Deadly Mirage - Ep. 1: Death in the High Desert

Summary

Dateline Originals: Deadly Mirage - Episode 1: Death in the High Desert

Introduction

In the gripping premiere episode of Deadly Mirage, a true crime mini-series from Dateline Originals, host Josh Mankiewicz delves into the mysterious and tragic death of Rob Limone in the desolate expanse of the Mojave Desert. Released on March 13, 2025, this episode titled "Death in the High Desert" sets the stage for a complex narrative entwining family secrets, flawed relationships, and the relentless pursuit of truth.

The Crime Scene Unveiled

The episode opens with a vivid description of the grim scene discovered on August 17, 2014. Rob Limone's lifeless body was found on the shop floor of a railroad service truck in Helendale, a small town nestled in the harsh Mojave Desert.

Josh Mankiewicz [00:03]: "The body lay on the shop floor, the man's shaven head leaning against the front left tire of a service truck. There was a dime sized hole in his chin and a pool of blood slowly congealing on the concrete floor..."

As the silence of the desert evening is shattered by the arrival of a second shift worker, the gravity of the scene becomes palpable.

Introducing the Victim: Rob Limone

Rob Limone is portrayed as a dedicated railroad worker, a family man with a reputation for kindness and reliability. His colleagues and friends remember him fondly, painting a picture of a man deeply integrated into his community.

Kelly Bernatine [02:18]: "He became my best buddy, like everybody else is."

However, contrasting testimonies hint at deeper complexities lurking beneath his amiable exterior.

Detective Randall Meyer [02:26]: "I had a frank disgust for him that was developing and contributing to me being very dismissive of his life, ultimately."

Life in Helendale: The Bedrock of the Story

Helendale, approximately two hours east of Los Angeles, serves as the primary backdrop for this investigation. Despite its harsh climate, thousands call this high desert town home, drawn to communities like Silver Lakes—a seemingly idyllic oasis.

Michael Fleeman [04:18]: "Silver Lakes is about as genuine as a plastic Christmas tree in front of a chemical Yule log. Regardless, it's home sweet home to the retirees and young families who've chosen to live there."

The tranquility of Silver Lakes belies the underlying tensions that the episode begins to unravel.

The Wolf Pack: A Duality of Lives

A decade prior, a group of thirty-somethings known as the Wolf Pack dominated the social scene in Silver Lakes. This tight-knit group, comprised of couples including the Bernatines and the Limones, balanced their respectable lives with wild parties and escapades.

Kelly Bernatine [06:43]: "He knows how to perform."

Despite their outward appearances of stability—complete with jobs, mortgages, and children—their nocturnal activities hinted at secrets and potential conflicts.

The Fateful Day: A Routine Altered by Overtime

On August 17th, Rob Limone's day took a tragic turn. Scheduled to work overtime at the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe rail yard in Barstow, he opted to forgo a planned fantasy football draft with his friends.

Jason Bernatine [10:16]: "It was just after that that he got the overtime. He got a phone call and said, 'Hey, I just got overtime tomorrow in Tehachapi.'"

Rob's departure for work would be his last, setting the stage for the unfolding mystery.

Discovery and Initial Investigation

Sean Ware, the rapid responder assigned to cover for Rob, discovered the crime scene at 6:48 PM. His immediate observations raised suspicions about the nature of Rob's demise.

Sean Ware [12:28]: "I found the shop completely closed up. At this point I was thinking, something's off because he normally did not have the shop in that state when he was there."

Detective Randall Meyer, a seasoned lawman now stepping into his first homicide case, arrives at the scene to spearhead the investigation.

Detective Randall Meyer [17:53]: "That was a big first case."

Analyzing the Evidence: A Crime Without Clear Motive

The examination of the crime scene revealed no signs of forced entry or robbery, suggesting a personal motive behind the murder. The presence of a bullet and the absence of cartridge casings pointed towards a possibly staged scene.

Detective Randall Meyer [19:21]: "It did not appear that somebody had gone through all the drawers in the business. And if they're there to do a burglary, they're going to take items of value."

Security camera footage became a pivotal element in the investigation, capturing Rob's movements and introducing the enigmatic presence of a limping figure and a motorcyclist.

