Transcript of Morgan | Betrayal Weekly

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Valvoline Instant Oil Change. Change wisely. There was no anything inside those eyes.

They turned black.

It scared the hell out of me. People, wake up!

I'm the one that saw the murder take place by Krivac and DePippo.

Anthony DePippo showed no signs of remorse, appearing unfazed fazed after being sentenced to the maximum.

I said I'm not guilty. I'll take it to the grave.

Listen to The Devil's Choir in the Bone Valley feed on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey everyone, it's the Jonas Brothers.

If you haven't heard, our new podcast is called Hey Jonas, and this week we're hanging out with someone we're really big fans of—

Millie Bobby Brown.

We talk about her new movie Enola Holmes family life, and all the amazing things she has going on right now. Plus, we find out what she really feels about the Stranger Things ending.

You have over 60 animals.

I don't know where the number 60— I've really got to figure that out.

There have been plenty of sheep in my bed.

Yeah, big bed. Literally sleeping in the bed.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Joy is essential, and it's also elusive. But now there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotb. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Joy 101, and listen now. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb is presented by CVS. Hi, everyone. I have something exciting to share with you. Betrayal finally has merch. This is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. Every piece has been designed and curated for our Betrayal community. We've got mugs, shirts, stickers, and a guided betrayal journal filled with thoughtful prompts. Whether it's for yourself or as a gift for someone you know who loves the show, these pieces help support the work we do. Visit betrayalpodcast.shop To explore the full collection, pre-orders are open now. Hi everyone, it's Andrea Gunning. Before we start this episode, I want to let you know that we will be talking explicitly about the realities of domestic violence, so please be mindful with this episode.

I saw this figure standing in the doorway. He was in all black and had a Batman mask and just covered head to toe in black clothing.

I kept closing and opening my eyes, like, "Am I really seeing this or not?" I'm Andrea Gunning, and this is Betrayal, a show about the people we trust the most and the deceptions that change everything. This week's episode has also been adapted into an episode of our TV show, Betrayal: Secrets and Lies. You can stream it on Disney+ or Hulu. Morgan Metzer grew up in Canton, Georgia, where big stretches of forest hug quaint neighborhoods and the Chattahoochee River carves its way through the town.

Growing up, I was the youngest. I have an older brother and an older sister. My brother was in baseball and my sister was in fastpitch, so I felt like a lot of my weekends were following them around.

Morgan kept up with the older kids.

I was very outspoken and strong-willed.

School was challenging for Morgan.

I struggled a little bit with test-taking and I didn't have the best grades.

But her parents taught her there are a lot of things in life that are more important than grades.

My dad explained, "In the real world, it's not the grades in the end." They are more focused on who you are as a person, your values, being truthful, being honest.

Morgan's school had a back patio where everyone hung out after class. One day when Morgan was in 8th grade, she and her friends were out on the patio when she saw a guy she hadn't noticed before.

I just randomly saw him one day and We just started talking a little bit. He was in high school and I was in middle school.

His name was Rodney, and soon she found out everyone on campus knew him. He was 16, 2 years older than her, and Morgan thought that was exciting.

I thought he was really cute and I liked him.

The next time she saw him at school, they talked again. The more time Morgan spent with Rodney, the more she liked him.

We were very close instantly, very connected. He was very easygoing, as steady as a stream. Not much could really rock his boat.

He made friends easily and was kind to everyone he met.

He was funny. He's what you would call the guy next door that everyone just likes.

They started hanging out after school. They never got tired of talking to each other. And realized that their connection was more than just friendship. Rodney asked Morgan to be his girlfriend. She said yes.

I was just a typical teenager in love.

When she told her parents about her new boyfriend—

As you can imagine, my dad and my mom weren't very happy about an 8th grader dating a junior. So my dad made it perfectly clear that we would not be going on dates. Until I was 16, and that if he wanted to see me, he would have to come to the house and hang out.

So that's what they did. After school, Rodney would go over to Morgan's house. They respected her parents' dating rules, and Rodney quickly gained her parents' trust.

Everyone loved him in my family. He grew up with them.

She grew up with his family too. His parents could afford to go on extravagant vacations. They started inviting Morgan to come with them on their trips.

His parents loved to go to the Bahamas. They loved to go on cruises. So we did all different kinds of trips.

Once Morgan was in high school, she and Rodney gained a little independence.

He would pick me up. We would meet up with all of our friends and we'd all go to this one Waffle House. And just hang out after school.

Morgan and Rodney always sat next to each other at the Waffle House. In fact, they almost never left each other's side.

Everyone just knew it was always us. We came together as one. Like, if you invited one, then they knew I was coming, or vice versa.

They were inseparable, and their friends understood why.

They all thought we were the power couple. Everyone just loved us together.

Morgan and Rodney started planning for their future after high school.

All I wanted to do is become a mom and support my house and create a home. And he said that he wanted to be the main provider. So we kind of had our plan.

