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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
06:06we began to call and we began to call him my husband and we began to call him my husband
06:09they were happy they were always doing things and I felt like I had a brother there so it was
06:14nice
06:16Rod had no expectations from me he really didn't he just wanted me to do what I wanted to do
06:25and I wanted to go hang out with friends that night
06:28He says, go out, go have fun.
06:29I'll see you later.
06:30We 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.
07:26It was difficult.
07:29It 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
07:43would weather dark times together.
07:50I was supportive.
07:52I tried to help guide him in different ways.
07:54Therapy, just talking, listening,
07:56asking what it is that he needs.
08:01But Rodney started to change it
08:04into somebody completely different.
08:08It was like watching a slow, painful death.
08:23After we lost Kevin,
08:25a really good bounce back.
08:27Something exciting that happened in the family
08:29was 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
08:41after his brother.
08:43It was just exciting after so much of
08:46the 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
09:14is going to be sick
09:15or potentially need all these treatments
09:18and surgeries and be in pain
09:20after they're born.
09:23Right after I'd had Kevin,
09:25they let me hold him for a second.
09:27They took him from me pretty much immediately.
09:29He was a week old
09:31when he asked for his heart surgery.
09:38I remember dropping to my knees
09:40and I said,
09:41God,
09:43either take him home with you
09:45or let me bring him home.
09:50And the next day
09:53is when God decided
09:54to 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
10:09is 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
10:20he just stayed busy.
10:22He kept himself away
10:24and she
10:26grieved by herself.
10:32I feel like my sister handled it well
10:34but she was devastated
10:36and she wasn't herself,
10:37nor was Rod.
10:38So yeah, it was awful.
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
11:02that was sent from baby Kevin to them
11:04to be like,
11:05don't be sad.
11:06You know, it's going to be okay.
11:07We've got a baby on the way, you know?
11:10The first ultrasound,
11:12Kevin's doctor was in there
11:13and she looked at me
11:15and she goes,
11:16of course,
11:16you would give me
11:17a high-risk pregnancy
11:19after Kevin.
11:21You're having twins.
11:24I handed Rod
11:26the ultrasound thing
11:27and he's like two.
11:28I said, yeah,
11:28and he was so excited.
11:32Almost a year
11:33to the day of losing baby Kevin,
11:34Morgan gives birth to twins,
11:36Mason and Amelia.
11:42So after the twins were born,
11:43Morgan was a stay-at-home mom
11:46and that's when
11:47I could just tell
11:49that Rod wasn't happy
11:50or he was going
11:51through something
11:52but it was something
11:53that she kind of kept private.
11:56He struggled
11:57with sharing my time.
11:59Anything that took me
12:00away from taking care of him,
12:03he would get irritated
12:04but it wasn't
12:05where people would notice it.
12:09He was just like,
12:10honestly,
12:11just miserable
12:12and hating life.
12:13He was a mechanic.
12:15Rod was making
12:16countless mistakes.
12:18Certain things went wrong.
12:22Soon,
12:22Rodney was unemployed
12:23but Morgan thought
12:24that they would be okay
12:25financially.
12:27We had an amazing home
12:28that was paid for outright.
12:31He did have inheritance
12:32from a great aunt
12:34but he eventually told me
12:36the money was gone.
12:39I realized
12:40that Rod was
12:42waiting for his grandmother
12:43to die.
12:44but when his grandmother
12:45passed away,
12:46he did not receive anything.
12:51Then they get the notice
12:52that they're going to
12:53potentially be losing the house.
12:57It put a strain
12:58in our relationship
12:59because that's,
13:00when he ran out of any options
13:02to be able to provide
13:02for the house at all.
13:06She was going to have
13:07to be the one to step up
13:08because he obviously couldn't.
13:13So, I started my own
13:14interior design business,
13:16Shiplap and Sugar.
13:17It took off.
13:19After the first year,
13:20I was voted the number one
13:21interior designer in Canton
13:22and I was still able
13:24to rock at being a mom.
13:27We got to work together
13:29and run this business.
13:30It was so much fun.
13:32They didn't lose their house.
13:34We had more business
13:35than we knew what to do with.
