
15:45the kids were down there,
15:46and he's like,
15:46Mom, push me down the stairs.
15:51I felt as though Rod
15:52faked falling down the stairs
15:54to show the kids
15:56Mommy did hurt Daddy
15:58to paint me ugly in their eyes.
16:03Morgan could endure anything
16:04that Rodney was throwing at her,
16:06but then he started
16:07manipulating the kids
16:08against her,
16:09and she realized
16:10she had to face
16:11the reality of her relationship.
16:14I just was like,
16:17all right,
16:17that's it,
16:18I'm done.
16:29Eleven years into their marriage,
16:31Morgan files for divorce.
16:33When he found out
16:34I filed for divorce,
16:36Rod wasn't accepting of it.
16:37He would sit outside
16:38my parents' house
16:40calling me like crazy.
16:42I mean,
16:42he really thought
16:43he was going to get me back,
16:44but I wasn't going,
16:46I wasn't budging.
16:49This is the only man
16:51that she's been with,
16:51and no matter how
16:53the relationship was going,
16:54it was still hard,
16:56but I think she knew
16:57that she deserved
16:57to be treated better,
16:58you know what I mean?
16:59So I was proud of her
17:00for sticking up
17:00for her and her kids.
17:03In December of 2020,
17:05the divorce was finalized.
17:07He moved out,
17:08got an apartment,
17:08and they shared custody
17:09of the two kids.
17:12I knew in my heart
17:13I had done the right thing,
17:15but I loved
17:21my husband.
17:25He was my best friend.
17:37That year,
17:38the day after Christmas,
17:40I took the kids
17:41to see my sister in Orlando
17:43for them to stay
17:44for a few weeks.
17:46The kids wanted
17:47to come see me
17:47and stay at my home
17:49outside of Disney World.
17:52When I got back,
17:54I was over
17:55at Nicole's house,
17:56and Rod had sent me
17:58an email,
17:59something along the lines of,
18:01I think you should know this,
18:02and he attached the document
18:04from the doctor's diagnosis.
18:09I think I dropped my phone,
18:10and I was like,
18:11oh my gosh.
18:13The father of my children
18:15has pancreatic cancer.
18:18I mean,
18:19he was telling me
18:19it was stage four
18:20and he was gonna die.
18:23She was distraught.
18:25It was, oh my God,
18:26my children's father.
18:29My emotions were
18:30all over the place.
18:31I remember just dropping
18:33everything and left
18:34Nicole's house
18:35and went to his apartment.
18:37He said he was
18:38extremely scared.
18:39He didn't want to tell
18:40his parents.
18:41He wasn't comfortable
18:41being alone.
18:42And I said,
18:43okay, you can come
18:44and stay at the house.
18:48Even though they were divorced,
18:50Morgan still loved Rodney,
18:51and she wanted to be supportive,
18:53so she let him stay
18:54with her for a few days.
18:58On the day of New Year's Eve,
18:59my parents came over
19:02and approached Rod
19:03and said that we do need
19:04to call your parents
19:05and tell them about
19:07your diagnosis.
19:10He left very angry.
19:13New Year's Eve,
19:14I mean, we talked
19:15for a little bit.
19:15I was telling her
19:16about what the kids
19:17and I were gonna be doing.
19:19I just knew that she
19:20was joined to Nicole's house,
19:21so it was nothing unusual.
19:26I did get text messages
19:28from Rod.
19:30He wanted to hang out,
19:32but I told him
19:34I'm gonna be staying
19:35at my parents' house tonight,
19:37but that was never my intention.
19:39I didn't want to see him.
19:41It was my hopes
19:42that he would leave me alone
19:44knowing that I was
19:45with my parents.
19:47When Morgan came over
19:48to my house,
19:49she was a lot more quiet
19:50than usual,
19:52but then I realized
19:53that at the time
19:54it was my husband and I
19:55and that it was
19:56our other friends,
19:56so I understood it,
19:59and then she went home.
20:10That night,
20:11all I wanted to do
20:12was just curl up
20:13next to my dog
20:14and go to sleep
20:14and wake up the next morning
20:16ready to start
20:17my fresh new year
20:18as a newly-singled
20:19divorcee.
20:24The next time
20:25Morgan opens her eyes,
20:26she sees an image
20:27no one wants to see.
20:31I saw a male figure
20:33standing in a lit-up doorway
20:36dressed in black.