But she knew that plan would have to wait until Rodney made enough money to support them both. After graduating high school, She started pursuing her interest in hair and makeup. Morgan decided to go to cosmetology school and become a hairdresser. Rodney wanted to become a car mechanic and began looking at trade schools.

Rod decided he wanted to go to the school called Wyotech.

Wyotech is a trade school in Laramie, Wyoming, a small town that sits high in the plains, nestled between two stretches of the Rocky Mountains.

He didn't want to go by himself and they had a cosmetology school there. So we packed up and moved to Wyoming.

Morgan and Rodney had to get used to a new pace of life.

It was a big jump. I mean, Georgia's not cold like that. And you go to Laramie, Wyoming, and not to be mean about the city, but Applebee's was the place to be. It was definitely a change in culture for sure.

Still, they were eager to start this new chapter.

It was very exciting moving in together for the first time, developing our routine, our habits.

Rodney started trade school to become a car mechanic, and Morgan started at cosmetology school.

I would ride my bike to school every day.

As she pedaled through town, she could look out and see the stretches of mountains just beyond Laramie. She was excited about the life she and Rodney were building. Home was wherever Rodney was.

We would get up, do our morning routine together. We would be in school all day, and then we'd meet up, we'd have dinner, and then in the evenings, most likely watching a movie.

Rodney told her about everything he was learning at school.

He loved it. He loves cars. He loved building cars. He loved everything about it.

At night, they would talk about their future.

We just created a dream scenario in our head that, you know, we would get married and eventually we would have children.

And when they each graduated, they moved back to Georgia and got to work making their dream life a reality.

We bought our first house. I was working at a hair salon in Roswell, and we developed some really good friends that we knew since we were younger. Our friends knew each other and our friends knew our family.

They had a tight-knit community with deep roots. Before Morgan knew it, 6 years flew by with Rodney, and they went from being high school sweethearts to mature adult partners. They knew each other's favorite jokes, deepest fears, and biggest dreams. And then on Christmas Day, Rodney proposed to Morgan with her grandmother's wedding ring.

I was so excited. I couldn't stop crying.

She was so happy. A little over a year later, they got married.

They got married in a gazebo at dusk, and the gazebo was covered in hydrangeas and peonies and lilies and roses, sprinkle lights all over the place. So pretty much like a magical Cinderella type of feel.

That magical feeling continued well after their wedding.

We were very much a team. His motto was happy wife, happy life. So he just wanted to provide anything he possibly could. He was the main provider financially. He always took care of things around the house, made sure we had a roof over our head, food on our plate. Very nurturing, very emotionally there for me.

But not too long after their wedding, Rodney's family suffered a horrible loss. His brother Kevin had battled leukemia for years. One night, he passed away in his sleep.

He was an amazing person. I loved him a lot. It really changed the dynamic in his family. So much pain.

It was hard for Rodney's parents to make time for him as they struggled with Kevin's death. It felt like when Kevin died, so did their happy, tight-knit family.

Rod started feeling abandoned, and that's when I started seeing Rod change just a tiny bit because he just felt not as important as he used to.

Rodney's brother Kevin had always wanted to be an uncle.

We got pregnant shortly after his brother had passed away.

They had a son and named him Kevin to honor Rodney's brother. But shortly after he was born, Morgan and Rodney were given devastating news. Their son had a congenital heart defect. At this point in her life, Morgan can tell the story without much emotion, but it's still incredibly painful.

When he was born, he was immediately shipped to Eggleston Atlanta cardiac unit. For 18 days he was there. He had his first heart surgery, but he couldn't recover from it. He couldn't get off the ventilator and he didn't make it.

Their firstborn son died before he was a month old. Morgan and Rodney were facing a grief no parent should have to endure. Rodney tried to find the words to comfort Morgan.

He was like, even if you don't want to go back to work after this, you don't have to. You thought you were a mom and you were going to get to stay home. I don't want to make you go back to work. So he was very supportive.

But there were times when Rodney couldn't handle the grief. To him, seeing Morgan sad was a reminder of how much they had lost.

He would tell me not to cry because he didn't like to see me cry. And so I didn't. So I didn't feel like I could really grieve all that much.

They decided to try for kids again.

We got pregnant with twins. My mom says I was the happiest pregnant person she's ever seen. I enjoyed every second of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I loved it.

When the twins were born, Morgan and Rodney were overjoyed.

I was just elated to have healthy babies. We were in heaven. We were just so happy. It brought some light into our world after a really hard few years.

Rodney and Morgan made a good team.

We were a dynamic duo. We would tackle everyday tasks. We delegated. We would support each other emotionally. We would just conquer it together.

Rodney was working as a car mechanic. And Morgan stayed home with the twins. Juggling parenting and work meant the two of them had less quality time together, and Rodney had a hard time adjusting.

I think he struggled a little bit with sharing my time with the twins.

Rodney started acting spacey at home and at the mechanics where he worked, and one day Rod got fired because he let a car fall off the lift. It was a dangerous mistake. Someone could have died. Rodney insisted that it wasn't his fault.

And it's like, okay, well, it was your fault. You put the car on the lift, you know? So that kind of brought a strain.