13:38Eventually, Rodney,
13:39he started working
13:39for my company
13:40as a handyman.
13:42He would do built-in bunk beds,
13:44he'd make me floating shelves,
13:45he'd hang everything.
13:48But he didn't like
13:49being the worker.
13:52In my opinion,
13:53I felt like, to me,
13:54Rodney would find ways
13:55to sabotage the projects.
13:57I would see something
13:58like the stupid curtain rods
14:01not having the right measurements
14:03even though that was
14:04your one job.
14:10I would tell him
14:11to do something
14:11and he would do it incorrectly.
14:15He would convince me
14:17that I told him
14:18to do it that way
14:18and it would be my fault.
14:21She had a hard time
14:23deciphering
14:24if what he was saying
14:25was true or not.
14:26Looking back on it now,
14:29he definitely was gaslighting me.
14:31Once Rod saw
14:32that I was able
14:35to 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
14:41did change.
14:42He wanted to degrade me.
14:43He 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.
15:12Overall,
15:13I 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
15:22they didn't know
15:23that something was going on with mom.
15:27One day,
15:28Rod and I were 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
15:43when he 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
15:53faked 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.
16:15I just...
16:16It's like,
16:17all right.
16:17That's it.
16:18I'm done.
16:2911 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
16:39my 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
17:04the 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
17:42in 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,
17:53I 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.
18:24She was distraught.
18:25It was,
18:26oh my God,
18:26my children's father.
18:29My emotions
18:30were all over the place.
18:31I remember
18:32just dropping everything
18:33and left Nicole's house
18:35and went to his apartment.
18:37He said he was
18:38extremely scared.
18:39He didn't want
18:40to tell his parents.
18:41He wasn't comfortable
18:41being alone.
18:42And I said,
18:43okay,
18:43you can come
18:44and stay at the house.
18:48Even though
18:49they were divorced,
18:50Morgan still loved Rodney
18:51and she wanted
18:52to be supportive.
18:53So she let him stay
18:54with her for a few days.
18:58On the day
18:59of New Year's Eve,
18:59my parents came over
19:02and approached Rod
19:03and said that
19:04we do need to call
19:05your parents
19:05and tell them
19:07about your diagnosis.
19:10He left very angry.
19:13New Year's Eve,
19:14I mean,
19:14we talked for a little bit.
19:15I was telling her
19:16about what the kids
19:17and I were gonna be doing.
19:18I just knew
19:19that she was joined
19:20in 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
19:38my intention.
19:39I didn't want to see him.
19:41It was my hopes
19:42that he would leave me alone
19:44knowing that
19:44I was with 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 then it was
19:56our other friends
19:56so I understood it
19:59and then
19:59she 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
20:15the next morning
20:16ready to start
20:17my fresh new year
20:18as a newly
20:19single divorcee.
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
20:39like really like
20:40adjust my eyes
20:41is when he attacked.
20:47I screamed
20:47the loudest
20:48I have ever screamed.
20:54I thought it was
20:55over for me.
21:07When the attacker
21:08attacked me
21:10I was hit in the face
21:12countless times
21:13with the butt
21:15of a gun.
21:17I was strangled.
21:18I was sexually assaulted.
21:20I had the gun
21:21pointed at my forehead.
21:23I was fighting
21:24for my life.
21:26He had a voice
21:27disguiser.
21:28It sounded like Batman.
21:30I still hear
21:31his voice in my head.
21:32He said
21:33you've messed
21:34with the wrong people.
21:37I couldn't help
21:37but 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
22:04strangling me.
22:07That's when he proceeded
22:08to zip time
22:09and 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 to the back porch
22:34and says
22:35don't move
22:36until you hear a car
22:38honk its horn
22:38two or three times.
22:40That never happens.
22:42Morgan is struggling
22:44to stay awake
22:44and finally
22:45she hears footsteps.
22:48She doesn't know
22:48who it is.
22:52And then
22:53she hears
22:54Rodney's voice.
22:56Warren?
23:01And I was like
23:02hello
23:02and he goes
23:04what happened?
23:04What happened?
23:06and I told him
23:07what happened.