20:37When I went to go, like,
20:39really, like,
20:40adjust my eyes
20:41is when he attacked.
20:47I screamed the loudest
20:48I have ever screamed.
20:54I thought it was over
20:55for me.
21:07When the attacker
21:08attacked me,
21:10I was hit in the face
21:12countless times
21:13with the butt of a gun.
21:17I was strangled.
21:18I was sexually assaulted.
21:20I had the gun pointed
21:21at my forehead.
21:23I was fighting for my life.
21:26He had a voice disguiser.
21:28It sounded like Batman.
21:30I still hear his voice
21:31in my head.
21:32He said,
21:34you've messed
21:34with the wrong people.
21:37I couldn't help but think,
21:38okay, this is it.
21:39I'm done.
21:41Still to this day,
21:43I get disappointed
21:44in myself
21:45when I say that
21:46I finally just let go.
21:50and I stopped the fight.
21:55All of a sudden,
21:56I had a sense of peace
21:57that just went all over.
21:59and at that moment,
22:02he stopped strangling me.
22:07That's when he proceeded
22:08to zip tie my hands
22:09behind my back.
22:11He put a pillowcase
22:12over my head.
22:14And I was bleeding.
22:16I could feel the blood
22:17going down my face.
22:20He started asking,
22:21where's my phone?
22:22And I said,
22:23I don't know.
22:23It's somewhere in the bed.
22:25And he found it.
22:26And he's like,
22:26what's the passcode?
22:27And I told him
22:28the passcode.
22:30And then all of a sudden,
22:32Morgan's attacker
22:33takes her
22:34to the back porch
22:34and says,
22:36don't move
22:37until you hear a car
22:38honk its horn
22:38two or three times.
22:40That never happens.
22:43Morgan is struggling
22:44to stay awake.
22:44And finally,
22:46she hears footsteps.
22:48She doesn't know
22:48who it is.
22:52And then,
22:53she hears Rodney's voice.
22:56Morgan?
23:01And I was like,
23:02hello?
23:03And he goes,
23:04what happened?
23:04What happened?
23:05What happened?
23:06And I told him
23:07what happened.
23:08He took me inside.
23:10He called the cops.
23:11I'm right here.
23:12Okay?
23:14Right here.
23:19Jerry,
23:20you got me in that one,
23:21won't you?
23:21Somebody broke in
23:22over here.
23:25Okay,
23:26the person broke in.
23:27Are they still there?
23:28Did you just come over?
23:29We don't know.
23:30I showed up
23:31and I don't know.
23:33He said,
23:33did someone broke
23:34into your house?
23:35Yes,
23:35not my house,
23:36my ex-wife's house.
23:37She was on the back porch
23:39and the back door
23:40was wide open.
23:40She was tied up
23:41with a hood on her head.
23:43You're saying
23:43she was tied up
23:44with the hood
23:44over her head?
23:45Yes.
23:46Yes!
23:48When he got off
23:49the phone with them,
23:50he's like,
23:51you know,
23:51it's fine.
23:53I, you know,
23:54walked the house,
23:55nobody's here
23:55or anything like that,
23:57but I was still scared.
24:01I'm Dakota Livers.
24:02At the time of this case,
24:03I was a detective
24:04in the criminal
24:05investigations division,
24:06specifically assigned
24:07in the special victims unit.
24:12When I initially arrived,
24:13Rodney Metzer
24:14was sitting in the driveway.
24:15As I walked past him,
24:16he said,
24:17are you the guy
24:17that we've been waiting on?
24:18I said,
24:19yes, sir, I am.
24:20And he looked me
24:21dead in the eyes
24:21and he said,
24:22do your job.
24:24I was like,
24:26okay.
24:34First investigative step
24:36that I wanted to do
24:37was get a scene size up.
24:38We were able to find out
24:39that their children
24:40were actually in Florida,
24:42which was a relief.
24:44Morgan was in a shocked state.
24:47She was obviously beaten.
24:49She had bruising
24:50around her eye.
24:51She looked disheveled,
24:53as would somebody
24:54that had just went
24:55through an incident
24:56like this.
24:57There were no signs
24:59of forced entry
24:59into the house.
25:03When Morgan detailed
25:04how the attacker
25:05had used her phone,
25:06we began looking
25:07at the alarm system.
25:09We were able to look
25:10through the records.