Rodney needed to find a new way to support their family.

So he started doing day trading in the stock market.

At first, he was successful.

He made great money. We owned our house pretty much outright. I could stay home. The twins were starting preschool at this time.

They had dealt with a lot of grief, but they were still able to grow together. And finally, they had what they always wanted. Rodney worked full-time to support their family, freeing up Morgan to raise their twins. One day, Rodney came to Morgan in a panic. And told her someone had stolen money from their shared savings account. Morgan didn't really understand what he meant. The details of their finances had always been Rodney's domain. But when she logged into their shared bank account, she saw that he was right. The account was drained.

I just knew that the money was gone, and I was like, what is going on? 'Can't possibly be true.' I was just blindsided. Valvoline Instant Oil Change.

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Change wisely. In the moment, it felt like it was going on forever. I didn't think I was gonna live. I was terrified.

There was no anything inside those eyes.

They turned black. It scared the hell out of me. That was your first murder case?

Yes, sir. Fair to say this was the biggest case of your career?

Yes, sir. Rape and murder of a 12-year-old child. As bad as it gets.

I would think so.

People, wake up!

I'm the one that saw the murder take place by Krivac and DePippo. Anthony DePippo showed no signs of remorse.

Appearing unfazed after being sentenced to the maximum.

I said I'm not guilty. I'll take it to the grave.

Listen to The Devil's Quarry on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear The Devil's Quarry ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lapa for Good Plus. On Apple Podcasts. Hey everybody, it's the Jonas Brothers. This week on the podcast Hey Jonas, we're so excited to be hanging out with Mika Abdallah from the hit show Off Campus. Congratulations on the massive show and massive success. Got through about episode 5. I left the next morning to go meet the guys, came back, was like, cool, let's pick up where we left off. And that series had been completed. Without me. Oh no, that's like the number one rule of watching something. It's literally cheating. Like, that's crazy.

We talk about what it's been like watching the show become such a massive hit, what's next for season 2, and just how close the Off Campus cast really is. We're genuinely so close.

What's the group chat called, if you can say, if it's allowed to be said on the, on the pod?

It's a great question.

Um, one of them is Off Campus Brazil. Okay, love it.

Shout out Brazil.

Shout out Brazil. And then the boys have their own group chat called Dean's Bitches. Our conversation with Mika Abdallah is out now. Go check it out.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Hoda Kotb, host of the podcast Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together. We're going to have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people, like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming.

I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer, and that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand postpartum depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety.

Olympic champ Shawn Johnson revealed why she had no choice but to be a gymnast. There was something about gymnastics that was intoxicating to me. It's given me a belief that we all have one of those treasures inside of us. We just have to find it. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Morgan and her high school sweetheart Rodney got married and settled down near their hometown in Georgia. They were living the life they dreamed of since they were teenagers. Rodney worked full-time and Morgan stayed home with their twins. But one day Rodney came home in a panic. He told Morgan someone had stolen from their savings account. It was a life-changing amount of money. They wouldn't be able to afford to stay in their house. And so they moved into a rental.

So they no longer had any access to money. And so at that time, he pretty much told me, he's like, "Now it's your turn to provide for the house." Not only was the money gone, but Rodney expected her to fix it.

Morgan was shocked. This was never their plan. Rodney had always prided himself on being a provider. And now he was panicking and asking her to fill that role. She had to figure something out. To take care of their kids.

And I couldn't go become a hairdresser and support this lavish lifestyle that we had.

Then she had an idea.

All my friends have always said that I was really good at interior design, and so I decided to start my own interior design business.

Morgan named her business Shiplap and Sugar. It was an immediate success in town. She began working with local clients, and before long, she was working full-time and was the primary provider for their family. Within a year, Shiplap and Sugar was voted Canton's number one interior design business. Rodney was in a new role too. He was staying home with the twins and working for Morgan's interior design company part-time as a handyman. He helped with the construction side of things. Building bunk beds and mounting decor. But soon he started to overstep.

Sometimes he would try to overtalk me with customers and chime in about how he thought something should be done, and it just didn't make us look like we were on the same page. I didn't really like that, and I was like, this is not your position. I am in charge of running the consultations and speaking to my customers.

It was frustrating to see Rodney trying to take control and ownership of the business she had built.

I'm sorry, like, you put me in charge of running the household and providing for the household. I did this myself. I built this from the bottom up.

She told Rodney to stay in his lane at work and let her manage the business.

That's when I think his pride really took a hit, because I was providing for the household and, you know, he had to stay home with the kids.

She and Rodney had always been a team. They met when they were kids, and they'd been together for more than 15 years. For that entire time, Rodney had been the calm, grounded one. But that began to change.

He was very impatient. He got very angry very fast. It just turned ugly and nasty, and that's when it all just started spiraling.

Rodney became argumentative and combative with her.

Some nights we'd be up fighting all night long, and I wouldn't get a minute of sleep. And then I have to go work 12 hours, and there's no break from him because I worked with him too.

