The Man on the Motorcycle

Summary

Deadly Mirage: Episode 2 - "The Man on the Motorcycle" Summary

Podcast Title: Deadly Mirage
Host: Josh Mankiewicz, NBC News
Release Date: December 3, 2024
Episode Title: The Man on the Motorcycle

Introduction

In the second episode of Deadly Mirage, host Josh Mankiewicz delves deeper into the mysterious murder of Rob Limone, a dedicated worker whose death uncovers a web of secrets surrounding sex, friendship, and religion within the seemingly idyllic community of Silver Lakes, California.

Rob Limone's Murder

The episode opens with the serene setting of Silver Lakes, a lush manmade oasis in the Mojave Desert. Rob Limone, typically stationed 90 miles away at a major train yard in Barstow, was temporarily filling in at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) shop in Tehachapi, California. On August 2014, while performing his duties, Rob was brutally murdered near the Tehachapi loop—a 19th-century engineering marvel known for attracting both train enthusiasts and, unfortunately, train robbers.

Josh Mankiewicz:
"Every day, they roll through Tehachapi, California, by the dozens. Freight trains some several miles long are traveling what's called the Tehachapi loop... Keeping those tracks clear and the trains moving is the job of the rapid responders who work out of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe shop east of town. That was the job Rob Limone was doing on the day he died in August 2014."
[00:11 - 03:08]

Initial Investigation and Leads

Following Rob's murder, BNSF offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Detective Randall Meyer recounts the influx of tips they received, many of which did not lead to any breakthroughs.

Detective Randall Meyer:
"A lot. I would say. In the 50s or more, there was a lot of phone calls."
[03:01 - 03:08]

One promising lead emerged when a gunsmith reported that a regular customer named Mark had requested a modification on his firearm—a .44 caliber Ruger. However, forensic analysis revealed that the bullet from Rob's brain matched a .45 caliber weapon, rendering this lead irrelevant.

Detective Randall Meyer:
"It was not the gun that was used to kill Rob Lemon."
[07:43 - 07:45]

The Mystery of the Motorcyclist

A key piece of evidence was security footage showing a limping motorcyclist near the train shop around the time of Rob’s murder. The timestamps indicated a discrepancy between the rider’s presence and Rob's last known activity.

Detective Randall Meyer:
"The rider is seen headed west out of the complex at 5:48. Where had that rider been for those 20 minutes?"
[07:52 - 07:52]

Despite thorough investigations, the identity of the motorcyclist remained elusive, leaving Detective Meyer with more questions than answers.

Emergence of the Affair

The investigation took a pivotal turn when Jason Bernatine, a firefighter and close friend of the Limone family, contacted Detective Meyer. Jason revealed startling information about an affair between Rob’s wife, Sabrina Limone, and Jonathan Hearn, another firefighter.

Jason Bernatine:
"I knew of a prior affair with Sabrina Lamonte."
[12:27 - 12:30]

Jason detailed how Sabrina had met Jonathan at a Costco in Victorville, and although the affair seemed to have ended, Jonathan's persistent and increasingly erratic behavior suggested otherwise.

Chief Detective Meyer:
"Jason told me that he knew some things about the Lamones he thought the detective should know... the message was very odd."
[07:48 - 10:26]

Jonathan Hearn's Suspicious Behavior

Jonathan Hearn's actions raised significant suspicions. He made unsolicited attempts to reconnect with Jason and Sabrina, sending multiple text messages and a haunting voicemail expressing remorse and seeking forgiveness.

Jonathan Hearn's Voicemail:
"I feel numb. And you know what? I feel like God has crushed me and he has gotten my attention."
[13:37 - 14:07]

Despite Jonathan's seemingly contrite messages, his behavior—such as showing up unexpectedly with large bouquets of flowers and writing suspicious sympathy notes—painted a picture of someone hiding deeper motives.

