Updated with additional details and pictures.
CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After nine days of testimony and nearly five hours of deliberations, a Montgomery County jury returned a guilty verdict Thursday for the Nashville-area paramedic charged in the 2021 deaths of his wife and father-in-law.
Matthew David Konen, 36, was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the death of 30-year-old Rachel Konen and guilty as charged with first-degree murder in the death of her father, 62-year-old David Rodgers.
At the time of his trial, Konen was an employee of Sumner County Emergency Medical Services, according to Clarksville Now news partner WKRN-News 2. WKRN reports that Sumner County Mayor John Isbell declined to comment on the verdict.
Rachel and Rodgers were found dead in the Konens’ Westwood Drive home on the evening of Jan. 20, 2021, according to previous reports. Konen had called 911 at about 6:42 p.m., and first responders arrived minutes later, discovering that Rachel had been shot through the heart and died from her injuries. Rodgers had been beaten to death, according to previous reports.
Prior to closing arguments, several witnesses were brought forward to expand on prior testimony.
Mobile forensics expert on texts from Konen
DA’s Office Criminal Investigator Charles Arms, expert in mobile forensics and cellular mapping analysis, was recalled to testify further about additional text messages from Konen’s phone. Konen texted a friend on Jan. 9, 2021, and expressed he felt like he needed to start taking “some anti-depressants.” Konen sent a text the next day to Morgan Konen, his then girlfriend now wife, telling her that his family had turned their backs on him: “Literally this has caused my parents to turn their backs on me. … If I didn’t have you, I would literally be completely alone. I have nothing left.”
On Jan. 18, 2021, Konen sent Morgan a text that said, “You know my character flaws are a … quick temper and big time impatience.” Jurors previously heard testimony that Rachel received a text with a picture attached from the man she was dating minutes before Konen called 911 and reported the shooting. Arms confirmed that the picture appeared to be of an exercise bike and that the phone indicated the message was “unread.”
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The topic of Rodgers’ search history was also revisited. Arms previously testified that on Dec. 23, 2020, Rodgers had searched for “Companion Funeral Home and Cremation Services.” A death certificate was submitted into evidence for Nora Rodgers, Rodgers’ mother whom he lived with and took care of while she was on hospice. The death certificate confirmed that after she died, she was laid to rest at Companion Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Former co-workers on Konen’s firearms experience, mental state
Fallon Washington, an advanced EMT who was formerly paired with Konen at Nashville Fire in 2020, was recalled to expand on her testimony regarding interactions with Konen outside of work.
Washington reiterated her prior statement about Konen teaching her how to operate and clean a firearm at his home. She testified that during one of these interactions, Konen told her, “You don’t pistol play with people.”
Washington also said Konen told her, “If you pull the trigger, make sure everybody’s dead because nobody’s there to talk but you.” She said these statements were made in the context of Konen teaching her how to use a firearm and defend herself.
Arsenio Hardrick, a paramedic and another former co-worker of Konen’s, was also recalled to testify about their interactions outside of work. Hardrick testified that throughout the affair and divorce process, Konen was stressed. He said during that time, he was concerned about Konen’s mental health. “Matt told me he was extremely stressed out, that his head wasn’t right, and that he was concerned that he might hurt himself,” he said.
Hardrick told jurors Konen did not express how he might do that, but regardless, he encouraged Konen to seek help. He was also questioned about a text conversation between himself and Konen in November 2020, where Konen asked to speak with him regarding messages he had sent to Rachel. Hardrick said he assumed Konen believed he was trying to hit on Rachel and that they have not spoken since discussing the matter in person. “He was mad at me for contacting Rachel,” he said, adding he reached out to her “out of concern for him and her.”
Once testimony concluded Wednesday, the state and defense delivered their closing arguments.
Prosecutors argue Konen had motive, opportunity, pattern of inconsistencies
Assistant District Attorney Chris West told jurors the only person in the Westwood Drive home who had a motive to kill on the night of the deaths was Konen. “He was a man who had every reason,” he said. “He was a man with a quick temper, and he is the person that snapped that night.”
West noted there were only three adults in that home, but only one lived to give an account. He added that Rachel being shot once in the center of her back and “through her heart” while in the dark points to a skilled marksman.