25:11It showed Rodney arriving,
25:14which is about the time
25:15the 911 call was made
25:16when Morgan was found.
25:18But videos prior to that
25:20had been deleted
25:21or weren't there.
25:24The last video
25:25was Morgan going inside.
25:30Morgan detailed
25:31how the attacker
25:31made claims of,
25:33your ex-husband
25:33is going to miss you
25:35or, you know,
25:36he's next.
25:38The attacker
25:39had to know
25:39Morgan had an ex-husband.
25:43It's leading us
25:44to believe
25:45this is somebody
25:46close to Morgan
25:46that did this.
25:49I set up two chairs
25:50on the front porch
25:51for Rodney and I
25:52to have a discussion.
25:57They asked him
25:58how he came
25:59to be at
25:59Morgan's house.
26:01And his explanation
26:02was incredible.
26:09While brushing his teeth,
26:11some mysterious person
26:12tapped on his window
26:13three times
26:14and all that he could
26:15make out
26:16that they said
26:16was Morgan.
26:27He believed
26:27that Morgan
26:28was in danger.
26:29He took it upon himself
26:30to drive from his apartment
26:32to her house.
26:33His story
26:34began to unfold
26:36as he was telling it
26:38because it did not line up
26:39with things
26:39that Morgan
26:40had already told us,
26:41such as
26:42there was no reason
26:43for him to come
26:43to that house
26:45looking for Morgan
26:46because Morgan
26:47told him
26:48she was going
26:49to stay the night
26:49at her parents' house,
26:50which is not that house.
26:54You knew she was here,
26:55which is why
26:55you came straight here
26:56and left there
26:56at her parents' house.
26:59The entire time,
27:00we were all open-minded
27:01that there might be
27:03another potential suspect.
27:08You know who did that?
27:09You don't know
27:10what she means to me.
27:11How would you even know
27:12to do that?
27:13Is there anybody
27:14in mind
27:15that you think
27:15would target her?
27:17He said maybe
27:19a new love interest
27:20had done this to Morgan.
27:21However,
27:22all the evidence
27:22at this point
27:23was pointing
27:24towards Rodney Metzer.
27:27Rodney actually
27:28ended up giving us
27:30consent to look
27:31through his phone.
27:32During that time,
27:32we found pictures
27:33of text messages
27:35on another phone.
27:36And the other phone
27:38happened to be
27:38Morgan's phone.
27:40He also had pictures
27:41of her sleeping.
27:43Detective Livers,
27:44pulled me aside
27:45and he asked me
27:46if I had given
27:47Rodney permission
27:48to take a picture
27:49of my phone
27:50and I told him no.
27:53He didn't have that
27:53relationship.
27:54Y'all don't have
27:54that relationship.
27:56She's faffled
27:56that you have that.
27:58That's stalker.
28:00He had unlawfully
28:02gotten into Morgan's phone.
28:04That's a crime
28:05here in Georgia.
28:06And they were able
28:08to arrest him
28:08that night
28:09for that crime.
28:19But we still had
28:20our work ahead of us
28:21to confirm or dispel
28:23if Rodney was our
28:24lead suspect
28:25or if there was
28:26some rando
28:27that did this.
28:39Arresting Rodney
28:39gave us time
28:41to do further
28:42investigating into him,
28:44into his story.
28:47Starting the next day,
28:48I was tasked
28:49with obtaining
28:50search warrants
28:50for Rodney's vehicle.
28:52He had a Volkswagen
28:53for his cell phone
28:54and for Rodney's apartment.
28:59And the Volkswagen
28:59was a handwritten letter
29:01without that signature,
29:02but it was outlining
29:04the person having cancer
29:06and begging the recipient
29:09of that letter
29:10to come back to him.
29:11After we finished
29:14our search
29:14of Rodney's vehicle,
29:15myself and a number
29:17of other detectives
29:18went to that apartment
29:19and did it
29:20a very thorough search
29:21and recovered
29:21quite a few things
29:22of interest.
29:25We seized his
29:26laptop computer,
29:28we seized his
29:28wireless router,
29:30and probably the
29:32strongest piece
29:33of evidence
29:33that we seized
29:34was a collection
29:35of new
29:36and one-cut
29:38large industrial-size
29:40zip tie.
29:45There was
29:46a stem
29:48stem from
29:49a zip tie
29:50that was missing
29:51the head.