Personal Lives Under Scrutiny

As Detective Meyer interviews Sabrina Limone, Rob's wife, the narrative delves deeper into their seemingly perfect marriage. However, subtle cracks begin to emerge, prompting questions about infidelity or hidden relationships.

Detective Randall Meyer [30:31]: "You guys ever have any problems or anything or any issues with infidelity or anything like that?"

Despite Sabrina's assurances of a harmonious relationship, the detectives uncover discrepancies that hint at underlying tensions.

Forensic Insights: The Brutal Truth

Autopsy results revealed the harrowing details of Rob Limone's injuries. Shot twice with a large-caliber weapon, the wounds were both fatal, with the first shot to the chest being particularly telling.

Dr. Robert Whitmore [27:40]: "The bullet enters the front of the chest at an upward angle and from right to left."

The forensic evidence not only confirmed the cause of death but also provided crucial information about the nature of the attack, suggesting a point-blank struggle.

The Memorial and Community Impact

Rob Limone's memorial service was a poignant moment, showcasing the profound impact of his loss on friends and family. Testimonials emphasized his role as a beloved friend and dependable figure within the community.

Kelly Bernatine [32:34]: "How blessed are we to have known Rob Limone."

Yet, amidst the collective grief, the seeds of suspicion quietly take root, hinting at future revelations.

Conclusion: A Mirage of Truth

As the episode wraps, Deadly Mirage teases the intricate web of relationships and hidden motives that will continue to unfold in subsequent episodes. The initial tranquility of Helendale masks the turbulent undercurrents that led to Rob Limone's untimely death, setting the stage for a compelling exploration of passion, betrayal, and justice in the high desert.

Josh Mankiewicz [34:17]: "That was probably the most cold blooded killer I've come across. And I've been doing murder trials for a number of years."

Deadly Mirage promises to peel back the layers of this enigmatic case, revealing the true nature of those involved and the shadows that linger in the wake of deceit.

Key Takeaways:

• Complex Relationships: The intertwining lives of friends and family members reveal potential motives and hidden secrets.

• Forensic Evidence: Detailed examination of the crime scene and autopsy results provide crucial insights into the nature of the murder.

• Community Impact: Rob Limone's role within his community underscores the profound loss and raises questions about those closest to him.

• Investigative Depth: Detective Meyer’s methodical approach highlights the challenges of solving a case with limited evidence and conflicting testimonies.

For listeners eager to uncover the layers of this high desert mystery, Deadly Mirage offers a meticulously crafted narrative that combines suspense, emotional depth, and incisive investigative journalism.

Transcript

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The body lay on the shop floor, the man's shaven head leaning against the front left tire of a service truck. There was a dime sized hole in his chin and a pool of blood slowly congealing on the concrete floor. Scarlet stained the front of his shirt, which was stiffening in the dry desert air. A few feet away lay a bullet and a line of broken fluorescent glass, white and powdery, like a line of drugs. For more than an hour, silence hung over this scene of death and disorder. A quiet broken only by the occasional sound of a big diesel rig out on the highway. Then, shortly before 7pm, a man scheduled to work second shift walked in. And that silence was replaced by screams.

[Detective]

Tell me exactly what happened.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I opened the garage door and there's a light bulb busted out. Kid in the office tore up and he's on the ground bleeding out of his head.

[Detective]

Okay. Oh, my God.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

This is the story of what happened that afternoon in 2014, and why. But it's also about much more. It's about long shadows cast by old sins.

[Michael Fleeman]

It starts as a Playboy Channel fantasy, but this is real life, and there are real complications.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It's about the pairings of flawed souls, unholy alliances that spiraled out of control. It had everything. It had sex, religion, the seemingly perfect, beautiful family that had all these secrets. It's about faith and faithlessness, murder and the thrill of moral escapism. God's given us a purpose, and he's.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Given us a chance with that purpose.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

This murder was God's work.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

They spoke about that many times. They were doing God's work.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In this podcast, you'll hear from people who loved that man found lying on the shop floor in August 2014.