Detective Randall Meyer:
"When he forgave me, Jason listened to all of it. Then he listened to all of it again."
[30:03 - 30:34]

The Affair's Impact on the Limone Family

Jason and his wife, Kelly, struggled with the revelation of Sabrina's affair. Their attempts to confront Jonathan Hearn highlighted the emotional turmoil within the Limone household.

Kelly Bernatine:
"So I go inside the house and I tell Rob, I don't know how to tell you this, Rob, but I got Jonathan Hearn on my phone and he wants to talk to you... Rob says, I know, buddy, I know."
[22:26 - 22:44]

Rob initially hoped the issue would be resolved by purchasing a new phone for Sabrina, but Jonathan's persistent messages suggested otherwise.

Wiretaps and Unveiling the Truth

In early November 2014, Detective Meyer authorized a wiretap, which confirmed the affair between Sabrina and Jonathan. The wiretapped conversations provided critical evidence linking Jonathan directly to the emotional strain that may have culminated in Rob’s murder.

Detective Randall Meyer:
"Early November of 2014. I was able to get a wiretap authorized... listen to their conversations."
[34:05 - 34:18]

Conclusion

As Detective Meyer continued to piece together the puzzle, the connection between Jonathan Hearn and Rob Limone became increasingly apparent. The episode underscores how deeply personal relationships and hidden affairs can escalate into tragic outcomes, shattering the façade of a perfect community.

Josh Mankiewicz:
"As far as the wolf pack was concerned, nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary."
[32:38 - 33:47]

This intricate case of love, betrayal, and murder serves as a chilling reminder that beneath the surface of idyllic communities can lie dark secrets with deadly consequences.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Josh Mankiewicz:
  "This is the story of that hunt for a killer and of the twisted trail that led to a conspiracy to hide the truth."
  [03:08]

• Detective Randall Meyer:
  "Truthful people usually don't get caught in those kind of traps."
  [03:08]

• Jonathan Hearn:
  "I want to fix this with you, so if you could give me a call back, I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much."
  [30:28 - 30:34]

Looking Ahead

As the investigation unfolds, listeners are left anticipating how the tangled relationships within Silver Lakes will ultimately lead to uncovering the true motive behind Rob Limone's murder. The next episode promises to delve further into the suspicions of the wolf pack members and the dark secrets that continue to surface.

---

Produced by Dateline and NBC News, "Deadly Mirage" offers an in-depth exploration of the mysterious and tragic events that disrupted the seemingly perfect life in Silver Lakes.

Transcript

[Narrator]

If you could hear love, what would it sound like?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Son, can we talk about your drinking?

[Narrator]

Yeah, Dad, I think we should. Helping those closest to you think about their excessive drinking. Maybe that's what love sounds like. [e-mail] An OHA initiative.

[Amica Insurance Voiceover]

Every day, our world gets a little more connected, but a little further apart. But then there are moments that remind us to be more human.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

Thank you for calling Amica Insurance.

[Kelly Bernatine]

Hey, I was just in an accident.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Don't worry.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

We'll get you taken care of.

[Amica Insurance Voiceover]

At Amica, we understand that looking out for each other isn't new or groundbreaking. It's human. Amica empathy is our best policy.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Every day, they roll through Tehachapi, California, by the dozens. Freight trains some several miles long are traveling what's called the Tehachapi loop. It's a 19th century engineering marvel, one that enables heavy trains to cross the Tehachapi Mountains. Climbing 77ft in less than a mile. The Loop is essentially a big helix, which attracts train buffs from around the world. It also attracts train robbers or tweakers who prey upon any trains that might break down there. Keeping those tracks clear and the trains moving is the job of the rapid responders who work out of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe shop east of town. That was the job Rob Limone was doing on the day he died in August 2014. Remember, this wasn't his normal gig. Rob usually worked 90 miles away at the big train yard in Barstow. He just happened to be filling in that day, doing a favor for a friend. Had Rob been killed by a tweaker, someone who'd wandered into the train shop looking for something to steal? That's what Rob's friends thought.