23:08He took me inside.
23:10He called the cops.
23:11I'm right here.
23:13Okay?
23:14Right here.
23:19Jerry, he got me
23:20in 911.
23:21Somebody broke in
23:22over here.
23:25Okay, the person
23:26broke in.
23:27Are they still there?
23:28Did you just come over
23:29to it?
23:29No, we don't know.
23:30I showed up
23:31and I don't know.
23:33He said
23:33someone broke
23:34into your house.
23:35Yes, not 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
23:42over her head.
23:43You're saying
23:43she was tied up
23:44with a hood
23:44over her head?
23:45Yes.
23:49When he got
23:49off the phone
23:49with 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
23:58I was still scared.
24:01I'm Dakota Livers.
24:02At the time
24:03of this case
24:03I was a detective
24:04in the criminal
24:05investigations division
24:06specifically assigned
24:07in the special
24:07victims unit.
24:12When I initially
24:13arrived
24:13Rodney Metzer
24:14was sitting
24:14in the driveway
24:15as I walked past him
24:16he said
24:16are you the guy
24:17that we've been
24:18waiting on?
24:18I said
24:18yes sir I am
24:19and he looked me
24:21dead in the eyes
24:21and he said
24:22do your
24:23job.
24:24I was like
24:25okay.
24:31All right
24:31so
24:33here's my plan for this.
24:35First investigative
24:35step that I wanted
24:36to do was get
24:37a scene size up.
24:38We were able
24:39to find out
24:39that their children
24:40were actually in
24:41Florida
24:41which was a relief.
24:44Morgan was in
24:45a shocked state.
24:47She
24:47was obviously beaten.
24:49She had bruising
24:50around her eye.
24:51She looked
24:52disheveled
24:53as would somebody
24:54that had just
24:55went through an
24:55incident like this.
24:57There were no
24:58signs of forced
24:59entry into the house.
25:03When Morgan
25:04detailed how the
25:05attacker had used
25:06her phone
25:06we began looking
25:07at the alarm system.
25:09We were able
25:09to look through
25:10the records.
25:11It showed
25:12Rodney arriving
25:14which is about
25:15the time
25:15the 911 call
25:16was made
25:16when Morgan
25:17was found.
25:18But videos
25:19prior to that
25:20had been deleted
25:21or weren't there.
25:24The last video
25:25was Morgan
25:25going inside.
25:30Morgan detailed
25:31how the attacker
25:31made claims
25:32of your ex-husband
25:33is going to miss
25:34you or
25:35you know
25:36he's next.
25:38The attacker
25:39had to know
25:39Morgan
25:40had an ex-husband.
25:44It's leading us
25:44to believe
25:45this is somebody
25:46close to Morgan
25:46that did this.
25:49I set up
25:50two chairs
25:50on the front porch
25:51for Rodney and I
25:52to have a discussion.
25:56They asked him
25:58how he came
25:59to be at
25:59Morgan's house
26:00and his explanation
26:02was incredible.
26:09While brushing
26:10his teeth
26:11some mysterious
26:12person tapped
26:13on his window
26:13three times
26:14and all that
26:15he could make out
26:16that they said
26:16was Morgan.
26:27He believed
26:27that Morgan
26:28was in danger.
26:29He took it
26:30upon himself
26:30to drive
26:31from his apartment
26:32to her house.
26:33His story
26:34began to unfold
26:36as he was telling it
26:38because it did not
26:39line up with things
26:39that Morgan
26:40had already told us
26:41such as
26:42there was no reason
26:43for him
26:43to 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.
27:17He said maybe
27:18a new love interest
27:20had done this
27:21to Morgan.
27:21However,
27:22all the evidence
27:22at this point
27:23was pointing
27:24towards Rodney Metzer.
27:27Rodney actually
27:28ended up
27:29giving us consent
27:30to look through
27:31his 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 Libers
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.
