CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Jurors got a closer look at the crime scene through body cam footage and learned more about the victims’ backgrounds as testimony continued Thursday in the trial of the former Nashville paramedic charged with first-degree murder in the 2021 deaths of his wife and father-in-law.
Matthew David Konen, 36, has pleaded not guilty in the deaths of Rachel Konen, 30, and her father David Rodgers, 62.
Here are three takeaways from day two of testimony.
1. Body cam shows chaotic scene, life-saving measures
Jurors viewed body cam footage from Clarksville Police Sgt. Rodney Lockerman, the first officer at the Westwood Drive home on Jan. 20, 2021. When Lockerman reached the residence at about 6:48 p.m., two of the Konens’ children were outside yelling that their mother was inside. As he approached, Konen opened the door and then went back to Rachel to continue CPR.
Jurors saw a pool of blood in the dining room near where Rodgers was found, along with blood dripping down nearby walls. They also observed paramedics rendering aid and Lockerman conducting a protective sweep of the home. He said that while officers tried to secure the scene, medical personnel prioritizing all life-saving measures resulted in some parts of the scene being altered.
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Lockerman can also be heard on the footage telling a fellow officer to stop messing with stuff. He said someone mistook a phone on the floor for an officer’s work phone because it was the same model. “The phone is the only thing I’m aware of that was moved that shouldn’t have been moved by an officer,” Lockerman said.
On the footage, Konen tells Lockerman that Rodgers shot Rachel. Lockerman was later heard saying he believed Konen could be in shock, though he noted he is not a medical professional and defers to EMS personnel on the scene to assess Konen.
2. Ex-wife describes health and family life
Cynthia Rodgers, David Rodgers’ ex-wife, told jurors they were married for about 30 years before finalizing their divorce around 2011. Cynthia testified that Rodgers’ had hearing problems from a young age and was also nearsighted. “Without his hearing aids on, and if he’s not looking at you, he wouldn’t know you’re talking,” she said.
Cynthia said Rodgers enjoyed manual labor like construction and remodeling. While they were married, she said Rodgers would forget to pay bills on time, and she eventually took over their finances. “He was too involved in his work to think about paying bills,” she said.
She told jurors while they were separated, Rodgers stayed with friends while looking for a more permanent residence and was “depressed about our marriage ending.” Cynthia said during that period, he slept on the floor of a home he was remodeling and contemplated suicide, though she said he never reached a point of planning anything.
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Cynthia described Rodgers as having a close, loving relationship with their children and called Rachel “a joy.” She said she was never concerned about herself, Rachel, or her grandchildren being around him. “He was the grandpa that everybody wanted to have,” she said. “He just loved his grandkids and kids.”
Cynthia said she knew Rodgers purchased a handgun in 2019 and typically stored it in his truck. She was concerned because he did not have training and did not really know how to use it. But she said he purchased it for protection because without his hearing aids and glasses, he would not know if someone was in his home. Near the end of 2020, she told Rodgers “it would be good if he could find somebody to talk to.”
3. Inside Rodgers’ home: finances, legal notes, blanket for Rachel
Cynthia said Rodgers eventually bought a home with his mother, who was unable to stand due to severe osteoporosis, and he became her primary caretaker. After Rodgers’ death, she went to the home to check on his mother and retrieve his brother’s contact information. While there, she said she saw financial documents on his bed and it appeared he was “organizing his payments,” something she had long encouraged.
Cynthia said she also found a stack of cards, including some credit cards, wrapped in a rubber band in his room. She observed a yellow legal pad in the room listing an attorney with a note saying to request a copy of his will, along with contact information for a mortgage company and his life insurance provider. There were also contacts for Rooms To Go and a funeral home in Cleveland, Tennessee. She said she did not have personal knowledge of the legal pad’s contents but noted that Rodgers’ mother passed a couple months later, and she attended her funeral in Cleveland.
Cynthia also found a “beautiful blanket” meant for Rachel. “I will always be there to love you, and I will always be there to support you,” she read to jurors through tears.
Court recessed Thursday evening and will resume Monday at 8:30 a.m. at the Montgomery County Courts Center.
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