[Kelly Bernatine]

We thought maybe it was some kind of railroad robbery.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

BNSF put out a reward. You know, if anybody knew of anything. Silent witness, that type of thing.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The reward was for information leading to an arrest and conviction. A hundred grand. And wouldn't you know it, the tip line phones soon started ringing. How many phone calls you got?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

A lot. I would say. In the 50s or more, there was a lot of phone calls.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

This is the story of that hunt for a killer and of the twisted trail that led to a conspiracy to hide the truth. Truthful people usually don't get caught in those kind of traps. In this episode, you'll hear how the murder of Rob Lamone shined a bright light on high times. In the high desert, so many salacious.

[Angie Hicks]

Details started coming out.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

They made their choices. They're adults. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn't work out the way it hoped. You'll hear how that murder destroyed close friendships.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

After that, I had to get a restraining order.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And how the investigation revealed some stunning secrets that many were desperately trying to keep hidden.

[Kelly Bernatine]

That's what this story is about. It's peeling apart the layers, and you go deeper and deeper into Hellandale and.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Silver Lakes, and things are not as they appear. I'm Josh Mankiewicz, and this is Deadly Mirage. A podcast from Dateline. Episode 2 the man on the Motorcycle it was late afternoon on the Friday before Labor Day. Detective Randall Meyer rocked back in his office chair, leafing through the Limone murder file. Police reports, witness statements, tip line leads. Two weeks had gone by since Rob Limone's murder, and as far as Meyer could see, it all added up to a nickel's worth of nothing. He tossed the file back on the desk and stared at it, half hoping a solution would pop out of that pile of paper like a flyball to shallow right? Well, none did. So he reviewed it all again. The limping man seen on security camera video. Well, investigators found a man living nearby who matched that description. However, he had a solid alibi for the time of the shooting. There was also a theory going around that Rob Limone's killing might have been a case of mistaken identity because Rob had only been filling in that day, and on short notice at that. Some wondered if a killer had come looking for somebody else. That theory even seemed plausible when the guy Rob was covering for told investigators he'd had a run in with someone in a bar the night before Rob was killed.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

He told me that he and some fellow friends went to a local bar and got into a small argument with some of the patrons inside the bar.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's the voice of lead detective Randall Meyer. Argument about what?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

I believe he said he bumped into somebody and then it caused some confusion, and that's where it occurred.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The bar's security camera seemed to confirm the railroad man's story, except all that unblinking eye saw that night was some alcohol fueled jawing. Did it get to the point of, you know, punches being thrown?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

No, he said quickly. Once the argument started. He then left the bar with his friends and they went home.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

On the face of it, doesn't seem like that big a deal.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

No, it didn't seem to be a big deal at the time.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Except it was the night before Rob Lemon was killed. Yes, one of the more promising leads in the file had come from the tip line. A gunsmith in Tehachapi called in to say the day after the murder, one of his regulars, a man named Mark, had brought him a.44 caliber Ruger to repair.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

He said the gentleman, Mark, was having issues with the firearm and asked the gunsmith to change out the firing pin.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I'm no gun expert, but how often do people change out the firing pins in their guns?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Not very often. That was very suspicious to us.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Cops went to work tracking down that gun's owner. Turned out Mark was an older guy who owned a business there in the industrial complex. He did not limp, and he did not own a motorcycle. At the time, all investigators knew about the murder weapon was that it had been a large caliber weapon. Then the report came back from firearms analysis, and it turned out the slug pulled from Rob lamone's brain was a.45, not a.44. Meaning the ruger with the new firing pin was not the gun they were looking for.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

It was not the gun that was used to kill Rob Lemon.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Disappointing.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