[Kelly Bernatine]

He became my best buddy, like everybody else is.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You'll hear from some who wanted him dead.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

I had a frank disgust for him that was developing and contributing to me being very dismissive of his life, ultimately.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And you'll hear from the newly minted homicide detective whose job it was to find the killer or killers responsible.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

That was the first homicide that I had arrived to and was assigned as a lead detective.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It's a pretty big first case.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

It is a big first case.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I'm Josh Mankiewicz, and this is Deadly Mirage, a podcast from Dateline. Episode 1 Death in the High Desert. Life in the Mojave Desert can be tenuous. It's remarkable, really, that anything survives in this vast, dry version of nowhere. The sun high and blinding, bone chilling nights, days so hot, the highways seem to ripple and heave in the heat. Even at High speed, the Mojave looks formidable. Distant mountains seem to recede. Shimmering dry heat causes visions of water to appear on sandy plains in front of you. Nevertheless, thousands of people live here, many in communities scattered along the highway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. One of those towns, about two hours east of LA is Hellandale. It's the primary setting for much of the story you you're about to hear.

[Michael Fleeman]

Helendale is a city out in the middle of the desert.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's Michael Fleeman, a true crime writer whose book about this case is titled better Off Dead.

[Michael Fleeman]

And within Helendale is an oasis within the oasis and that's called Silver Lakes. Sort of a bedroom community. Stucco houses, golf course, two lakes clubhouse. It's this beautiful little bedroom community out in the middle of nowhere.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Yes, like a mirage, lushly green Silver Lakes is about as genuine as a plastic Christmas tree in front of a chemical Yule log. Regardless, it's home sweet home to the retirees and young families who've chosen to live there.

[Michael Fleeman]

It was sort of Palm Springs light. The big spacious houses, families with kids running around, bikes in the streets. It looked like kind of the American dream neighborhood.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Sounds kind of wholesome, doesn't it?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

It is.

[Michael Fleeman]

And if you go there, it's. It's almost something out of. Almost something out of a Disney movie.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It's no wonder real estate boosters dubbed Helendale as the happiest place in the high desert. And Silver Lakes, well, it might have been the happiest place of all. Shake it. You see, a dozen or so years ago, there was a close group of 30 somethings in silver Lakes and they liked to party hardy. They called themselves the Wolf Pack. Maybe because whenever they got together, they howled. When the wolf pack wasn't living it up at house parties, they hired babysitters and took the show on the road.

[Kelly Bernatine]

He knows how to perform.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Yes, he does. There were boisterous takeovers of local bars. Rob, that was impressive and thank you. And some wild adults only weekends on the Colorado River. A casual observer might be excused for thinking them a group of high schoolers on spring break. Oh no. The wolf pack all had jobs, mortgages and kids.

[Sabrina Limone]

We don't want you to stress though.

[Kelly Bernatine]

This is a stress free zone.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Of the six to seven couples that made up the core of the wolf pack, one foursome stood out. The Bernatines and the Limones. They were inseparable and always seemed to be at the center of the action. Kelly Bernatine first met Sabrina limone back in 2008. When Sabrina came Into Kelly's place to get her hair done.

[Kelly Bernatine]

She was super nice, friendly, like, over the top friendly.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's Kelly Bernatine. Later, she says, Sabrina invited Kelly and her husband Jason over for dinner. That was when the Bernatines met Sabrina's husband, Rob limone. The two couples hit it off immediately.

[Kelly Bernatine]

He was just kind of like her, like, super friendly, Just really positive way, outgoing. They were both extremely outgoing and welcoming, hospitable. If you could think of a perfect friend, it was the both of them.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You remember that first dinner?

[Jason Bernatine]

Yeah, I remember the first time I met Rob. He's actually kind of a scary dude.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's Jason Bernatine.

[Jason Bernatine]

He's got tattoos all over his arm, and he's got his last name tattooed on the back of his head. So his appearance was not like his personality.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

No. Rob limone was a teddy bear. And as far as the wolf pack was concerned, he was the straw that stirred the drink. A lot of drinks. When someone had a few too many, Rob drove them home. If someone needed help with a home project, Rob was there.

[Kelly Bernatine]

He would always be Fixing something, painting something, welding something, cutting the grass, helping a friend. He helped anyone he could.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Above all, Rob limone was a railroad man through and through. Most days, he worked amid a blurring rush of metal and movement at the busy Burlington northern and Santa fe rail yard in barstow, inspecting and maintaining the railroad's rolling stock.