District Attorney General Robert Nash pointed to Rodgers’ severe facial trauma from being beaten to death and showed jurors pictures of Rodgers’ injuries. “He wasn’t trying to kill him?” Nash questioned. “He beat him with this gun on all sides of his head and face … (Rodgers’) whole face … was broken and sunken in. That’s intent.” He said, according to Konen’s own account, this happened after Konen had the gun. Nash also pointed to Konen’s statement to police that Rodgers was not aggressive and “extremely passive.”
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West showed jurors the Ring video footage again of Rodgers playing with his grandchildren in the Konens’ home “hours before his death.” He pointed to the blanket that was found in Rodgers’ home after his death, calling it an expression “of his love and devotion to his daughter.” West said Rodgers was at the house alone with Rachel and the grandchildren for hours before Konen got home. He told jurors that Rodgers did have generalized anxiety disorder but no other mental health issues. “Let’s make no mistake. … On that day, David Rodgers didn’t die by suicide,” he said. “David Rodgers died by beating.”
West pointed to the inconsistencies between prior statements made by Konen’s family members that he knew they were available to financially support him compared to Konen’s texts weeks before the deaths where he said his family had turned their backs on him. “Either his texts aren’t the truth or their statements aren’t the truth,” he said. West said Rachel told Konen “it was time to go” and Konen’s texts showed he was looking for a roommate to move in with.
West also pointed to Rachel’s $700,000 life insurance policy with Konen as the beneficiary. “A man who had his own mental health struggles,” he said of Konen. “He was getting a divorce, he was hemorrhaging money. … A man on the edge, who was contemplating possibly his own self-harm.” He said there were many inconsistencies between Konen’s statement to police and the evidence recovered from the scene. “The only person with a reason to kill that night was Matthew Konen,” he said. “The man with a quick temper. And motive and reason to kill his wife, and kill the only person who had seen.”
Defense: State failed to disprove self-defense beyond reasonable doubt
Defense attorney Kyle Mothershead told jurors the state failed to prove that Konen was not acting in self-defense on the night of the deaths while displaying the definition of reasonable doubt. “Mr. Konen does not have to prove that he was acting in self-defense,” he said.
Mothershead pointed to the GSR (gunshot residue) found on Rodgers’ clothes and Konen’s skin. He said GSR can wash off the skin more easily and be masked by blood. Mothershead said GSR does not prove who the shooter is. “It’s just going to be on everybody,” he said. “There’s not really much that it tells you other than they could have discharged, handled, or been near a firearm when it was discharged.”
Mothershead also pointed to the lack of DNA evidence. He said Konen’s fingerprints were not found on the trigger or grip of the gun but Rodgers’ blood was found on the gun. Mothershead told jurors the inconclusive DNA on the gun does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Konen was the shooter. He added that Konen’s statements to police on the night of the deaths were “totally consistent” with the evidence from the crime scene.
Mothershead maintained that Rodgers shot Rachel, turned the gun on Konen, it clicked, Konen “tackled him,” got the gun away, and beat Rodgers “to incapacitate him.” He said Konen then called 911, begging them to drive faster and telling them to launch LifeFlight. He added that Konen was truthful on the phone about “pistol-whipping” Rodgers until he was unconscious. Mothershead said that on the call, Konen confirms he started CPR on Rachel. He said during the call, Konen left Rachel to check on Rodgers and saw him sitting up on his knees. “He sees him and given everything that had just happened, and the fact that his four small children were still in the house, he saw Rodgers as a threat,” he said. “So he kicked him until he was down.”
Mothershead said although the Konens had filed for divorce in November 2020, they bought a home together and still lived under the same roof. He told jurors Konen had equal rights to the home even if Rachel had tried to kick him out. He added the testimony from Konen’s loved ones showed he had other places he could have lived and that they were willing to help him financially if needed. He added that some of Konen’s text exchanges with Rachel showed that they “still meant a lot to each other.” Mothershead said they were still friends and that Konen relied on Rachel to care for their children. “Common sense tells us that Mr. Konen did not want Rachel dead,” he said, adding that Konen did not “intentionally fail” to treat her.
Ultimately, after nearly five hours of deliberations, the jury convicted Konen of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Rachel and first-degree murder in the death of Rodgers. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 13 at the Montgomery County Courts Center.
| PREVIOUSLY:
- Trial begins for paramedic accused in 2021 murder of wife, father-in-law
- 3 takeaways in double murder trial
- Divorce plans, family finances, Ring footage: 5 takeaways
- DNA and gunshot residue: 5 takeaways
- Affair timeline, ballistic findings: 4 takeaways
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