In the early hours of New Year’s Day 2021 in Canton, Georgia, Morgan Metzer awoke to a terrifying sight. A man wearing a mask and all black clothing was standing in the doorway of his bedroom. The man ran and jumped on top of her. “That’s when he started hitting me with a gun,” Morgan said. The attacker used zip ties to restrain her wrists before strangling her almost unconscious twice.
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office
“‘You’re going to regret it, now you’ve done yourself a disservice,'” Morgan recalled the man telling her in a deep, grave voice he seemed to be trying to disguise. He said he sounded like Batman. Morgan Metzer’s chilling attack is the focus of this week’s new “48 Hours,” reported by contributor Nikki Battiste. “The Intruder ‘Batman'” airs Saturday, December 14 at 10/9c on CBS and Paramount+.
The attacker then placed a pillowcase over her head and took Morgan and left her on the back porch, which was connected to the bedroom. He told her not to move until she heard two cars go by or he would kill her. Then all was silent except for the sound of the stream near his isolated house.
Forty minutes passed, but terror struck again. Morgan heard someone walk towards her and up the porch steps. At first terrified that her attacker had returned, she was startled to hear a familiar voice.
“‘Oh, honey, what happened?'” Morgan recalled her ex-husband, Rod Metzer, saying when he found her.
Rod called 911 and law enforcement arrived at the scene. Rod’s rescue of his ex-wife appeared to be an act of heroism.
Morgan Metzer
Rod said he had been looking out for Morgan despite their divorce, which came after almost 20 years together. They started dating when Morgan was 14 and Rod was 17 before they married in their 20s. The couple had twins, who were spending a few days with Morgan’s sister in Florida when the attack happened.
Morgan said her decision to file for divorce came after years of what she described as mental and physical abuse from Rod. Rod moved out of Morgan’s house into his own apartment and Morgan was ready to move on. Their divorce was finalized just weeks before the attack.
However, this new start for Morgan was cut short. Earlier in the week, Morgan said Rod called her with the shocking news that he had pancreatic cancer.
“And so I rushed over to see him,” Morgan told Battiste. “He showed me the doctors’ notes and stuff.” She allowed Rod to stay in her home to help him cope with his diagnosis. “I still needed to support him because he is the father of my children.”
During that time, Morgan said Rod was constantly trying to get back with her. But she had no interest and on New Year’s Eve morning she told Rod that she had to share the news about her health with her parents.
“He said, ‘No, absolutely not. I’m not telling anybody.’ And that’s when I said, ‘OK, get out,'” Morgan recalled. Morgan said that Rod left, but still spent the day texting her about the reconciliation. Fed up, Morgan lied and told Rod that she was going to sleep over at her parents’ house that New Year’s Eve.
How Rod knew Morgan was at his home, along with the fortuitous timing of his arrival after his attack, raised questions for investigators who spoke with Rod at the scene. Rod said he planned to spend the night at his apartment. However, she told them she heard someone knock on her downstairs apartment window and say Morgan’s name. After Rod tried to call Morgan with no answer, he decided to go to her house to check on her. He told investigators that going to his house instead of his parents was out of habit.
After interviewing both Morgan and Rod at the scene, investigators became suspicious of Rod’s story. They served search warrants on Rod’s apartment, car and electronic devices, uncovering his Internet search history. Searches included “How to get your ex to like you” and “How to change the sound of your voice.” One search also stood out to the researchers: “hospital cancer letter.”
Investigators also discovered a fake email account created by Rod, posing as a doctor, to send the cancer diagnosis letter he showed Morgan. But there was more.
“He had created a bill for a doctor’s office to show that he was being treated for pancreatic cancer,” said Cherokee County Chief Deputy District Attorney Rachel Ashe. He said Rod “did all this to convince Morgan that he had pancreatic cancer.” He never did.
Rod Metzer eventually pleaded guilty to 14 charges related to the attack on Morgan Metzer. He was sentenced to 70 years, 25 years in prison and 45 years of probation.