Morgan suggested they go to couples therapy, but it didn't go well.

Like, he got kicked out one session because he was so aggressive, and she diagnosed him with PTSD, and he didn't believe it, and he just didn't want help.

Rodney started lashing out at Morgan.

He'd start a fight, and he would scream and yell at me and follow me around and drive me insane until I finally broke. And I would scream, and then he'd turn it around on me and make me look like the crazy person. Like, I would be the insane one.

He became verbally abusive.

I would end up hiding in the closet because I was like, please just shut up. I'm exhausted at hearing you constantly at my throat. It was horrible.

Even little things would set him off. The environment in their home shifted. She felt like she was walking on eggshells.

I didn't want to irritate him. I didn't want to set him off. We were on tippy toes. It was like skating on thin ice. I just didn't want to cause conflict.

The Rodney she had fallen in love with was steady. Loving, kind. This new version of him was angry, impulsive, and cruel.

His soul just turned black. It was very scary, but it was done little by little. And when things are done little by little, you don't really notice changes.

Morgan was working hard at building her business, and after a year, they moved out of their rental and bought a new home. But the home she had worked so hard to afford was unsafe for her and their twins.

The kids were just getting older. Rod was more aggressive and just became unhealthy and very toxic.

That summer, a friend of Morgan and Rodney's rented a houseboat for their group of friends for the night. It was a big party.

Everyone was having a great time drinking out in the sun.

At the end of the evening, Morgan and Rodney went to their room.

And we were gonna go to sleep, but then he attacked me. It was dark. It was pitch black because there was no windows in there. All I remember is just getting pummeled by him.

Morgan managed to get away from him and came out of their bedroom into the main area of the boat. A few of their friends were still awake and startled at the sight of her. She was bleeding. Rodney was close on her heels, but when he saw their friends, he quickly came up with a story.

He was like, "I cannot believe you attacked me.

My gosh, you are so drunk." Morgan and her friends stared at him dumbfounded.

My friends were like, "No, if she attacked you, you'd be able to hold her down. She doesn't need to have marks on her like this and bleeding." for you to stop her.

She called her parents to come pick her up.

I went to their house, and I slept for the entire day. And then Rod showed up. He convinced my parents it was me and that I was the crazy one and that I attacked him and that it was all my fault.

The more Rodney told the story of Morgan attacking him, the more Morgan began to question her own experience.

I was embarrassed. I was like, well, maybe it was me. Because like I said, we had all been drinking and hanging out. So it's not like I was completely sober. You question yourself, you know? Like, was I wrong? Am I crazy? Did I lose it? Like, what happened?

Morgan's memory felt fuzzy, but Rodney seemed to remember everything in perfect detail. He sat on her parents' couch and calmly explained how she attacked him.

He would just sit there and lay it all out. So of course, naturally then I was like, oh my gosh, well maybe it was me. I'm so sorry.

Rodney was physically and emotionally abusing Morgan. He always found a way to make her take the blame for his actions.

He was like, okay, well I'm gonna give you a chance and you're gonna get better. You're not gonna do this again. So then I felt like I was being given a chance, like, I need to become a better person. So I feel like I was the one on trial.

They went back to their routines, but now whenever they had an argument, Rodney made Morgan believe she started it.

He'd be like, well, it was your fault. You said this, you did this. I was like, I don't remember that, but okay, I'm sorry. My mind would play games with me. It's like, no, you're at fault. No, no, he's at fault. It was just a cluster of just so many things running through my head.

Morgan was losing trust in herself. Rodney was gaslighting her, and his plan was working. She was starting to doubt her own reality.

There was a time that we were arguing and we were walking up the stairs, and he pretended I pushed him down the stairs. And he did it in front of the children and was like, look, Mom pushed me down the stairs.

This time, Morgan did not doubt herself.

I know I did not do this. Like, that was a situation, a scenario where he could never convince me that I did that.

He was trying to get their kids to stop trusting her.

I just decided to grab the kids and go to my mom's house.

She knew something had to change. She tried to encourage Rodney to seek professional help for his behavior.

I didn't want to give up on him. I was trying to get him help. Like, I wanted him to get help. He wouldn't go see a therapist. He wouldn't do anything.

His abuse only escalated. As a note to listeners, the next scene involves a threat of suicide.

One time we were fighting and I grabbed the kids and I went to my parents' house. But as I was leaving the driveway, he came out, stood in the driveway. He had a gun and he pointed it to his head. I just dropped everything and put my hands on my face. Because I didn't want to see it happen. I drove away.

Morgan was focused on surviving his abuse and keeping her kids safe.

I was just trying to get by minute per minute.

It was devastating. She still had so much love for this person, but he was not the man she married. Eventually, Morgan told her parents that she needed to leave her marriage.

I went to them and was like, I can't do this anymore. They were on my side. My dad was like, okay, call the attorney. We're gonna get the divorce. We're done. I get it. I understand.

Hearing her parents affirm her decision to leave shifted something within Morgan.

I don't know what it was, but a light just came on and I was like, I'm done. I don't have to do this. I could get out.

