In the early hours of New Year’s Day 2021 in Canton, Georgia, Morgan Metzer awoke to a masked, all‑black figure in her bedroom. The intruder ran at her, jumped on top of her, pistol‑whipped her, bound her wrists with zip ties and twice choked her nearly unconscious. He put a pillowcase over her head, carried her to a back porch off the bedroom and warned her not to move until she heard two car horns or he would kill her.
About 40 minutes later, Morgan heard footsteps and, bracing for more violence, instead heard a familiar voice — her ex‑husband, Rod Metzer. He called 911 and, at first glance, his arrival looked like a rescue. But investigators soon grew suspicious about how he knew Morgan was home and about the timing of his appearance after the attack.
Morgan and Rod had a long, complicated history. They began dating as teenagers, married in their early 20s and had twins. Morgan said she filed for divorce after years of mental and physical abuse; the divorce was finalized only weeks before the New Year’s Day incident, and Rod had moved into his own apartment. In the days before the attack, Rod had told Morgan he had pancreatic cancer and showed her documents he claimed were from doctors. Morgan allowed him to stay at her house to help him through the diagnosis but refused repeated attempts to reconcile.
Investigators executing search warrants on Rod’s apartment, car and electronic devices uncovered a trail of deception. Authorities found internet searches including phrases such as “How to get sympathy from your ex,” “How to change the sound of your voice” and “cancer letter from hospital.” They also discovered a fake email account Rod had created to pose as a physician and a fabricated bill from a medical office — materials he used to convince Morgan he had pancreatic cancer. Prosecutors say he never had the disease.
Rod Metzer ultimately admitted guilt on multiple counts stemming from the attack. He pleaded guilty to 14 charges and was sentenced to a 70‑year term: 25 years in prison followed by 45 years of probation.
The case, often referred to in media as the “Batman” intruder matter because of the assailant’s voice and costume, is the subject of a reported segment on 48 Hours. The episode examines Morgan’s account, the investigators’ findings and the evidence that tied Rod to both the fabricated cancer ruse and the violent home invasion.