[Jason Bernatine]

Yeah, he was really proud of it, really proud of working for the railroad.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Maybe it was the smell or sound of trains that appealed to Rob. Maybe it was the feeling of freedom that came from working outside under the great bowl of the western sky. But whatever it was, Rob loved it. He loved it so much that he'd frequently drive an hour and a half to Tehachapi to make some extra money at the railroad shop there. When working in Tehachapi, Rob filled in as a rapid responder, meaning it was his job to be on call and repair any of the freight trains that broke down while climbing the mountain pass west of town each day. Those were some long days. 12 hours, seven to seven. Well, the money was good, and Rob had a family. The bernatines remember being with Rob one Saturday night when a call came in asking if he could cover for a friend. The wolf pack gang was having one of their nights out, this one at a baseball game.

[Kelly Bernatine]

It's just our little minor league team. And so we all went and, you know, got beers and hot dogs and sat around, and I was taking pictures of everybody, and I'm like, hey, Rob, say cheese. And he does the old, you know, thumbs up.

[Jason Bernatine]

It was just after that that he got the overtime. He got a phone call and said, hey, I just got overtime tomorrow in Tehachapi. And we were supposed to do fantasy football drafts the next day. And he couldn't make it because he got that overtime.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The next day was Sunday, August 17th. Rob Lamone rose before dawn. He dressed in the dark, kissed his sleeping wife, looked in on his two children. Robbie was 11, Leanna was 8. Then he eased out the front door. For the next 90 minutes, Rob Limone would have been alone with his thoughts. He had an 85 mile drive from his home to Tehachapi. The night sky was clear that morning, dusted with a thousand stars. And as the sky slowly lightened, revealing mountains rising like camel humps in the distance, Rob Limone might well have considered himself a fortunate man. Lucky to have a good family and cool friends, lucky to witness another dawn in the desert. Of course, he had no way of knowing that just days past his 38th birthday, this morning would be his last.

[Detective]

Fire department with the address of your emergency.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It's 1582 Goodrick Road.

[Detective]

I'm sorry, 1582. What's the name of the road?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Goodrick Road. The first sign of Trouble came at 6:48 that evening when Sean Ware, the rapid responder who was supposed to be relieving Rob, called. 911 years later, Sean remembered that when he pulled up to the shop, something seemed as wrong as two left shoes.

[Sean Ware]

I found the shop completely closed up. At this point I was thinking, something's off because he normally did not have the shop in that state when he was there.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Sean says once he opened the large garage door, he saw Rob's service truck parked inside and a shattered fluorescent bulb on the floor in front of it. The door to the office was open and the office had been ransacked.

[Sean Ware]

I turned back out of the office. Directly across is a kind of a kitchenette. I started walking towards the refrigerator and the truck. That's when I caught a glimpse of blood on the floor. That's kind of when I seen him. And I kneeled down to him and was trying to talk to him and trying to get him to wake up.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That wouldn't happen. Rob limone, a solid 6 foot 200 pounder, wasn't going to wake up ever. Rob's bald head had a huge lump on top of his skull. Blood was crusted on one side of his face and there was a hole in the little tuft of beard. He always wore on his chin.

[Detective]

All right. What I need him is flat on his back. Okay, Very gently, as easy as you can. Turn him over. Flat on his back. He's got a big knot on his head. Okay, Okay. I can't get him on his back. Okay. All right. Put your hand on his back or his chest and see if you can feel any air coming in and out. Now when I push on his kiss.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

A little bit comes out of his mouth. At about that time, 85 miles away in Silver Lakes, Sabrina Limone was beginning to wonder why she hadn't heard from her husband. It was past 7pm Rob should have been on his way home by now. This was normally a time when they would talk. On this Sunday night, nothing. He wasn't picking up and he wasn't responding to her texts.

[Sabrina Limone]

Always when or close to Robert coming home, I would always talk to him. And the kids wanted to talk to him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's the voice of Sabrina Lamone. Over the next hour, she made 11 calls to her husband's phone, some merely minutes apart. All of them went to voicemail.

[Sabrina Limone]

I was wondering. And it became a concern. Concerned but not panicked maybe.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

But by 8:13, panic was setting in. She called her older sister Julie and her parents who also lived in Silver Lakes and told them she was worried. And then she sent another text to Rob, Each line of it punctuated with exclamation points. Babe, I'm worried about you. Call me. Leanna wants to say good night. Ten minutes later, she made her last call to her husband's number. No answer. And then came a knock at the door. Out on the porch stood two officials from bnsf, the railroad Rob worked for. Sabrina's sister Julie Cordova was there when the railroad men told Sabrina her husband had been seriously injured on the job. Something to do with his head.

