KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — A 62-year-old man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after he strangled his girlfriend and struck her with a baseball bat, refusing to let her leave, according to the Knox County District Attorney's Office.
According to the DA, on June 22, 2023, Knoxville Police officers responded to a 911 call reporting an assault and kidnapping. During the investigation, KPD learned that Merv Rodgers and the victim had been dating for a few weeks and got into an argument the previous day in a van, where Rodgers lived.
During the argument, Rodgers punched the victim in the eye and strangled her until she lost consciousness, the DA said.
When she woke up and tried to leave, he grabbed her, forced her back in the van and hit her in the arm with a baseball bat, according to the DA. Rodgers then strangled the victim again until she passed out.
After regaining consciousness a second time, the victim saw him holding the bat saying, “You ain’t going anywhere. I will kill you, cut you up, and roll you up in the blanket you was sitting on,” according to the DA. Rodgers then confined her in the van overnight until she was able to escape and run to a nearby apartment to call 911.
He pursued the victim and was searching for her when KPD officers arrived, the DA said.
Rodgers has been convicted of especially aggravated kidnapping, domestic assault and two counts of aggravated assault. He holds an extensive criminal history dating back to 1981 for crimes like robbery, burglary, larceny and aggravated assault, according to the DA.