29:52So we examined
29:53the zip ties
29:55that were used
29:55to bind
29:56Morgan's hands together
29:57and there happened
29:59to be an extra head
30:01on one of the stems.
30:04One of our evidence
30:06technicians
30:06did what's called
30:08a fracture match
30:09examination.
30:10You look under magnification
30:12and you're able
30:13to see all
30:14the jagged
30:15cuts
30:15and you can
30:16actually move
30:17those together
30:17and you can
30:18confirm or
30:19conclude whether
30:20they were once
30:22one piece
30:22or they're not
30:23even related.
30:26It was a perfect
30:27match.
30:31We scanned the
30:32barcode of those
30:33zip ties
30:34and we were able
30:35to see that
30:36this was a brand
30:37sold exclusively
30:38by Lowe's
30:39Home Improvement.
30:43Sergeant Harris
30:44found surveillance
30:45footage
30:46of Rodney
30:51buying just
30:52those zip ties
30:55and walking
30:56out of Lowe's.
30:57And this is
30:58in the height
30:58of COVID.
30:59He was the only
31:00one in there
31:01not wearing
31:02a mask.
31:03So you could
31:04clearly identify
31:05that it was Rodney.
31:09As the evidence
31:10against Rodney
31:11is piling up
31:12detectives uncover
31:13something chilling
31:14inside Rodney's
31:15search history.
31:19In the search
31:20of his laptop
31:21I found
31:22numerous
31:23search
31:24phrases
31:25and
31:26topics
31:27that he had
31:28been looking up
31:29in the days
31:30and weeks
31:30before this
31:31home invasion.
31:34Among those
31:35search phrases
31:37were things
31:37like
31:38how to
31:38disguise
31:39your voice
31:39various entries
31:41on cancer
31:42pancreatic
31:43cancer
31:44treatment
31:45for cancer
31:47but also
31:49he was
31:50researching
31:50letters
31:51that would
31:53be mailed
31:53out
31:53that have
31:54to do
31:55with
31:55cancer
31:55care.
32:00He had
32:00made searches
32:01for
32:02how long
32:03to strangle
32:04someone
32:04before they
32:04go unconscious.
32:08There was
32:09a book
32:10of seven ways
32:11to be her
32:11hero
32:12found at
32:12his apartment
32:14that gave
32:14us the
32:15motive
32:15of why
32:16this attack
32:17was done
32:17and why
32:18Rodney did
32:19this.
32:19It was all
32:20to win her
32:20back.
32:22To show
32:23her
32:23you need
32:24me
32:24at that
32:25house
32:25we
32:27without a
32:28doubt
32:28believed
32:28Rodney
32:29was
32:30the one
32:30that
32:30conducted
32:31this
32:31attack.
32:39After
32:40we gathered
32:40all this
32:41evidence
32:41we brought
32:42Rodney
32:42back to
32:42the
32:43criminal
32:43investigations
32:44division
32:44headquarters
32:44to conduct
32:45a follow-up
32:46interview.
32:50Sergeant
32:53Harris
32:54actually
32:54second-chaired
32:54with me
32:55in that
32:56interview
32:56I let
32:57Rodney
32:57know
32:57hey
32:58listen
32:58we're
32:58still
32:58investigating
32:59this
32:59incident
33:00involving
33:00Morgan
33:00we had
33:01yet to
33:01tell him
33:02anything
33:02about
33:02what we
33:03have
33:03done
33:03what we
33:04have
33:04found.
33:05We asked
33:06Rodney
33:06about
33:06any
33:07particular
33:07diagnoses
33:08he might
33:09have
33:09specifically
33:10cancer.
33:10What other
33:11kind of
33:11health
33:11issues
33:12do you
33:12have?
33:14Nothing
33:14as far
33:15as I know
33:15of yet.
33:16How did
33:16you tell
33:17her
33:17this
33:17cancer
33:18thing?
33:21I don't
33:22know if I should
33:22talk to you guys
33:23anymore.
33:25I'm just going to
33:26hear a really bad
33:26feeling.
33:28What angle
33:29are you guys
33:29coming from?
33:29We're seeking
33:30the truth
33:30man.
33:31I see what angle
33:32you're trying to
33:33pull on me.
33:33What's that angle?
33:35Are you convinced
33:35that I did this?
33:36No,
33:37absolutely not.
33:37I thought you
33:38had cancer.