After 11 years of marriage and nearly 20 years together, Morgan filed for divorce.

My divorce was, like, a month long.

The proceedings were extremely fast.

He gave me the house. He gave me everything. He didn't fight it. And I think it's because he thought he could win me back. Behind the scenes, he was like, give me another chance, and was just constantly begging me and begging me.

But Morgan was done giving Rodney chances to change. Their divorce was finalized in December of 2020, and she knew she had made the right decision.

I was feeling free. I just felt great. I didn't have the urge to want to go back. I just felt like the weight of the world was off my shoulders.

It was a positive change for her kids, too.

When my kids were like, "Mom, it's so much happier around here," I was like, "Yes, I know I did that." I was just so elated that the house was calm and quiet.

Rodney was the only one not adjusting well.

Rod is still asking me to get back together with him. Let me give him another chance.

Morgan tried her best to ignore him, but he was trying everything to make her feel bad.

It was a few days before his birthday, and he's like, well, no one's gonna take me out for my birthday. 'Can you please go out and make my birthday?' So then I said, 'Okay, I'll go to dinner for your birthday.' The dinner was uncomfortable.

The entire time Rodney was begging her to take him back. She tried to set boundaries between them again. Then a few days before Christmas, Morgan was at a friend's house when she got an email from Rodney. He was writing to let her know that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He attached a doctor's note to his email. The cancer had already progressed to stage 4 by the time they found it. It was a terminal diagnosis. Morgan was stunned. She rushed over to Rodney's house right away.

And I was like, "I am so sorry. I'm here for you. You're the father of my children.

I'm always gonna love you." She spent the day at his apartment trying to support him as he wrapped his mind around the diagnosis. When the day came to an end, Rodney told her he was scared to be alone that night. She told him he could come to her house and sleep on the sofa if he needed to.

And the following morning, I said, okay, you know, I think it's time we call your parents. He's like, I don't want my parents to know. And I was like, Rod, you got pancreatic cancer.

Morgan wanted to support him, but she was frustrated that Rodney only wanted support from her. And nobody else. Even though she still cared for Rodney, they were divorced now.

I was feeling like, you know, this isn't really on me. Like, this isn't my responsibility anymore.

It was a tough decision, but she knew she couldn't be Rodney's only support system, for her sake and for his. So she called his parents, told them about his diagnosis, and then told him it was time for him to go back home.

I was like, that's it. You're not putting all of this on me. I didn't feel responsible for him anymore.

Morgan tried to take a step back.

And he was still messaging me. He's like, let me take you out for New Year's Eve. Let me— let's do the New Year's Eve together. And I was like, no, I'm not doing it. I don't want to do it.

So she made up an excuse. She told him she was spending the night at her parents' house so he wouldn't try to come over. Her kids were out of town, so Morgan decided to go to a friend's New Year's Eve party.

I was there for a little bit and I was like, you know what? I don't really want to be here. I'm tired. This is my first New Year by myself. I don't feel like drinking. I just wanted it to be relaxing and I didn't have my kids. I was like, I just want to go home.

Her kids were at her sister's house in Florida for the week, and Morgan had the house to herself. She went home, changed into her pajamas, and put on a movie.

I fell asleep on the sofa that night. I woke up, I think it was just about a minute before midnight, and it was a firework I heard in the neighborhood and it woke me up. And so I was like, oh gosh, okay. It was just for a second. And then I bent down and I kissed my dog and I was like, happy new year.

She pulled herself off the couch, went to her room, and went back to bed. As a note for listeners, Morgan is about to describe an instance of graphic violence.

It was like 30 minutes later or something like that. I woke up again. There's always been a creak by my door when you walk by it.

She heard the floorboard creak and her eyes snapped open.

It was just loud. And I saw this figure standing in the doorway. He was in all black and had a Batman mask and just covered head to toe in black clothing.

The light in the living room was on behind the intruder. He was silhouetted in the doorway. She didn't have a clear view of him.

I kept closing and opening my eyes, like, am I really seeing this or not? The moment that I think he realized my eyes were opened, is when he pounced at me. And I remember letting out this blood-curling scream, a scream that you never thought would possibly be able to come out of your body.

The intruder used zip ties to restrain her. The whole time, he had a gun in her face, and he used it to hit her. The attack felt like it lasted forever.

When you're strangled, it is the worst feeling in the universe. Entire world. I mean, it's so personal. You're looking up at this person and you can't breathe. I got to the point where I literally felt like my body was shutting down and I was done. I was thinking in my head, he's going to take my kids.

He put a pillowcase over her head and he sexually assaulted her. Then the intruder began to speak. It sounded like he was using a voice changer. The altered voice was deep and gravelly. It sounded just like Batman.

That was definitely the scariest thing, that Batman voice sound. That is what still haunts my dreams. He would just make all these comments of, like, "You've messed with the wrong person.

You're gonna pay for this." The intruder demanded that she share her phone password. Scared for her life, she told him. Morgan's mind was racing, trying to figure out who was behind the mask.

