A man attacked his ex-wife in disguise before rescuing her to try to win her back, police say.

Rod Metser orchestrated a violent home invasion and sexual assault against his ex-wife, Morgan, then appeared as her rescuer. Investigators believe his motive was to 'be her hero' and win her back after their divorce, as evidenced by a book titled 'Seven Ways to Be Her Hero' found in his apartment and his persistent attempts to reconcile.

Rod's arrival at Morgan's house after the attack, his unusual demeanor with police, and the discovery of a book titled 'Seven Ways to Be Her Hero' in his apartment.

Despite the attacker's disguise, Morgan began to suspect her ex-husband, Rod, during the assault. Key indicators included the attacker's 'Batman' voice, his specific knowledge of her divorce, and a distinct, gentle way he lifted her from the bed—a movement she recognized from when she was pregnant with their twins.

Morgan's testimony: 'When he said, "You're going to miss your husband."... at that exact moment is when the mood of the room changed. I knew I was going to live.' And 'The way he gently held me and got me out of the bed, it was so familiar that I was like, "This is him. I know it's 100% him."'

A critical piece of evidence was the microscopic match between a portion of a zip tie (a 'tail') found in Rod's apartment and the zip ties used to restrain Morgan. The striations on the cut edges aligned perfectly, proving they were from the same original zip tie.

Crime scene technician Melanie Thrasher matched the zip tie tail from Rod's apartment to the restraints on Morgan's wrist, confirming a 'perfect match' of striations.

Rod's internet search history revealed his meticulous planning for the attack and his attempts at manipulation. Searches included 'how to change your voice,' 'how long to choke somebody unconscious,' 'how to crack an iPhone password,' and 'cancer diagnosis letters' (to fake an illness).

Investigators examined Rod's browser history, uncovering disturbing searches directly related to the attack methods and his fabricated cancer diagnosis.

Rod attempted to lure Morgan back to her house on New Year's Eve by leaving a fake $56,000 check, which would have bounced. He also purchased the zip ties used in the attack with his debit card at Lowe's, and surveillance video captured him without a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic, clearly identifying him.

A $56,000 check left by Rod was confirmed to be fraudulent. Lowe's security video showed Rod purchasing the zip ties on December 30th, 2020, using his debit card, with his face clearly visible.