It was disappointing at first. Back to the back to the grind.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Of the remaining clues, One still nagged at the detective. It was the security camera video of that motorcyclist riding through the industrial park on the afternoon Rob Lamone died. The man was wearing a backpack, a helmet, long sleeves, and long pants. The timestamps on that video made for a compelling timeline. At 4:15, the rider is seen traveling east toward the railroad shop. The detective knew Rob Lamone was not at the shop at that point because the same security camera had recorded him leaving the complex minutes earlier. About an hour later, Rob returns. Now, here's the thing. According to cell phone records, Rob's last text message, his last sign of life really was at 5:28. And the motorcyclist? Well, at 5:48, the rider is seen headed west out of the complex. Where had that rider been for those 20 minutes? The detective didn't know. He did know. He needed more facts before he could get beyond a lot of unanswerable questions. It was about then that his phone rang. On the other end of the line was a man's voice. Said his name was Bernatine. Jason Bernatine. He told the detective he was a firefighter in Hellandale and a close friend of the Lamones. He said he knew some things about the Lamones he thought the detective should know. Then he said something about a creepy voicemail he'd received that morning from a fellow firefighter.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

I asked him what was suspicious about the message. He said the message basically was him asking for forgiveness for some stuff he had done in his past, which he thought was very odd.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The detective told Jason Bernatine he'd meet him on Monday at the firehouse in Hallandale.

[Narrator]

If you could hear love, what would it sound like?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Son, can we talk about your drinking?

[Narrator]

Yeah, Dad, I think we should. Helping those closest to you think about their excessive drinking. Maybe that's what love sounds like. [e-mail] An OHA initiative at Amica Insurance.

[Amica Insurance Voiceover]

We know it's more than just a house. It's your home. The place the filled with memories. The early days of figuring it out to the later years of still figuring it out. For the place you've put down roots. Trust Amica Home Insurance. Amica empathy is our best policy.

[Angie Hicks]

Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of angie. One thing I've learned is that you buy a house, but you make it a home. And for decades, Angie's helped millions of homes owners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter. Get all your jobs done. Well, @angie.com.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It was a little after 5 when Detective Meyer arrived at San Bernardino county fire station number four in Hellendale. It was Labor Day 2014. Soon after he walked in the door, he recognized Jason Bernatine. Meyer had met Jason and his wife Kelly a week earlier.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

I had met the Bernatines at Sabrina Lemon's house when I did my first interview with her in person.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

But that was just happenstance because they happened to be there consoling her.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Yes, it was just briefly.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

At 36, Jason Bernatine looked like an Eagle Scout. Clean cut and wide eyed, as wholesome as a tall glass of milk. After shaking hands and finding a quiet place to talk, Jason got straight to the point.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Jason told me that he knew of a prior affair.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

A prior affair with Sabrina Lamont?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Who had told you there were no problems in her marriage?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

According to Jason Bernatine, the affair started a couple of years earlier when Sabrina got involved with a firefighter Jason used to work with, a guy named Jonathan Hearn. Jason told Detective Meyer that he'd thought the affair had ended. But then days earlier, he'd gotten some texts and an odd voicemail from Jonathan Hearn that made him think maybe he was wrong.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Jason actually told me that he wasn't gonna say anything to law enforcement at all about it. However, with a text message and then another text message and a voicemail, he thought it was very suspicious.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Jason Bernatine played the message for Detective Meyer.

[H]

Hello, Jason, this is Jonathan Hearn. I'd really like to talk to you sometime soon. I just got back from San Diego and went into Costco and heard about Rob.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So at that point, had you even heard the name Jonathan Hearn?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

No, not at all.

[H]

I am begging you on my knees right now that I could perhaps meet with you and your wife and say sorry for the hurt that I caused you.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

To the detective, the voicemail sounded like the anguished cry of a guilty conscience. There was a lot of talk about contrition and forgiveness and the Almighty.

[H]

I feel numb. And you know what? I feel like God has crushed me and he has gotten my attention.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Detective Meyer's attention was now laser focused on Jonathan Hearn. He wanted to know more of the backstory. So he listened intently to what Jason Bernatine and later his wife Kelly had to say about Jonathan Hearn and their good friend Sabrina Lamone. According to the Bernatines, it all started back in the fall of 2012. That's when Sabrina Lamone got a part time job handing out free food samples at the Costco in Victorville, a town about 15 miles south of Hellandale. It was there that she met a young fireman who was doing the shopping for his firehouse. Soon after, Sabrina mentioned meeting the fireman to Jason and his wife Kelly.