I'm thinking in my head, like, I do not have enemies like this. What is going on? Then he makes a comment, "You're really going to miss your husband." She had to make a split-second decision of how to respond.

Something in her knew what the intruder wanted to hear.

And I was like, "Oh, no, please don't hurt my husband. I love him very much." And I think that's what saved me because the mood in the entire room changed. It wasn't as heavy. It wasn't as dark. It wasn't as deep. His whole persona changed.

Just seconds ago, the intruder's violence had been life-threatening. But now his focus shifted from Morgan to her valuables and what he could steal.

Like, he was a burglar more so than there to murder me. He's like, where's your jewelry? And he started ripping out stuff from my drawers and things like that.

Then the intruder lifted Morgan off of the bed.

He kept the pillowcase over my head and then took me outside in the back patio, laid me on my outside sofa, and he was like, Don't move until you hear 3 car honks.

She complied and listened as the intruder's footsteps faded away.

I heard the car leave, but I didn't hear any 3 car honks.

There was still a pillowcase over her head. She didn't know for sure if the intruder had left or if anyone else was watching her.

I don't know if there's more than one person. I couldn't see anything. And I was trying to keep myself awake because I can feel the blood running down my face.

Morgan was severely injured. She focused all of her energy on coaching herself through the pain. She needed to survive this, not only for herself, but for her children.

And I was like, you can have a concussion. Try to stay awake. Try to stay awake. But at the same time, I'm thinking in my head, Okay, where are your keys at? You're gonna run to the car. Like, I was planning things out in my head.

She laid on the back patio for 40 minutes waiting, but then she heard something.

We had river rocks in our backyard, and I heard someone stepping on them. And then I heard footsteps going up the back deck stairs, and I was like, somebody else is here. Valvoline Instant Oil Change presents Wisdom from the Road.

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Valvoline Instant Oil Change. Change wisely. In the moment, it felt like it was going on forever. I didn't think I was going to live. I was terrified.

There was no anything inside those eyes.

They turned black. It scared the hell out of me. That was your first murder case?

Yes, sir. Fair to say this was the biggest case of your career? Yes, sir.

Rape and murder of a 12-year-old child.

As bad as it gets? I would think so.

People, wake up!

I'm the one that saw the murder take place by Krivac and DePippo. Anthony DiPippo showed no signs of remorse, appearing unfazed after being sentenced to the maximum. I said I'm not guilty. I'll take it to the grave.

Listen to The Devil's Quarry on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear The Devil's Quarry ad-free with exclusive content, Subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Hey everybody, it's the Jonas Brothers. This week on the podcast Hey Jonas, we're so excited to be hanging out with Mika Abdallah from the hit show Off Campus. Congratulations on the massive show and massive success. Got through about episode 5, I left the next morning to go meet the guys, came back, was like, cool, let's pick up where we left off, and that series had been completed without me. Oh no. That's like the number one rule of watching something. It's literally cheating. Like, that's crazy.

We talk about what it's been like watching the show become such a massive hit, what's next for season 2, and just how close the Off Campus cast really is. We're genuinely so close.

What's the group chat called?

If you can say, if it's allowed to be said on the pod.

It's a great question. Um, one of them is Off Campus Brasil. Brazil. Okay, love it.

Um, shout out Brazil.

Shout out Brazil. And then the boys have their own group chat called Dean's Bitches. Our conversation with Mika Abdallah is out now. Go check it out.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Hoda Kotb, host of the podcast Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb. Okay, if you know me, you know this: I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together. We're gonna have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people, like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming.

I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer, and that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety.

Olympic champ Shawn Johnson revealed why she had no choice but to be a gymnast. There was something about gymnastics that was intoxicating to me. It's given me a belief that we all have one of those treasures inside of us. We just have to find it. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Morgan was asleep at her house on New Year's Eve when an intruder broke into her home. He was wearing a Batman mask, black clothing, and disguising his voice with a voice changer. He violently attacked her before leaving her on the back porch, her head covered with a pillowcase. He told her not to move until she heard 3 honks of a car's horn. But the sounds never came. So she stayed there for 40 minutes until she heard footsteps approaching.

And I was like, somebody else is here.

She wasn't sure if this was help or the start of a second attack.

And then I heard footsteps going up the back deck stairs.

The pillowcase was lifted off her head, and Morgan looked up to see who had arrived. It was Rodney.

He looked very surprised.

Morgan was also surprised. How did Rodney know she needed help?

He said, well, Morgan, someone came tapping on my window and saying, you better go check on your wife, or something like that.

Then Rodney began to tend to Morgan.

I'm still naked and my hands are tied and I was crying and he took me inside, put me by the fireplace. He was consoling, but also like trying to act like he was saving the day. He's like, I'm going to check the house out, make sure everything's good and make sure everyone's gone.

He walked around the house opening closet doors.

But he still hasn't undone my handcuffs or gotten me my clothes that I needed.

Then Rodney called the police. Morgan listened, still handcuffed. As he told the 911 dispatcher, he's gone now and it's no big deal.