28:00He had unlawfully
28:02gotten into
28:03Morgan'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
28:20had our work
28:20ahead of us
28:21to confirm
28:22or dispel
28:23if Rodney
28:24was our lead 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
28:43into him
28:43and to 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 a signature
29:02but it was outlining
29:04the person having cancer
29:06and begging
29:08the 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
29:16and a number
29:17of other detectives
29:18went to that apartment
29:19did a very thorough search
29:21and recovered
29:21quite a few things
29:22of interest.
29:25We seized his
29:26laptop computer
29:27we seized his
29:28wireless router
29:29and probably
29:31the strongest
29:33piece of 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 a stem
29:48from a zip tie
29:50that was missing
29:51the head
29:51so we examined
29:53the zip ties
29:55that were used
29:55to bind
29:56Morgan's hands
29:57together
29:57and there happened
29:59to be an extra head
30:01on one of the stems.
30:04One of our
30:05evidence technicians
30:06did what's called
30:08a fracture
30:08match examination.
30:10You look under
30:11magnification
30:12and you're able
30:13to see all
30:14the jagged cuts
30:15and you can actually
30:16move those together
30:17and you can confirm
30:19or conclude
30:20whether they were
30:21once one piece
30:22or they're not even
30:23related.
30:26It was a perfect match.
30:32We scanned the barcode
30:33of those zip ties
30:34and we were able
30:35to see that this
30:36was a brand
30:37sold exclusively
30:38by Lowe's
30:39Home Improvement.
30:43Sergeant Harris
30:44found surveillance
30:45footage of 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 a 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 like
31:38how to disguise
31:39your voice,
31:40various entries
31:41on cancer,
31:43pancreatic cancer,
31:44treatment for cancer.
31:47But also,
31:49he was researching
31:50letters
31:51that would be
31:53mailed out
31:53that have to do
31:55with cancer care.
32:00He had made
32:01searches
32:01for how long
32:03to strangle someone
32:04before they go
32:04unconscious.
32:08There was
32:09a book
32:10of seven ways
32:11to be her hero
32:12found at his apartment
32:14that gave us
32:15the motive
32:15of why this attack
32:17was done
32:17and why
32:18Rodney
32:19did this.
32:19It was all
32:20to win her
32:20back.
32:22To show her
32:23you need me
32:24at that house,
32:26we,
32:27without a doubt,
32:28believed
32:28Rodney was
32:30the one
32:30that conducted
32:31this attack.
32:39After we gathered
32:40all this evidence,
32:41we brought Rodney
32:42back to the
32:43criminal investigations
32:44division headquarters
32:44to conduct
32:45a follow-up
32:46interview.
32:52Sergeant Harris
32:54actually second-chaired
32:54with me
32:55in that interview.
32:56I let Rodney
32:57know,
32:57hey, listen,
32:58we're still
32:58investigating this
32:59incident involving
33:00Morgan.
33:00We had yet to tell
33:02him anything
33:02about what we
33:03have done,
33:04what we have
33:04found.
33:05We asked Rodney
33:06about any
33:07particular diagnoses
33:08he might have,
33:09specifically cancer.
33:14as far as I know
33:15I've got.
33:16How did you tell
33:17her that this
33:17cancer thing?
33:21I don't know
33:21if I should
33:22talk to you
33:23guys anymore.
33:25I'm just going
33:26to hear a really
33:26bad feeling.
33:28What angle
33:29are you guys
33:29coming from?
33:29We're seeking
33:30the truth,
33:30man.
33:31I see what
33:32angle you're
33:32trying to pull
33:33on me.
33:33What's that
33:34angle?
33:35Are you convinced
33:35that I did this?
33:36No,
33:37absolutely not.
33:38I 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 expressions.
33:44and you keep
33:45scratching yourself
33:46and you get
33:46agitated by what
33:47I said.
33:48I'm 100%
33:49lying about you.
33:50I was concerned
33:51that you had cancer,
33:52but that was
33:53a beginning
33:55of the guess.
33:57His pancreatic
33:58cancer diagnosis
33:59he ultimately
34:00told us
34:01was fake.
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 house
34:14where he
34:15eventually
34:15would spend
34:16the night
34:16and sleep
34:17on the sofa.
