Tickling the Wire

Summary

Deadly Mirage: Episode Summary – "Tickling the Wire"

Deadly Mirage is NBC News’ gripping podcast series hosted by Josh Mankiewicz, delving into the mysterious and tragic murder of Rob Lamone in Silver Lakes, California. In the third episode, titled "Tickling the Wire," released on December 10, 2024, Mankiewicz unravels the complex web of relationships, secrets, and investigative techniques that ultimately shed light on this perplexing case.

---

Introduction to the Case

The serene facade of Silver Lakes, a verdant manmade oasis in California’s Mojave Desert, is shattered by the brutal murder of Rob Lamone. Rob and Sabrina Lamone appeared to lead the quintessential American life: a beautiful home, two young children, and a close-knit group of friends known as the “Wolf Pack.” However, beneath this idyllic exterior lay hidden tumultuous relationships and secrets that would come to light following Rob’s death.

Josh Mankiewicz [01:05]:
"That fleeting moment in the grocery aisle and the events that followed had lifelong ramifications for both of them and for everyone who knew them."

---

Background of Rob and Sabrina Lamone

Rob Lamone, a 21-year-old construction worker with a passion for dirt bikes, met Sabrina Marrero at a backyard barbecue in Prescott, Arizona, when she was 18. Their relationship blossomed quickly, leading to marriage in August 2000 and the birth of two children, Robbie and Leanna, in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

Detective Randall Meyer [07:01]:
"Robert, he doted on her. He did mostly everything that needed to be done. And he loved her. I could just see by the way he treated her."

For years, the couple seemed to embody marital bliss, with Rob introducing Sabrina warmly to his family and friends. However, in 2008, an unforeseen shift occurred when Rob and Sabrina decided to open their marriage, engaging in a consensual relationship with another couple. This decision marked the beginning of hidden tensions and clandestine affairs that would eventually become critical in the investigation of Rob’s murder.

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The Murder of Rob Lamone

On a seemingly ordinary day, Rob Lamone was found dead on a shop floor in Tehachapi. The initial investigation left Detective Randall Meyer puzzled, as there were no obvious motives or suspects. The tranquility of the Lamone family was violently disrupted, prompting Meyer to dig deeper into their lives.

Detective Randall Meyer [02:24]:
"I'm fascinated in relationships that end in the ultimate, worst possible way."

---

Detective Randall Meyer’s Investigation

Detective Meyer’s pursuit of Rob’s killer was fraught with dead ends until a crucial tip from Rob’s friend, Jason Bernatine, pointed him toward Sabrina’s affair with Jonathan Hearn, a young firefighter. This revelation pivoted the investigation towards uncovering the intricate details of the affair and its potential link to the murder.

Josh Mankiewicz [03:16]:
"And you will hear that couple's earnest prayers for God's guidance as investigators listened in on their private phone calls helps."

---

The Affair Between Sabrina and Jonathan Hearn

Jonathan Hearn, an 18-year-old firefighter, was more than just Sabrina’s lover. Raised in a devoutly religious and disciplined household, Jonathan was a dedicated firefighter with aspirations of becoming a paramedic or arson investigator. His involvement with Sabrina, who was over a decade his senior, introduced a volatile dynamic into the Lamone household.

Sabrina Lamone [11:05]:
"So I used to always tell Jonathan like, you're kind of wasting your life becoming a fireman."

Despite Sabrina’s efforts to maintain secrecy, including using a burner phone to communicate with Jonathan, their relationship became a focal point in the investigation after Rob discovered the affair, leading to increased marital stress.

---

Investigative Techniques: Tickling the Wire

"Tickling the Wire" refers to the method Detective Meyer employed to provoke conversations between Sabrina and Jonathan by intermittently providing misleading information. This technique aimed to elicit incriminating statements from the suspects without direct confrontation.

Josh Mankiewicz [29:15]:
"In an effort to get them talking about the case, Detective Meyer began providing Sabrina with little updates on how the investigation was going."

Meyer’s strategy involved sending Sabrina false updates about the investigation, such as fabricated DNA evidence, to observe her and Jonathan’s responses. This subtle manipulation led to critical breakthroughs in the case.

---

Key Findings and Evidence

Several pivotal pieces of evidence emerged through Meyer's meticulous investigation:

1. Motorcycle Evidence:

   • A motorcycle found at the Lamone residence bore the word "forgiven" alongside a cross, matching Jonathan Hearn’s Yamaha.
   • Security footage from a gas station near the murder site captured a motorcyclist resembling Jonathan, reinforcing his proximity to the crime scene.