We don't need the sirens or the lights or the big ol' ordeal or anything like that. And I'm sitting there like, what?

The police made their way to the house at a leisurely pace. Based on Rodney's account, they didn't think it was that serious of a situation.

The policeman walks in the front door and he stops in his tracks and backs right back out outside and called for backup.

Rodney sounded calm on the phone, but one look at Morgan told a different story. She had been physically assaulted. She was bleeding from a head wound. Her face was swelling and starting to turn purple.

I mean, I can't even see out of, like, one eye. The cop was kind of like, "What do you mean this is not this big of a deal?" The police took Rodney aside for questioning.

In the meantime, they searched the house. Occasionally, someone came over to talk to Morgan, but all of their words faded into one loud hum.

I just felt like I was medicated or something. It was all a blur. My brain was just going, you know, 1,000 miles a minute, and I couldn't even keep up with what the detectives were saying.

But then one of the detectives said something that cut through the noise. He told her they were arresting Rodney. Morgan's head was spinning. She remembered the look on Rodney's face when he first saw her injuries. He had looked surprised. But they had been together since they were teenagers, and Morgan knew Rodney's expressions intimately.

It was a genuine shock, but I think it was a genuine shock of, like, holy— Oh, crap. What did I do to her?

Her thoughts were racing. Could Rodney really have done this?

Maybe it was him, maybe it wasn't. I don't know. I didn't know if he'd hired anybody else.

Morgan was taken to the hospital. Luckily, her kids were still out of town, staying with her sister. Rodney was the prime suspect, but authorities needed solid proof if they were going to charge him with the crime. So they got a warrant to search Rodney's apartment. That's when the picture began to come together. Detectives found a book in Rodney's apartment, "Seven Ways to Be Her Hero," a self-help book for men. And Rodney's search history told a disturbing story.

They took his computer, and they found searches of how to strangle somebody, and writing a suicide letter.

He also searched for how to change the sound of your voice, how to get sympathy from your ex, and how long to choke someone unconscious. Then they found physical evidence— zip ties that looked just like the ones used to restrain Morgan.

And they took the zip ties to forensics to see if it was a match.

Forensics came back quickly. It was a match. The evidence was overwhelming. Rodney was the intruder.

I just dropped to the ground and just started crying. Finally, someone saw that it wasn't my fault.

For years, Rodney had been gaslighting Morgan, telling her she was to blame for his violence. Now it was finally over.

I was just thrown back like, oh my gosh, I can't believe he was honestly this stupid to look it all up online.

In the weeks before the attack, Rodney told Morgan he had terminal cancer. But in their investigation, police discovered a forged doctor's note, proof that Rodney's story was a lie.

It was just so mind-boggling. I guess I never really truly thought he would go that far.

Rodney had been desperate to regain control of Morgan's life and to get her back. He started by trying to gain her sympathy. When he first told Morgan about his cancer, she was distraught. But even though she was worried for him, she still didn't want to get back together with him.

That is when I think he finally made his decision. Okay, he's going to go through with what his endgame was.

Morgan had let Rodney sleep on her couch. He said he was scared about his terminal diagnosis, but in reality, he had ulterior motives.

During that time I was sleeping, he went downstairs in the basement and took a window sensor off the window. So he was, like, planning his next steps.

With the window sensor removed, Rodney had an easy way to enter Morgan's house without activating the alarm system. On the night of the attack, he'd asked for Morgan's phone password and gone through her phone. Police discovered he'd been deleting security footage. Rodney Metzer was charged with 14 counts related to the attack, including kidnapping, home invasion, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and sexual battery. But one question remained. Why would Rodney do this to her? Why take it this far? Morgan thinks it's because he wanted to create a villain so that he could be the hero.

Because he wanted to gain back that guy next door type of vibe. Everyone like him. Just the epitome of the perfect person.

But the assistant district attorney who prosecuted the case believes Rodney's motivations were even more sinister. In a press release about Morgan's case, she gave this quote, which we've had read by a voice actor. This man is a master manipulator. In the days leading up to the attack, he faked a cancer diagnosis in an attempt to gain sympathy from his ex-wife. When that didn't work, He created a convoluted plan that the investigators in this case and our office truly believe involved a plot to kill her and then himself. When he couldn't go through with that plan, he instead devised a new plan to rescue her. In the weeks following the attack, Morgan's sister agreed to take care of her kids while she focused on recovering. She checked herself into an inpatient rehab for PTSD recovery. But even with professional help, she found herself struggling to return to the life she had before.

I didn't want to be left alone in the house, but I didn't want to leave my house because I worked very hard to pay for that house. At that time, I was too afraid to work because I didn't want to go to random people's houses. I was scared.

Nights were the hardest. She didn't feel safe letting her guard down in her own home.

There was a month that I would sleep in my son's room and just sit in the corner of the room and stare at the door. I just wouldn't sleep. I, I couldn't find comfort in it, but I refused to let him beat me.

Meanwhile, the state built their case against Rodney and prepared for trial.