33:39I can see
33:40you're different.
33:41I've already
33:41learned something
33:42about you.
33:43Facial expression.
33:44You keep
33:45scratching yourself
33:46and you get
33:46agitated by what
33:47I said.
33:48I'm 100%
33:49lying.
33:49I was concerned
33:51that you had
33:51cancer, but
33:52that was
33:53a given
33:55thing I guess.
33:57His pancreatic
33:58cancer diagnosis
33:59he ultimately
34:00told us was
34:01fake.
34:04That helped
34:05him achieve
34:05some sympathy
34:07from Morgan.
34:08And in the
34:09days following
34:10he was able
34:11to manipulate
34:12his way
34:13into her
34:14house where
34:15he eventually
34:15would spend
34:16the night
34:16and sleep
34:17on the sofa.
34:19I asked
34:20Rodney about
34:21some of his
34:21internet search
34:22history.
34:23Specifically
34:23about disguising
34:25his voice.
34:25Because Morgan
34:26described the
34:26attacker as
34:27how Christian
34:28Bale sounded
34:29in the movie
34:30The Dark Knight.
34:45It was funny to hear
34:46him say that
34:47he feels like
34:47he doesn't have
34:48a masculine
34:49enough voice.
34:50I thought that
34:50was amazing.
34:52Well, probably
34:54the most
34:55significant
34:55thing that
34:56we found
34:57in your
34:57apartment
34:58was a
34:59collection
34:59of
35:00zip ties.
35:01What's that
35:02tie?
35:03Black
35:03zip ties.
35:05What's that
35:06tie?
35:06I know you
35:07don't.
35:08We have them
35:08now.
35:08You're joking.
35:09You're right.
35:10Oh, man.
35:10I wouldn't lie
35:11to you.
35:11These are
35:13identical to
35:14the ones
35:14that were
35:15binding
35:15Morgan's
35:16wrists.
35:17There's
35:17something
35:18funny going
35:18on here.
35:19Did somebody
35:20break in
35:20and put them
35:21there?
35:21I didn't
35:21have some
35:22big-ass
35:23zip ties
35:24in my apartment.
35:26By the time
35:27we revealed
35:28that we
35:28had his
35:29zip ties,
35:30his whole
35:31demeanor
35:31changed,
35:32partially
35:32because he
35:32was surprised
35:33that he
35:34had forgotten
35:34to get rid
35:35of the
35:35zip ties,
35:36but also
35:37because the
35:37zip ties
35:38were such
35:39a critical
35:40piece of
35:41evidence
35:41and he
35:42knew that
35:42he was
35:42in trouble.
35:48By
35:49January
35:49the
35:503rd,
35:50we
35:50had
35:51conducted
35:52enough
35:52investigation
35:53that I
35:54was able
35:55to take
35:55additional
35:55charges
35:56on Rodney
35:56for what
35:58happened
35:58to Morgan.
35:59And among
36:00those charges
36:00were home
36:01invasion in
36:01the first
36:02degree,
36:02aggravated
36:03assault by
36:03strangulation,
36:05kidnapping,
36:06armed robbery,
36:07and burglary.
36:14My name
36:15is Rachel
36:15Ashe.
36:16I'm the
36:16deputy
36:16chief
36:17assistant
36:17district
36:17attorney
36:18for the
36:18Blue Ridge
36:19Judicial
36:19Circuit.
36:20During our
36:21initial
36:22interactions
36:22with Morgan,
36:23she was
36:24struggling
36:24with the
36:25idea that
36:25this could
36:26be this
36:27person who
36:28she had
36:29loved since
36:29they were
36:29teenagers.
36:30He was no
36:31longer my
36:32husband.
36:33He was
36:33somebody
36:33completely
36:34different,
36:34somebody
36:35ugly,
36:36somebody
36:36that I
36:38didn't know
36:38who it
36:39was,
36:39a stranger
36:40to me.
36:42What she
36:42had gone
36:43through was
36:43so violent,
36:44she was afraid
36:45he was going
36:45to come back
36:46and he was
36:46going to
36:46kill her.
36:53When I
36:53found out
36:54that Rod
36:54was the
36:54one that
36:55did this,
36:56I was in
36:56a state
36:57of shock.
36:57All I
36:58know is I'm
36:58looking at
36:59her kids
36:59and I'm
36:59like,
36:59oh my
37:00gosh,
37:00like,
37:01thank God
37:02they were
37:02with me.
