Naman Shrestha
Inspired by the true story of Morgan and Rodney Metzer, Lifetime’s Lee Gabiana-directorial ‘Gaslit by My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story’ is a biographical drama film that portrays the horrifying case of the couple in a dramatized yet accurate fashion. Soon after their divorce, Morgan was assaulted by a mysterious masked man in her house. Bruised and abused, the mother of two detailed the account of the incident to the police, who launched an investigation to capture the criminal. CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Batman Intruder’ also delves into this convoluted tale to give us an insight into what precisely transpired.
Rodney Metzer Went to Extreme Lengths to Win Back His Ex’s Love
Morgan first caught the attention of a high school senior named Rodney William Metzer when she was 14 years old. It didn’t take long before sparks flew between them, and they began dating. After more than six years of dating, the couple decided to make their relationship official in the eyes of the law and tied the knot when she was 21 years old. Over the next few years, they gave birth to a set of twins and embraced the responsibilities of parenthood with grace. Unfortunately, their marriage started showing signs of deterioration as, according to reports, he constantly used to gaslight and abuse her.
Since Rodney had anger management issues, there were times when Morgan used to be the recipient of his anger. Before things turned even more sour between the two, they got divorced 10 years after their marriage. However, even after going their separate ways, they decided to remain friends for the sake of their 9-year-old twin children. In an attempt to win her back, Rodney went to several lengths. He even faked a cancer diagnosis just to get her sympathy. But the most extreme thing he did to win his ex-wife’s love back was to break into her house with a mask on and assault her before zip-tying her hands and putting a pillowcase over her head in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2021.
In order to avoid suspicion, he even managed to speak in an altered and distorted voice. He reportedly pinned her down, beat her with his gun, and choked her to the point that she could hardly breathe. Before leaving her tied up and bruised on a sofa on the back deck, he even sexually assaulted her. While fleeing the scene and taking her cell phone with him, he instructed her not to move from her place until she heard two car honks. That signal never came as Rodney returned to Morgan’s house, but this time as her ex-husband and not a masked intruder. After breaking his former wife free and becoming a hero in her eyes, Rodney dialed 911 and informed the police of the incident.
Rodney Metzer Was Quickly Identified as Morgan’s Assailant
When the investigators questioned him, he claimed that he heard someone tap on his apartment window and yell Morgan’s name, after which he rushed to her house to check on her. Finding this story bizarre, the detectives did not hesitate to tell him to his face, “There’s no way in hell that somebody knocks on your window and said her name and you immediately come over here because you’re going to check on her. And she happens to be bound with a pillowcase over her head by a man who’s disguising his voice.” As Rodney became a person of interest, they dug deeper into his life and found photos of Morgan’s texts and photos of her in the shower in his phone and computer, indicating that her phone was in his possession.
Immediately, the police arrested Rodney Metzer for lying to them the same day. Soon, the investigators recovered security footage of a hardware store that showed Rodney purchasing zip ties that matched the ones found on Morgan’s tied hands. They even got their hands on a gun in his car, a suicide note, and a fake hospital bill to further convince Morgan that he really was battling cancer. Upon going through his online search history, they found suspicious phrases, such as “how long to choke someone unconscious” and “how to change the sound of your voice.” Thus, he was charged with kidnapping, assaulting, and threatening Morgan with a handgun.
Rodney Metzer is Serving His Sentence in a Georgia Prison
Several months after his arrest, in August 2021, Rodney Metzer pleaded guilty to all the charges against him, including kidnapping and aggravated assault. However, he did not explain why he did what he did and what he did with the mask after the attack. On August 4, 2021, he received a 70-year sentence, out of which he was ordered to serve 25 years behind bars and the remaining 45 years on probation. As of present, the 40-year-old is incarcerated at the medium-security Baldwin State Prison in Milledgeville, Georgia, where he is expected to remain until his maximum possible release date of December 31, 2045.
Read More: Morgan Metzer: Where is the Kidnapping Survivor Now?