I was just talking to the DA constantly. Just constant questions. They came to get the server at my house. They went through his phone. It was just reliving that moment every second for like 8 months.

Rodney pled guilty to 14 counts related to the attack. On August 4th, 2021, Rodney was sentenced to 25 years in prison. And 45 years of probation. Morgan wanted to go to his sentencing hearing. She prepared a victim impact statement, which she read in the courtroom.

In my last statement to him, I said, you know, Rod, the pain you've given me has turned into so much power. I walked off that stand feeling like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I just felt like I could breathe a little bit more. I feel like some things of it were at peace.

In that same press release about the case, the prosecutor wrote a line that stood out to our team. Here's what she wrote: This is a classic example of how the most dangerous time for a domestic violence victim is when she decides to leave an abusive relationship. Morgan had to find a way to explain to her kids why they couldn't see their father anymore.

I told them, you guys know when you get in trouble, there's a consequence for your actions. They said, yes. I said, well, Dad did something very bad, and he has to have a punishment, and he's going to be away for 20 to 25 years.

She did everything she could to process her trauma and heal for herself and for her kids. It took months, but slowly—

I felt like I was more myself. Letting the kids go to school more. Okay, we're getting back into a routine.

Rodney was a defining figure in Morgan's life since she was 14 years old. Without him around, even the smallest things felt new.

I was trapped by him for so long that I was getting to know my real self, too. I had to reintroduce myself. I feel like I had to relearn how to walk and talk and, like, do the basics. Eventually, I started learning to get up every day and learn who the new me was going to be.

In her victim impact statement, she told Rodney she would turn the pain he inflicted into power. And she did.

That power, it's gotten me through figuring out how to provide for my children. I had to figure out how to do daily life.

Today, Morgan's interior design business is thriving. She reclaimed the house where she was attacked and turned it into a loving home. And as for her twins, she's proud of the people they're becoming. We end every weekly episode with the same question: Why do you want to share your story?

I'm very lucky. Unfortunately, a lot of women in my situation don't get out. A lot. And I just want women to know that it's important to speak to each other and to be open and to talk about things. I never said anything out loud. I never really went to a lot of my friends because I wanted to paint this beautiful picture of my family and nothing was wrong. And we as women are each other's biggest supporters. And if we say what's going on, maybe would have been able to get help earlier.

On the next episode of Betrayal Weekly.

Suddenly the knock is on my door. I open the door, these two men in street clothes are claiming to be U.S. Marshals. My whole body is hot. I feel like my stomach is dropped, and they show me a picture. Yeah, that is my fiancé.

If you'd like to share your story on betrayal, please email betrayalpod@gmail.com. That is betrayalpod@gmail.com. Please note that we are not a mental health organization. If you are in crisis or currently experiencing domestic violence, we encourage you to seek local help or dial 911. Please contact organizations that offer immediate support. In our show notes, we've included a list of US-based resources. You can follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod or find me @itsandreagunning. To access our newsletter and additional content and to connect with the Betrayal community, join our Substack at betrayal.substack.com. We're grateful for your support. One way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review Betrayal. 5-star reviews go a long way. Big thank you to all of our listeners. Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group, in partnership with iHeartPodcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Faison, hosted and produced by me, Andrea Gunning, written and produced by Olivia Hewitt. Our story editor is Monique Laborde, also produced by Ben Fetterman. Our associate producer is Leah Jablow, production management by Chris Melchiori. Booking support by Curry Richman.

Voice acting by Teresa Christine Brabson. Our iHeart team is Allie Perry and Jessica Kreinchek. Audio editing by Tanner Robbins, with additional editing and mixing by Matt Del Vecchio. Betrayals theme composed by Oliver Baines. Music library provided by MIB Music. And for more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. There was no anything inside those eyes. They turned black.

It scared the hell out of me. Eva, wake up!

I'm the one that saw the murder take place by Krivac and DePippo.

Anthony DePippo showed no signs of remorse.

Appearing unfazed after being sentenced to the maximum. I said I'm not guilty. I'll take it to the grave.

Listen to The Devil's Choir in the Bone Valley feed on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey everybody, it's the Jonas Brothers.

This week we're so excited to be hanging out with Mika Abdallah from the hit show Off Campus.

We talk about what it's been like watching the show become such a massive hit, what's next for season 2, and just how close the Off Campus cast really is. What's the group chat called?

One of them is Off Campus Brazil. OK. The boys have their own group chat called Dean's Fuckers. Our conversation with Mika Abdallah is out now. Go check it out.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Joy is essential, and it's also elusive. But now there's a new and exciting way to start your journey to joy. Toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotb. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Joy 101, and listen now. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb is presented by CVS.

My first guest is Paris Hilton.

Shakira.

Luke and Yerin. We have surprises. Many surprises. Welcome to the Sweet 305 podcast where the group chat comes to life. What up? You're the only person I know that loves a yellow Starburst. It's lemonade. This is Sweet 305. Here, oversharing is encouraged. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an iHeartRadio podcast. Guaranteed human.