New Year’s Day 2021 was supposed to be a fresh start for Morgan Metzer. She was finally divorced from her high school sweetheart, Rodney Metzer. They’d been together since she was 14. Decades of history, two kids, and a whole lot of "he’s a great guy" reputations in their small Georgia town. Then a masked man broke into her house.
He didn't just rob her. He hit her with a gun, strangled her twice, and zip-tied her hands behind her back. He wore a mask that looked like Batman. He used a voice changer to sound like a movie villain. Honestly, it sounds like a bad horror flick, but for Morgan, it was a terrifying reality that ended with her face down on her own deck with a pillowcase over her head.
And then, like some kind of twisted miracle, Rodney showed up.
He was the "hero." He called 911. He held her. He told the police someone had attacked his ex-wife. But as the sun came up, the "hero" narrative started to rot. Gaslit by My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story isn't just a Lifetime movie title; it’s a clinical look at how a man spent years rewriting a woman's reality before he finally tried to end it.
The "Batman" Intruder and the Hero Scam
When the police arrived at the house in Canton, Georgia, Rodney Metzer had a story ready. He said someone knocked on his apartment window—fifteen minutes away—and yelled "Morgan." He just knew something was wrong. So, he rushed over.
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The cops weren't buying it. Not even a little bit.
Sgt. Robert Haugh of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office basically told him on the spot that his story made zero sense. Think about it. A random intruder breaks in, sexually assaults a woman, leaves her bound on a deck, and then goes to the ex-husband's house to let him know? It’s absurd.
Evidence That Couldn't Be Ignored
Investigators started digging, and the "good guy" facade crumbled fast. They found:
- The Shopping Trip: Surveillance footage showed Rodney at a Lowe's buying the exact brand of zip ties used to bind Morgan.
- The Browser History: His laptop was a dark room of searches. "How long to choke someone unconscious." "How to change the sound of your voice." Even "how long before you starve to death."
- The Suicide Note: Police found a note Rodney had written, suggesting a murder-suicide plan that he apparently lost his nerve to complete.
Years of Psychological Warfare
The assault was the climax, but the gaslighting started long before 2021. This is the part people usually get wrong about domestic abuse. It isn't always a black eye on day one. It’s a slow erosion.
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Rodney was a master at making Morgan feel like she was the problem. He once convinced her that she had pushed him down the stairs during a "blackout" caused by drinking. She hadn't. He faked a pancreatic cancer diagnosis—complete with forged hospital invoices—just to guilt her into staying close after the divorce.
Imagine that. You think your ex is dying, so you let your guard down. You let him stay in the loop. You trust him because, despite the divorce, you think he’s a "kind, gentle soul." That’s the core of the Gaslit by My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story—the realization that the person you've known since childhood is a complete stranger.
The Legal Hammer Drops
Rodney didn't go to trial. The evidence was so overwhelming—the zip ties in his trash, the gun in his car, the GPS data—that he took a plea deal in August 2021.
He admitted to 14 charges. We’re talking kidnapping, home invasion, aggravated battery, and sexual battery. The judge didn't hold back. Rodney Metzer was sentenced to 70 years, with the first 25 to be served in a prison cell. He’s 36. By the time he’s even eligible for parole, he’ll be an old man.
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Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ashe pointed out something chilling during the proceedings. The most dangerous time for a woman is when she leaves. Morgan left. She got the divorce. She was moving on. Rodney couldn't handle the loss of control, so he tried to "save" her by being the one who hurt her.
Why This Case Still Matters
The Lifetime movie starring Jana Kramer brought this case back into the spotlight, but the real Morgan Metzer is the one doing the heavy lifting now. She speaks out about "the mask"—not just the Batman one, but the metaphorical mask abusers wear in public.
People in Canton liked Rodney. He was a "normal" guy. That’s the scariest part of gaslighting. It happens in nice houses on quiet streets.
Actionable Insights for Moving Forward
If you feel like you're losing your mind in a relationship, or if your partner's version of events never matches your own, pay attention to these steps:
- Trust the Paper Trail: If you suspect gaslighting, start a "sanity log." Write down what happened immediately after a fight. When they try to tell you "that never happened" three days later, you have your own contemporaneous notes to lean on.
- External Reality Checks: Talk to a friend or a therapist who isn't part of your partner's social circle. Gaslighters isolate you so they are your only source of truth. Break the isolation.
- The "Hero" Red Flag: Be wary of partners who create crises just so they can solve them. It's a classic manipulation tactic used to create a trauma bond.
- Security Literacy: In the Metzer case, Rodney used a phone app to unlock Morgan's door. If you are separating from a partner, change every password—Apple ID, home security, Netflix, everything. Physical locks aren't enough if they have the digital keys.
Morgan Metzer survived. She’s raising her twins and telling her story so other women don't have to experience that "out-of-body" feeling of being attacked by someone they once loved. The truth came out because she dared to question the "truth" Rodney tried to force on her.