[Sabrina Limone]

And when we got there, Sabrina was beside herself. There were two guys there from the railroad and I want to say they were at the door. They weren't even inside yet.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

What'd she look like? What was she saying?

[Sabrina Limone]

I don't know. She was fell to the ground and she was crying and just pacing and trying to be strong for the kids all at the same time.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

What did they tell you what happened?

[Sabrina Limone]

You know, that Rob got hurt at work.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

At about the time the railroad men were leaving Sabrina Limone's house in Silver Lakes, a red headed man stepped out of the darkness and ducked under the fluttering crime scene tape in Tehachapi. That man was Kern County Senior Deputy Sheriff Randall Meyer. He didn't choose this case, it kind of chose him. Meyer was the on call detective that night. He'd been at home in Bakersfield when word came there'd been a murder.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

I checked in with the officer who was manning the crime scene tape and then stepped into the the area and waited for the other detectives to arrive.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Okay, how many of you worked that scene that evening?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

I believe we had four detectives at the time.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

After a quick briefing from first responders, the sergeant told Meer to take the lead. That was a big moment because even though Detective Meyer had been a lawman for 17 years, he'd only been with the county's robbery homicide unit a few months.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

That was the first homicide that I had arrived to and was assigned as a lead detective.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It's a pretty big first case.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

It is a big first case.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The night had turned chilly by the time Detective Meyers stepped into the railroad shop to take a look at the crime scene. Everything there was just as it had been when Shawn Ware arrived two hours earlier.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

During our walk through, we were able to approach the body. I noticed there was blood pooling underneath the deceased. It appeared that he had been shot twice.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Cartridge casings on the ground.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

We did not locate any shell casings on the ground.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

No cartridge casings. But there was a bullet found on the cement floor. A big one. Maybe a.44 or a.45. The lab techs would have to figure that out. The door to the fridge in the kitchenette area was open. Blood spatter inside the door. Bottles of water and Gatorade were on the floor. It looked as if maybe there'd been a struggle over in the office area. Evidence techs dusted for prints and took photos. Right from the start, Meyer thought the office scene looked staged. How do you formulate that theory so quickly?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

It did not appear that somebody had gone through all the drawers in the business. And if they're there to do a burglary, they're going to take items of value. There was still a computer inside the office.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Fact was, there were no signs of forced entry. Robbery didn't make sense. Neither did the idea that Rob Lamone's murder was somehow work related. Co workers had nothing but good things to say about Rob.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

They told me that Rob Lamon is somebody who would help anybody out if they needed help at any point in time.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Good guy.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Good guy.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Once everything had been photographed, measured and dusted, the team from the coroner's office bagged Rob Limone's hands to protect whatever evidence might be under his fingernails. And they removed his wallet from his hip pocket. Then they wrapped him in clean white bed sheets and zipped him into a black body bag for transport to the coroner's office in Bakersfield. Inside the wallet, the detective found an ID which confirmed was what he already knew. Rob Lamone, age 38, lived in Helendale in San Bernardino county, about 90 miles to the southwest. Home address? A house on Strawberry Lane. In the office area, the detective found a Samsung flip phone, which appeared to be Rob's. The last outgoing from that phone was at 5:28. It was Rob telling a friend that he'd briefly checked out a car show that was in town earlier that afternoon. That meant Rob had been killed sometime after 5:28 and before Sean Ware discovered his body. An hour and 20 minutes later. The last text on Rob's phone came in at 8:13. It was that text from Rob's wife, the one that read, babe, I'm worried about you. The detective figured that text was to Rob from his wife, and he knew he'd have to talk with her sooner or later. But first he wanted to review security camera video from that afternoon. The industrial complex where Rob Limone was murdered is on the way to nowhere. Shaped like a wine bottle. There's only one way in and one way out. With five security cameras stationed around the warehouse complex, Detective Meyer thought he had a decent chance at catching a glimpse of Rob's killer through at least one of those lenses. Here's the tale of the tapes. At about 4:11 that Sunday afternoon, Rob Limone could be seen headed west leaving the complex, presumably on his way to check out that car show he texted his friend about. At 4:15, the same camera picked up a motorcycle rider headed east in the direction of the railroad shop. At 5:11, Rob Lamone's truck returns on video. You can see Rob returning to the warehouse where he was killed.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Yes, sir.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Is he alone?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Yes, he was alone in the vehicle.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And everything looks normal?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Then at 5:21, 10 minutes after Rob was seen headed back to the shop, a hunched figure is seen walking in the same direction before passing out of sight. Eighteen minutes later, at 5:39, the same figure is seen limping away from the direction of the railroad shop. The images were grainy and blurry and too far away to see anything identifiable. That said, they were absolutely intriguing.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