34:19I asked
34:20Rodney
34:20about some
34:21of his
34:21internet search
34:22history,
34:23specifically
34:23about disguising
34:25his voice,
34:25because Morgan
34:26described the
34:26attacker
34:27as how
34:28Christian Bale
34:28sounded in
34:29the movie
34:30The Dark Knight.
34:31I have one more.
34:32Has there been
34:33a time recently
34:34where you were
34:35interested in how
34:35you can change
34:36the sound of your
34:37voice?
34:38Maybe.
34:39Talk about that.
34:45It was funny
34:46to hear him
34:46say that he
34:47feels like he
34:48doesn't have
34:48a masculine
34:49enough voice.
34:50I thought
34:50that was
34:50amazing.
34:52Well, probably
34:54the most
34:55significant
34:55thing that we
34:57found in your
34:57apartment
34:58was a collection
34:59of zip ties.
35:01What's that
35:02tie?
35:03Black zip ties.
35:05What's that
35:06tie?
35:06I know you
35:07don't.
35:08We have them
35:08now.
35:08You're joking,
35:09right?
35:10Oh, man,
35:10I wouldn't
35:10lie to you.
35:11These are
35:13identical to
35:14the ones that
35:14were binding
35:15Morgan's wrists.
35:17There was
35:17something funny
35:18going on here.
35:19Did somebody
35:20break in
35:20and put them
35:21there?
35:21I didn't have
35:21some big-ass
35:23zip ties in my
35:24apartment.
35:26By the time
35:27we revealed
35:28that we had
35:29his zip ties,
35:30his whole
35:31demeanor changed,
35:32partially because
35:32he was surprised
35:33that he had
35:34forgotten to get
35:35rid of the zip ties,
35:36but also because
35:37the zip ties
35:38were such a
35:40critical piece
35:41of evidence
35:41and he knew
35:42that he was
35:42in trouble.
35:48By January
35:49the 3rd,
35:50we had
35:51conducted
35:52enough
35:52investigation
35:53that I was
35:54able to take
35:55additional charges
35:56on Rodney
35:56for what
35:58happened to
35:58Morgan.
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 is
36:15Rachel Ashe.
36:16I'm the
36:16deputy chief
36:17assistant district
36:17attorney for the
36:18Blue Ridge Judicial
36:19Circuit.
36:20During our initial
36:22interactions with
36:22Morgan, she was
36:24struggling with the
36:25idea that this
36:25could be this
36:27person who she
36:28had loved since
36:29they were teenagers.
36:30He was no longer
36:32my husband.
36:33He was somebody
36:33completely different,
36:34somebody ugly,
36:36somebody that I
36:38didn't know who
36:38it was,
36:39a stranger to me.
36:42What she had
36:43gone through
36:43was so violent.
36:44She was afraid
36:45he was going to
36:45come back
36:46and he was
36:46going to kill her.
36:53When I found out
36:54that Rod was
36:54the one that
36:55did this,
36:56I was in a
36:56state of shock.
36:57All I know
36:58is I'm looking
36:58at her kids
36:59and I'm like,
36:59oh my gosh.
37:00Like,
37:01thank God
37:02they were with
37:02me.
37:05Once I got
37:06the kids home,
37:06I sat them
37:07down and I
37:09said, guys,
37:09daddy did
37:10something very
37:11bad and he's
37:13going to be
37:13in trouble for
37:15a large portion
37:16of your life.
37:21Rodney Metzer
37:22was indicted
37:23on 14 separate
37:24charges.
37:26The sheriff's
37:27office investigation
37:28was so strong
37:29that this was
37:30a case that
37:31was leading
37:31to a plea.
37:32He would not
37:33have had any
37:34chance at trial.
37:39Ultimately,
37:40Rodney Metzer
37:41pled guilty
37:41to all of the
37:42counts in the
37:42indictment.
37:43He was sentenced
37:44for a total
37:44period of 70
37:45years with the
37:46first 25 years
37:47of those being
37:47in custody.
37:49As part of
37:50his sentence,
37:51he's ordered
37:52to have no
37:52contact of any
37:53kind with
37:53Morgan or his
37:54children.
37:56I don't know
37:57if what he got
37:58was fair or not.