[Kelly Bernatine]

Sabrina told us like, hey, I met one of the guys you used to.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Work with, that's Jason Bernatine.

[Kelly Bernatine]

And I was like, oh, what's his name? And she says, john, and I know a lot of johns from the fire department. So I said, well, find out what department he works for next time you see him and then maybe I can figure it out. So next time I saw her, she said that he worked for Redlands. And I'm like, oh, that's gotta be Jonathan Hearn. I mean, one of the smartest guys I ever met. I said a lot of good things about him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

How long did you work with him?

[Kelly Bernatine]

He wasn't actually assigned to my station, so I would work what we call overtime. I would go work his station sometimes. I can't really recall.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And that was all there was to it, or so it seemed at the time. So it's Christmas 2012 at Brooks House that year. This year, the Silver Lakes Wolf Pack celebrated Christmas and New Year's together as they always did. Happy New Year's. Sabrina, wearing a black blouse and hot pink pants, lifted her wine glass and toasted the camera with a smile and an air smooch.

[Angie Hicks]

Happy New Year.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The alcohol flowed freely that night while love and laughter filled the room. Though none of her friends knew it. At the Time, Sabrina Lamone's life had already taken a turn. According to the Bernatines, the first sign something was going on with her came a few months later, in March 2013, at another wolf pack gathering. Since five members of the wolf pack had birthdays in March, the group typically celebrated those birthdays with a big night on the town. They called this annual outing March Madness. This particular year, the Wolfpack caravanned to a bar called Beef O'Brady's in Hesperia, a town about 20 miles south of Silver Lakes. Kelly Bernatine remembers the evening this way.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

So when we go to this bar for our March Madness birthday party, we'd already all been kind of drinking before we left, and we were ready to go have some more drinks. And Jason had gone in before me, and I went in with some of the girls, and I saw him talking to his captain at the bar, and a couple other guys were around him. And so I walked up to say hi to his captain, and he said, hey, honey, you remember Jonathan Hearn? And I more remembered for him from what Sabrina told me than when Jason had worked with him. And I was like, oh, hi. Hi, Jonathan. Um, nice to see you.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Small world, isn't it? Jonathan Hearn was a tall, handsome guy, clean cut, a thick thatch of brown on his head, conservatively cut, blue gray eyes, bright as high beams. Hearn said he lived there in Hesperia. He looked younger than the wolf pack crowd, and he was just 22 that evening. Even so, Kelly says he seemed to mingle easily with the older men at the bar.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

And I was like, oh, you know Sabrina. So I called at her from across the bar, and I said, hey, Brena, Jonathan's here. And now Sabrina is normally like a, oh, hi. Like, very animated kind of person. And this time she was like, oh, like a fake surprise look.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And you noticed that?

[Amica Insurance Representative]

And I noticed it. And I was like, oh, that was weird. So she comes over and says, hi, and he mentions this is like, the first time he saw her without a hairnet on. And I was like, okay.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You noticing any of this at the time?

[Kelly Bernatine]

No. No, because you're a guy, I'm a guy.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You, on the other hand, are decoding the signals.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

Yeah. And Rob was on the right of me and Jason, and I said, hey, Rob, do you know Jonathan? Sabrina's told me about him at work. She knows him from Costco. And he looked at me, like, confused. And he goes, y. Yeah, yeah, Kel. But, like, he really didn't. So she had mentioned him to me earlier, but I don't think she ever mentioned him to Rob.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

If Rob Limone was upset by the way his wife looked at this young stranger, the way she stood so close to him, as the night wore on, he said nothing. At least not there. Rob had plenty to say to Sabrina once they got home.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

The next day, she calls me and said, rob. Rob asked me what was going on with Jonathan, why was he there last night? And I asked her, I said, is there something going on? Did you tell Jonathan to come last night? And she said, no. And I said, are you sure there's nothing going on between you guys? And she said, well, no. He's just my friend.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The Bernatines say they might have accepted that explanation at face value if not for the fact that soon after that night at the bar, Jonathan began texting Jason.