We did show it to several people who worked there, and they were unable to identify the person.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So no one who worked there could come up with a good reason why there would be this limping guy on the property. Yeah. Given that the last outgoing text on Rob's phone was at 5:28. The detective thought there was a good chance that limping man could be the killer. So now here's the thing. Remember that motorcyclist, the one that was headed toward the railroad shop at 5:15? Well, a security camera caught a glimpse of that motorcyclist leaving the complex a half hour later. Had there been two different people in the area of the railroad shop when Rob Limone was murdered? Or were the limping man and the motorcycle man the same man? Detective Meyer couldn't be sure.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

It did appear to be an older motorcycle, a street bike type.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And the rider's wearing a helmet?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Yes, wearing a helmet, but appears to be a man. Appeared to be a man. The bike appeared to be a smaller motorcycle. You could tell his legs and knees were high up on the gas tank of the motorcycle.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It was about 1:30 in the morning when Detective Meyer, who was still at the scene, finally finished looking at the security videos and found a quiet place to call Rob Limone's widow. Hello?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Hi, this is Detective Meyer with the Kern County Sheriff's Office.

[Detective]

I detect him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

What happened to my husband? By then, Sabrina had heard through the railroad grapevine that Rob was dead. No one had told her he'd been murdered.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Well, right now, Sabrina, we're at the very preliminary stages of this whole investigation, and we don't have a lot of information right now. What happened to him? That's it. We just don't. We don't know. She sounded pretty upset. I could hear some voices in the background. Maybe some friends were over at the residence to console her. She was crying, asked what happened to her husband, and I basically told her. We didn't have a lot of answers.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

But you said it was a homicide.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

We didn't actually tell her it was a homicide at the time. I told her he was deceased.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That seemed to be enough for one night. The detective knew the widow would have many more questions once he said the word murder. And he wanted to have answers. So no words like murder and homicide would have to wait. This was not the night for that. At 9:30 Wednesday morning, three days after Rob Limone was shot to death, his remains arrived at a Bakersfield lab for autopsy. Dr. Robert Whitmore, a forensic pathologist under contract to the Kern County Coroner's Office, unzipped the body bag and unwrapped the three white sheets that had been used to enshroud Rob's body on Sunday night into Hatcherby as evidence. Tech snapped photos. Dr. Whitmore and his team Removed the clothes Rob Lamone had worn to work that day. With Dictaphone in hand, the doctor began describing the body before him. Orange safety shirt, black tank top, gray pants and boxers, Black belt, socks and shoes. For the next two and a half hours, the wounds on Rob Lamone's body were examined. The clinical facts were clear. Rob Limone had been shot twice with a large caliber weapon. Once in the chest, once in the face. Either wound would have been fatal. The chest wound was most likely the first shot fired and the most deadly. The bullet's path was at an extreme upward angle. Abrasions around the entrance suggested it had probably been fired at point blank range during a struggle. This was a somewhat unusual gunshot wound. That's the voice of Dr. Whitmore.

[Sean Ware]

The bullet enters the front of the chest at an upward angle and from right to left.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

From there, the bullet ripped through neck muscle, severed the jugular vein and entered the brain. That was it. The quick and brutal facts of death. Now it was time for Detective Meyer to go see Rob Limone's widow and learn more about his Life. On Friday, August 22, five days after Rob Limone's murder, Detective Randall Meyer and a partner hit the road. It was a two hour drive to Hellndale east on Highway 58, up through the Tehachapi Mountain pass and a phalanx of windmills and then across the sun punished plains of the high desert. There would have been a lot to talk about on that ride. The crime scene, the limping man, the motorcyclist seen riding in that industrial park on the day Rob Lamone died. Everyone who'd worked with Rob had liked him. Nice guy, they all said. Family man. What about his wife, Sabrina Limone? What would she say? Once they hit Helendale, the two detectives wound their way towards Silver Lakes and the Limone home on Strawberry Lane. They found the front door tucked away on the left just past the garage. Inside, the front living room was full of friends and neighbors murmuring softly. Sabrina Limone was a tall, thin blonde. She greeted them. She looked pale and drawn, but composed. The detectives flashed their badges and asked if there was some private place where they could speak. Sabrina led them to a back bedroom.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