38:00Sometimes,
38:01I think,
38:0225 years,
38:04okay,
38:04that's more
38:05than enough
38:05time.
38:05But the day
38:06is going to
38:06come where
38:07he's going
38:07to get out.
38:08I feel like
38:08that's why
38:09I sometimes
38:09wish the
38:10sentencing
38:10was longer
38:11because I
38:11don't want
38:11to come
38:12to that day.
38:13But I know
38:14it's going
38:14to happen.
38:16At the
38:16sentencing hearing,
38:17you were able
38:18to give a victim
38:19impact statement.
38:20Can you tell
38:21me a little bit
38:21about that experience
38:22and why you
38:23decided to do
38:23that?
38:24I wanted
38:25to have
38:25the last
38:25word.
38:26I didn't want
38:27him to think
38:28he broke me
38:28because I hadn't
38:29been heard
38:30for so many
38:30years and finally
38:32he had to sit
38:32there and listen
38:33to me.
38:33So I felt
38:34like I finally
38:34found my voice
38:35again by walking
38:36up there and
38:37speaking.
38:42Rod, I hope
38:43you make your
38:44mental life a
38:44priority during
38:45this time of
38:46isolation.
38:47Thank you for
38:48the gift of my
38:49children and my
38:50heart aches for
38:51the fact you'll
38:52be missing out
38:52on first dates,
38:55homecomings,
38:56proms, the
38:56hormonal changes
38:57into adults,
38:59graduations,
39:00Christmas mornings,
39:02driver's licenses,
39:03college acceptance
39:04letters, first
39:05apartments, first
39:06jobs, proposals,
39:08weddings, and the
39:09potential birth of
39:10our grandkids and
39:11so many others.
39:13But what
39:13disheartens me more
39:15is not only you
39:16are missing these
39:16milestones, but I'll
39:18have to look into
39:19Amelia and Mason's
39:20eyes as each of
39:20these milestones take
39:21place.
39:22And see the
39:23want and the
39:24desire for their
39:25father to have
39:25been there.
39:28Our kids know
39:29what happened that
39:30night you attacked
39:31me.
39:31We didn't ask for
39:32this, Rod.
39:34Why didn't you let
39:35me help you when I
39:36begged and pleaded to
39:37be better for our
39:37family?
39:38It's time to let you
39:39go and lay you down
39:40to rest.
39:41Goodbye, Rod.
39:44Once I stepped off
39:46the podium, I felt
39:48empowered as some
39:49weight was lifted off
39:50my shoulders.
39:51I get it.
39:52I really do.
39:57All the way up
39:57until a few years
39:58after the incident, I
39:59still believed some of
40:00the things that Rod had
40:01told me the kind of
40:02person I was.
40:03I had to, like,
40:04reprogram my brain.
40:07She grew up with him, and
40:09I think it's hard because
40:10what she had known of was
40:12normal for 20 years of
40:15her life was really
40:16manipulation and gaslighting
40:18at its finest.
40:19It's a lot of trauma.
40:21I feel with trauma, there's
40:24stages you have to go
40:25through.
40:26It took me a few years to
40:28get to the point that I
40:31realized I needed a little
40:32bit extra help to cope
40:34with the situation.
40:40Morgan went to
40:41counseling.
40:42She went to therapy.
40:43She went to a PTSD rehab
40:45facility for six weeks or so,
40:47and she did everything and
40:50continues to do everything
40:52she can to be the most
40:54healthiest version of
40:55herself.
40:57Morgan has grown and
40:59involved by being more
41:01self-aware and not having
41:04to find a protector and
41:05realizing that she can be
41:06her own protector and that
41:08she doesn't need anybody.
41:14There's so many different
41:15aspects in what I hope
41:17people can learn from my
41:18story.
41:20Mental health awareness,
41:23narcissistic abuse and
41:24signs.
41:25And my biggest one is, as
41:28women, we need to learn
41:29to speak to each other and
41:30not sugarcoat everything
41:32because had maybe I spoke
41:34up a little bit more, I may
41:35have gotten the help
41:36earlier.
41:37.
41:39.
41:39.
41:39.
41:39.
41:40.
41:41.
41:42.
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