[Kelly Bernatine]

He had my phone number saying, you know, hey, I had a really good time with you and your friends last night. You know, you guys are so cool. I would love to come hang out with you guys and go to some barbecues or go hang out on the lake with you guys. And at the time, I was like, oh, okay, yeah, sure, someday we could do that, Jonathan. Cool. But then the text messages started coming every couple days.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And this guy was not a really close friend of yours?

[Kelly Bernatine]

No, no. It was to the point where it was obsessive, to where I was getting multiple texts a day. And I started showing Kelly, like, hey, look, it's Jonathan again.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

Yeah, like, we thought he was hitting on him.

[Kelly Bernatine]

I thought Jonathan was hitting on me.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

Kind of became a joke.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The Bernatines told Detective Meyer that a few weeks later, Rob was over at their house helping with some remodeling work. It just so happened that while Rob was there, Jason received another text message from Jonathan.

[Kelly Bernatine]

One of the text messages said, jason, I really need to talk to your buddy Rob. I need his phone number. I thought this was suspicious. I went outside and I called Jonathan, and I asked him, like, jonathan, what's up, man? Why do you want to talk to Rob? Are you having an affair with Sybrina? Is there something going on?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

No. It's your radar that's going off.

[Kelly Bernatine]

Yeah, my radar finally goes off. And he says, yes. He says, jason, I'm sorry, but I've been living my life. I've been living my life wrong.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

He says that particular phrase, I've been.

[Kelly Bernatine]

Living my life wrong, and I need to get right with God. And I really need to talk to Rob. I just really need to talk to Rob.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Suddenly, this thing with Jonathan seemed as serious as a heart attack. Jason knew where this was going and he didn't like it, not one bit.

[Kelly Bernatine]

So I told him, well, if you're not going to tell me everything that's going on, you need to tell Rob. And then you disappear like, this is over, this is done. And he said, okay, thank you, Jason.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And you're thinking, oh, God, this is the last thing I wanted to hear.

[Kelly Bernatine]

I'm pretty upset because I realized that all these text messages he sent me, he's been trying to get close to Sybrina.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It was then that Jason walked back to the house and handed his phone to Rob.

[Kelly Bernatine]

So I go inside the house and I tell Rob, I don't know how to tell you this, Rob, but I got Jonathan Hearn on my phone and he wants to talk to you. Apparently he's been having an affair with Sybrina. And Rob says, I know, buddy, I know. I found out the other day.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Rob told the Bernatines that shortly after the March Madness outing, he and Sabrina had gone to a wedding and Sabrina had too much to drink. On the drive home, she evidently sent out a group text that included Jonathan Hearn. Rob told them Hearn had responded to that text with a flurry of text messages of his own.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

And her phone kept shooting off with all these messages that she was getting. So he's driving, he picks up her phone to see what the heck's going on. And I still remember his face. Like he rolled his eyes back in his head. He was like, pages and pages of this, like poems and I love yous and you're so beautiful and all this. And so he said he called him right then on her phone. He called him and said, this is Rob Limone. What are you talking to my wife for? And hangs up, breaks her phone. They fight.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Rob told the Bernatines he and Sabrina made up the next day and that he'd bought her a new phone. Rob had hoped that would be the end of it. But now here was Hearn again on the phone.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

I was kind of right there in our kitchen. Rob takes the phone and he goes into our backyard. And I look at him out there. He's just sitting there holding the phone, shaking his head like this. Uh huh. It's almost like he didn't even talk.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Then Rob comes back and what?