She was very composed. Actually, I think a couple times during the interview she did get upset and began to cry. She seemed to be handling it pretty well.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

All right. What picture of Rob Lamone emerged from? His wife.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

His wife said he's a great person. Would help anybody if they ever needed help with anything.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Did she mention anybody that might have a problem with her husband?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

No. She said that everybody loved Rob.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

By then, Sabrina knew her husband had been murdered. So the detective asked the question all good detectives ask when speaking with someone whose partner has just died suddenly in a particularly violent or mysterious way.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

You guys ever have any problems or anything or any. Any issues with infidelity or anything like that? No.

[Sabrina Limone]

We like to party. Nothing that would harm the kids or anything like that. But we like going the river and like drinking.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

At any point in time, did you ever think that maybe Rob may have had a girlfriend or anything? Never. How about yourself? Have you ever had a boyfriend or anything like that? No.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

No.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Okay.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Then the detectives asked about Rob. They'd found pictures of topless women on his phone. Selfies shot on a boat. Not unusual. Cops find plenty of stuff like that on people's phones. Even so, they had to ask.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

We're not sure if maybe those are just photos from the Internet or if they're personal photos. That's why we're asking. But. So there are some of you on there.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Okay.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

All right. We're trying to limit the fact that if maybe he had a girlfriend, if her husband or boyfriend found out he was trying to harm him.

[Sabrina Limone]

If I saw him, they might be like some of my girlfriends.

[Jason Bernatine]

Did you guys have an open relationship then?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

No.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Just maybe out partying at the river.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Partying at the river?

[Sabrina Limone]

Like the zip line.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Okay.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The detectives thanked Sabrina Limone for her time. On their way out the door, Detective Meyer handed out a few business cards, and the two detectives left town. Both felt the Limone marriage deserved a closer look. This had not seemed the right time or place to press that issue. Rob's memorial service was less than 24 hours away. We come in here hurt. We come in here grieving, and we come in here angry. And we come in here confused. And those are all normal feelings. Hundreds of mourners packed the sanctuary and an overflow room of the Grace Bible Church that Saturday.

[Kelly Bernatine]

How blessed are we to have known Rob Lamone.

[Jason Bernatine]

Rob became my best friend. And the amazing thing about Rob is I know there is at least 10 guys in this room that would also call Rob their best friend.

[Kelly Bernatine]

People say they love their friends, but Rob showed how much he valued them.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Rob's widow, Sabrina, had been too upset to plan the service or to speak. So Kelly Bernithine, one of her closest friends, did that.

[Kelly Bernatine]

When I met Sabrina, I thought that she was too sweet to be true. When I met Rob, I couldn't believe that she came with a match. There were two of a kind, and he became my best buddy, like everybody else's.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

When a video played which showed pictures of Rob's life from childhood to fatherhood, there was not a dry eye in the sanctuary. Those were the images of Rob Limone, his friends remembered. It was a life now reduced to memory, both bittersweet and sad. Little did anyone suspect that in the weeks and months to come, one of those in that room that day would become a murder suspect. Coming up this season on Deadly Mirage. Boiling passion in the desert heat.

[Michael Fleeman]

Wife swappers. Husband swappers. They would get drunk, they would party, they would take off their clothes, and then anything goes.

[Sabrina Limone]

He was like nobody I'd ever met before.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That was probably the most cold blooded killer I've come across. And I've been doing murder trials for a number of years. Deadly Mirage is a production of Dateline and NBC News. Tim Beacham is the producer. Brian Drew, Kelly Lawdean and Marshall Housefeld are audio editors. Carson Cummins is associate producer. Adam Gorfin is co executive producer, Paul Ryan is executive producer, and Liz Cole is senior executive producer from NBC News. Audio sound mixing by Katie Lau. Bryson Barnes is head of audio production.