37:05Once I
37:06got the
37:06kids home,
37:06I sat
37:07them down
37:08and I
37:09said,
37:09guys,
37:09daddy
37:10did
37:10something
37:10very
37:11bad
37:11and he's
37:13going to
37:13be in
37:14trouble
37:14for a
37:15large
37:16portion
37:16of your
37:16life.
37:21Rodney
37:22Metzer
37:22was indicted
37:23on 14
37:23separate
37:24charges.
37:26The
37:27sheriff's
37:27office
37:27investigation
37:28was so
37:28strong
37:29that this
37:30was a
37:30case
37:30that was
37:31leading
37:31to a
37:32plea.
37:32He
37:33would not
37:33have
37:33had
37:33any
37:34chance
37:35at
37:35trial.
37:39Ultimately,
37:40Rodney Metzer
37:41pled guilty
37:41to all
37:42of the
37:42counts
37:42in the
37:42indictment.
37:43He was
37:43sentenced
37:44for a
37:44total
37:44period
37:45of 70
37:45years
37:46with the
37:46first
37:4625
37:46years
37:47of
37:47those
37:47being
37:47in
37:48custody.
37:49As part
37:50of his
37:51sentence,
37:51he's
37:51ordered to
37:52have no
37:52contact
37:52of any
37:53kind
37:53with
37:53Morgan
37:53or
37:54his
37:54children.
37:56I
37:57don't
37:57know
37:57if
37:58what he
37:58got
37:58was
37:59fair
37:59or
37:59not.
38:00Sometimes
38:01I think
38:0225
38:03years,
38:04okay,
38:04that's
38:04more
38:05than
38:05enough
38:05time,
38:05but the
38:06day
38:06is
38:06going
38:06to
38:06come
38:06where
38:07he's
38:07going
38:07to
38:07get
38:07out.
38:08I
38:08feel
38:08like
38:08that's
38:09why
38:09I
38:09sometimes
38:09wish
38:10the
38:10sentencing
38:10was
38:10longer
38:11because
38:11I
38:11don't
38:11want
38:11to
38:11come
38:12to
38:12that
38:12day.
38:13But
38:14I
38:14know
38:14it's
38:14going
38:14to
38:15happen.
38:16At
38:16the
38:17sentencing
38:17hearing,
38:17you
38:18were
38:18able
38:18to
38:19give
38:19a
38:19victim
38:19impact
38:19statement.
38:20Can
38:20you
38:20tell
38:21me
38:21a
38:21little
38:21bit
38:21about
38:21that
38:22experience
38:22and
38:22why
38:22you
38:23decided
38:23to
38:23do
38:23that?
38:24I
38:24wanted
38:25to
38:25have
38:25the
38:25last
38:25word.
38:26I
38:27didn't
38:27want
38:27him
38:27to
38:27think
38:28he
38:28broke
38:28me
38:28because
38:29I
38:29hadn't
38:29been
38:29heard
38:30for
38:30so
38:30many
38:30years
38:31and
38:31finally
38:32he
38:32had
38:32to
38:32sit
38:32there
38:32and
38:33listen
38:33to
38:33me.