[Amica Insurance Representative]

And tells us that Sabrina's really embarrassed. We're okay, we're working it out. It's over. We got it handled, you know, please don't tell anybody. And we just were like, okay, Rob, we promise, like, we won't say anything to anybody.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The Bernatines were as good as their word. For more than a year, they kept the Limone family secret from the rest of the wolf pack. As far as they could tell, everything in the Lamone household was back to normal. They assumed Sabrina's affair was a thing of the past. They were wrong. When work gets crazy, I like to stop by the bar after, have a few cold ones.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

I don't drink at all until 4:00.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

We limit ourselves to one bottle of wine a night.

[Narrator]

Excessive drinking has a way of sneaking up on us. A few drinks, a few nights a week, it can add up and suddenly we're at greater risk for long term problems like heart disease, cancer and depression. Reason enough to rethink the Drink more at rethinkthodrink.com an OHA initiative at Amica.

[Amica Insurance Voiceover]

Insurance, we know it's more than just a car or a house. It's the four wheels that get you where you're going and the four walls that welcome you home. When you combine auto and home insurance with Amica, we'll help protect it all. And the more you cover, the more you can save Amica Empathy is our best policy.

[Angie Hicks]

Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of Angie and one thing I've learned is that you buy a house, but you make it a home. Because with every fix, update and renovation, it becomes a little more your own. So you need all your jobs done well. For nearly 30 years, Angie has helped millions of homeowners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter, from plumbing to electrical roof repair to deck upgrades. So leave it to the pros who will get your jobs done well. Hire high quality Certified [e-mail].

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Kelly Bernatine was in a hurry that day in February 2014 when she decided to quickly dash into the Costco in Victorville to pick up a few groceries. Normally, she would have texted Sabrina to ask if she was working that day so Kelly could say hi. On that day, she did not.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

I walked by an aisle and I saw her and Jonathan together talking and I wave to her and say hi and she has a big smile, runs over to me and she's like, oh, what's in your cart? What are you doing here? And I'm like looking over at him, like I see him right there and she pretends like he's not there at all.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And you don't say, because you're being such a good friend, isn't that the guy you were just having an affair with, who you said you weren't gonna see anymore?

[Amica Insurance Representative]

Yeah, no, I didn't say that. I just was like, I'm gonna go check out. So I was upset. I think she could tell I was upset.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Naturally, when Kelly told Jason about that encounter, he hit the roof.

[Kelly Bernatine]

I called him, and I said, jonathan, what the heck are you doing in Costco? Talking to Sabrina. And at this point, Jonathan starts saying, you know, Jason, I'm sorry. It's not like that. Sabrina and I are just friends now. We have a spiritual relationship. And I told him, well, Jonathan, you've had an affair with this woman. You've caused damage to this family. You don't need to be talking to her. You stay away from that family.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I'm guessing you were maybe a little bit more emphatic than you're right now.

[Kelly Bernatine]

Yeah, I said I saw a lot of words I probably can't say here, but there was a lot of yelling. And at one point in time, he tells me, so what am I supposed to do? Just not see her anymore?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And you're like, yeah, now you've got it.

[Kelly Bernatine]

Yeah. I started to get a really bad feeling, like he believes he has a right to see her. He doesn't see this as an out of bounds for him to be talking to a woman he's had an affair with. So in the end, I tell him, never go into her Costco again. And I'm yelling at him emphatically, and he agrees. He says, okay, I won't.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Six months after that, Rob Limone was dead. Jason told Detective Meyer how, at first, he did not think Rob's murder and Sybrina's affair could possibly be connected because he couldn't imagine a straight arrow guy like Jonathan Hearn having anything to do with murder. Then Jonathan left him that voicemail.

[Kelly Bernatine]

So 12 days after Rob's murder, my phone rings. I look down at it. It's Jonathan Hearn. I was in a doctor's office with my son. I wanted to take my phone and smash it against the wall because he used the one person I did not want to hear from. And I didn't answer it. I let it go to voicemail. A few minutes later, I started getting texts from him saying he needs to talk to me.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Jason was curious enough as to what all of this was about that he pressed play.

