Georgia Man Rodney William Metzer Awarded Donkey Of The Day For Kidnapping Ex-Wife So He Could Pretend To Save Her

A Georgia man who kidnapped his ex-wife so he could then pretend to rescue her has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Rodney William Metzer, 36, hatched the insane plan in a bid to win back his former flame after a fake cancer diagnosis failed to spark the reconciliation he hoped for, prosecutors said.

Metzer, whom prosecutors called a “master manipulator,” broke into his ex’s home early on Jan. 1 while armed and wearing a mask to conceal his identity.

“When he spoke to her, he disguised his voice,” District Attorney Shannon Wallace said in a statement Thursday.

“He hit her with the butt of his gun and tried to strangle her two times. He zip-tied her hands, assaulted her, placed a pillowcase over her head and dragged her to the deck.”

Metzer then left his helpless ex-wife on her deck, telling her not to move until she heard a car honking or else she’d be shot, Wallace said.

While his ex-wife was still tied up outside, Metzer went back to his Canton apartment to change his clothes before returning to find his former partner still tied up, authorities said.

He told cops he found her “bound with zip ties” on her deck while face-down with a pillowcase over her head.

Investigators later found surveillance video showing Metzer leaving a Lowe’s while carrying a pack of zip ties. Other footage also showed him changing clothes at his apartment, contradicting his claims about his whereabouts prior to the assault, Wallace said.

Metzer also used his cellphone and laptop to search terms on the internet like “how long before you starve to death” or how long it takes to choke someone until they’re unconscious.

“This man is a master manipulator,” Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ashe said.

“In the days leading up to this attack, he faked a cancer diagnosis in an attempt to gain sympathy from his ex-wife.”

After that scheme failed, Metzer developed a “convoluted plan” that investigators believe involved him killing his ex-wife before taking his own life, Ashe said.

“When he couldn’t go through with that plan, he instead devised a new plan to rescue her,” Ashe said. “Fortunately, sheriff’s office investigators saw through this scheme and quickly arrested the defendant.”

Metzer pleaded guilty on Aug. 4 to 14 charges including kidnapping, home invasion and sexual battery. A judge sentenced him to 25 years in prison, followed by 45 years on probation.

“I cannot imagine how terrifying this must have been for her,” Wallace said of Metzer’s ex-wife. “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.”

[via The New York Post]