38:33So
38:34I
38:34felt
38:34like
38:34I
38:34finally
38:34found
38:35my
38:35voice
38:35again
38:36by
38:36walking
38:36up
38:48gift
38:49of
38:49my
38:49children
38:49and
38:50my
38:50heart
38:50aches
38:51for
38:51the
38:51fact
38:51you
38:52will
38:52be
38:52missing
38:52out
38:52on
38:53first
38:54dates
38:54homecomings
38:55proms
38:56the
38:56hormonal
38:57changes
38:57into
38:58adults
38:58graduations
38:59Christmas
39:00mornings
39:01driver's
39:02licenses
39:02college
39:04acceptance
39:04letters
39:04first
39:05apartments
39:06first
39:06jobs
39:07proposals
39:07weddings
39:08and
39:09the
39:09potential
39:09birth
39:10of
39:10our
39:10grandkids
39:11and
39:11so
39:11many
39:11others
39:13but
39:13what
39:14disheartens
39:14me
39:14more
39:15is
39:15not
39:15only
39:15you
39:16are
39:16missing
39:16these
39:16milestones
39:17but
39:18I
39:18have
39:18to
39:18look
39:19into
39:19Amelia
39:19and
39:19Mason's
39:20eyes
39:20as
39:20each
39:20of
39:20these
39:21milestones
39:21take
39:21place
39:22and
39:23see
39:23the
39:23want
39:24the
39:24desire
39:24for
39:24their
39:25father
39:25to
39:25have
39:25been
39:25there
39:28our
39:28kids
39:29know
39:29what
39:29happened
39:30that
39:30night
39:30you
39:30attacked
39:31me
39:31we
39:32didn't
39:32ask
39:32for
39:32this
39:32Rod
39:34why
39:34didn't
39:34you
39:34let
39:35me
39:35help
39:35you
39:35when
39:36I
39:36begged
39:36and
39:36pleaded
39:36to
39:37be
39:37better
39:37for
39:37our
39:37family
39:38it's
39:38time
39:39to
39:39let
39:39you
39:39go
39:39and
39:39lay
39:40you
39:40down
39:40to
39:40rest
39:41goodbye
39:42Rod
39:44once
39:45I
39:45stepped
39:45off
39:46the
39:46podium
39:46I
39:47felt
39:47empowered
39:48as
39:49some
39:49weight
39:49was
39:49lifted
39:50off
39:50my
39:50shoulders
39:51I
39:51get
39:52it
39:52I
39:53really
39:53do
39:56all
39:57the
39:57way
39:57up
39:57until
39:57a few
39:58years
39:58after
39:58the
39:58incident
39:59I
39:59still
39:59believed
40:00some
40:00of
40:00the
40:00things
40:00that
40:01Rod
40:01had
40:01told
40:01me
40:01the
40:02kind
40:02of
40:02person
40:02I
40:02was
40:03I
40:04had
40:04to
40:04reprogram
40:06my
40:06brain
40:07she
40:08grew
40:08up
40:08with
40:09him
40:09and
40:09I
40:09think
40:10it's
40:10hard
40:10because
40:10what
40:10she
40:11had
40:11known
40:12of
40:12was
40:12normal
40:13for
40:1420
40:14years
40:15of
40:15her
40:15life
40:15was
40:16really
40:16manipulation
40:17and
40:17gaslighting
40:18at
40:18its
40:18finest
40:18it's
40:19a lot
40:19of
40:19trauma
40:21I
40:22feel
40:22with
40:22trauma
40:23there's
40:24stages
40:24you
40:24have
40:25to
40:25go
40:25through
40:25it
40:26took
40:26me
40:26a
40:26few
40:27years
40:27to
40:28get
40:29to
40:29the
40:29point
40:29that
40:30I
40:31realized
40:31I
40:31needed
40:31a
40:31little
40:32bit
40:32extra
40:32help
40:33to
40:33cope
40:34with
40:34the
40:40more
40:40Morgan
40:41went
40:41to
40:41counseling
40:42she
40:42went
40:42to
40:42therapy
40:43she
40:44went
40:44to
40:44a
40:44PDSD
40:45rehab
40:45facility
40:46for
40:46six
40:47weeks
40:47or
40:47so
40:47and
40:48she
40:49did
40:49everything
40:50and
40:50continues
40:51to do
40:51everything
40:52she
40:52can
40:52to
40:53be
40:54the
40:54most
40:54healthiest
40:54version
40:55of
40:55herself
40:57Morgan
40:58has
40:58grown
40:59and
40:59involved
41:00by
41:00being
41:01more
41:01self
41:02aware
41:02and
41:03not
41:03having
41:04to
41:04find
41:04a
41:04protector
41:04and
41:05realizing
41:05that
41:05she
41:06can
41:06be
41:06her
41:06own
41:06protector
41:07and
41:08that
41:08she
41:08doesn't
41:08need
41:09anybody
41:14there's
41:14so many
41:15different
41:15aspects
41:15and what
41:16I hope
41:17people can
41:17learn from
41:18my story
41:20mental health
41:21awareness
41:23narcissistic
41:23abuse
41:24and signs
41:25and my
41:26biggest one
41:27is
41:27as women
41:28we need
41:29to learn
41:29to speak
41:29to each
41:30other
41:30and not
41:30sugarcoat
41:31everything
41:31because
41:33had maybe
41:34I spoke
41:34up a little
41:34bit more
41:35I may
41:35have gotten
41:36the
41:36help
41:36earlier
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