[H]

I just realized now life is so short, and I'm shaky right now. I'm sorry. I would really like to talk to you.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Was this about the affair? As far as Jason knew, Jonathan's affair with Sabrina had ended months earlier. Now he wondered if perhaps Hearn's tone was hinting at something else.

[H]

I did talk to Rob, and I was able to apologize to him, and that was something that was very meaningful to me.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

When he forgave me, Jason listened to all of it. Then he listened to all of it again.

[H]

I want to fix this with you, so if you could give me a call back, I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

He came home from the doctor's office, and he asked me if there was one person that would want Rob out of the picture, who would it be? And I said, jonathan. And then he said he called me. So we went in the backyard, and we didn't want our kids to hear the message or anything. And he played the message for me, and immediately I got goosebumps all over. And I was just sickened because the message was so disturbing. It was like he was forcing himself to breathe heavy and be upset and.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Oh, you don't think that's genuine?

[Amica Insurance Representative]

No, definitely not. It was creepy. It was like, oh, my gosh, this guy is crazy. And this is possible. He could have. He could have killed Rob.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That was on a Friday morning. It was later that afternoon when Jason Bernatine dug out Detective Meyer's business card and first gave him a call. The following Monday was Labor Day, the day Jason agreed to meet with Detective Meyer. And even before that meeting took place, Kelly was able to add a new piece of information to the puzzle. This one came from Sabrina herself.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

She told me that Monday morning that he had come over the night before with his sister and brought flowers. And we're not talking like a little thing of flowers. I mean, we're talking like a huge bouquet of flowers.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I mean, look, okay, the guy's presumptuous, okay? None of this makes him a killer. Just makes him a kind of a guy you'd rather stay away from.

[Kelly Bernatine]

Absolutely.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Along with the flowers, Sabrina told Kelly how Jonathan had written her a sympathy note that read in part, quote, all the things that I have read in the paper and on Facebook about Robert was that he was such an amazing man. I'm going to try to live my life like him. Unquote.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

She's reading me this letter, and here I've already heard this voicemail. I'm already freaked out by him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And she's reading you the letter like, can you believe this jerk? Or she's reading you the letter like, isn't this sweet?

[Amica Insurance Representative]

Isn't this sweet, sweet? Listen to this. Listen to how sweet Jonathan is. So I'm trying not to throw up. I'm trying not to scream, so I just listened.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

As far as the rest of the wolf pack was concerned, nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. Sabrina filled the role of grieving widow just the way everyone expected she would. She posted a glowing tribute to Rob on Facebook. She sent out thank you cards to funeral guests. She was somber and emotional when speaking of her late husband. None of the other members of the wolf pack knew anything about Sybrina's relationship with Jonathan Hearn. Well, except, of course, for the Bernatines. In the weeks after Rob's murder, they say their feelings for Sabrina began to change from sympathy to suspicion. Coming up next on Deadly Mirage.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

You know, if that's what a couple agrees with in their marriage, then that's their business. She went to Robert and she said.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

This needs to stop now.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

And he said, oh, we're just having fun.

[H]

Hi, De hi, my beautiful.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Early November of 2014. I was able to get a wiretap authorized. And so we were able to go up on the phones and listen to their conversations.

[H]

You and I have an affair, you know, and it's like, well, of course they're going to look into that.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Deadly Mirage is a production of Dateline and NBC News. Tim Beacham is the producer. Brian Drew, Kelly Lawdeen and Marshall Hausfeld are audio editors. Carson Cummins is associate producer. Adam Gorfain 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.

[Amica Insurance Voiceover]

At Amica Insurance. We know it's more than just a house. It's your home. The place that's filled with memories. The early days of figuring it out to the later years of. Of still figuring it out for the place you've put down roots. Trust AMA Home Insurance. Amathy is our best policy.