   Jason Bernatine [17:33]:
   "It came back to no subscriber information found."

2. Gun Ownership:

   • Jonathan possessed .45 caliber firearms, matching the bullet that killed Rob, establishing a possible means of murder.

3. Phone Records:

   • An extensive analysis of phone logs revealed thousands of communications between Sabrina and Jonathan, including a sudden halt in their interactions shortly before the murder.

   Jason Bernatine [22:19]:
   "Yes. Yes."

4. Wiretap Authorization:

   • After securing a warrant, investigators wiretapped the burner phone used in the affair, capturing heartfelt communications that indicated a deep emotional bond between Sabrina and Jonathan.

   Sabrina Lamone [26:43]:
   "I love you to the end of the world."

These findings collectively painted a picture of motive, opportunity, and means, pointing towards Jonathan Hearn as the prime suspect in Rob Lamone’s murder.

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Conclusion and Implications

"Tickling the Wire" masterfully illustrates the complexities of marital relationships and the lengths to which investigators must go to uncover the truth. Detective Meyer’s innovative techniques and the unraveling of hidden affairs underscore the delicate balance between personal lives and criminal investigations. The episode not only narrates a compelling true crime story but also explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the pursuit of justice within tightly-knit communities.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Detective Randall Meyer [02:24]:
  "I'm fascinated in relationships that end in the ultimate, worst possible way."

• Sabrina Lamone [27:01]:
  "God, you have been dirtbags, we've been sinners, we've been selfish, we've sinned."

• Jonathan Hearn [31:48]:
  "I love you, Doc."

• Sabrina Lamone [36:30]:
  "You and I have an affair, you know, and it's like, well, of course they're going to look into that."

---

Deadly Mirage continues to offer an in-depth exploration of the hidden truths beneath seemingly perfect lives, highlighting the relentless pursuit of truth by those determined to bring justice to light.

Transcript

[Amica Insurance Representative]

At Amica Insurance, we know it's more than just a car. It's the two door coupe that was there for your first drive, the hatchback that took you cross country and back, and the minivan that tackles the weekly carpool for the cars you couldn't live without. Trust Amica Auto Insurance. Amica empathy is our best policy.

[Gold Belly Representative]

Hey guys, have you heard of Gold Belly? It's this amazing site where they ship the most iconic famous foods from restaurants across the country, anywhere nationwide. I've never found a more perfect gift than food. They ship Chicago deep dish pizza, New York bagels, Maine lobster rolls, and even Ina Garten's famous cakes. So if you're looking for a gift for the food lover in your Life, head to goldbelly.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code gift.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Their eyes met in a busy grocery aisle at Costco. She was handing out tasty samples, maybe some crackers with a new savory spread. She did not know when he approached that this stranger wearing a firefighters T shirt was also walking into her private life. And he, well, he never suspected the oversized role she would soon be playing in his. It was a routine encounter, like thousands of others, unremarkable in every way except for this. That fleeting moment in the grocery aisle and the events that followed had lifelong ramifications for both of them and for everyone who knew them.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

It was devastating, Absolutely devastating. I don't know. I couldn't, couldn't believe it.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So was this fixed or faded? Ordered and ordained? If she'd been off that day, if he'd turned down a different aisle, would any of this have happened? That is unknowable. What is known is that the lives they led leading up to that moment gave no hint of what would come after it.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

I'm fascinated in relationships that end in the ultimate, worst possible way.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And I'm also fascinated by the secrets that lurk underneath. In this episode, you'll hear about the lives of that misaligned pair in the Costco aisle from those who knew them best and loved them most.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Brina is such a positive, amazing person. Jonathan was always so thoughtful. We were best friends.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You'll hear the bedroom secrets of a bedroom community on the high desert.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

You know, if that's what a couple agrees with in their marriage, then that's their business. He'd show them pictures, naked pictures of the women out in Silver Lakes on his phone.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And you will hear that couple's earnest prayers for God's guidance as investigators listened in on their private Phone calls helps.

[Sabrina Lamone]

To bring that out about the right words. Please give her calmness and clarity of thought to not give too much information.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I'm Josh Mankiewicz and this is Deadly Mirage, a podcast from Dateline. Episode 3 Tickling the Wire for weeks after the murder of Rob Lamone, Detective Randall Meyer had chased shadows. Then, thanks to a tip from the murdered man's friend, Jason Bernatine, Detective Meyer now knew several things he had not known before. He knew that Rob Limone's wife, Sabrina, had been having an affair with a young firefighter named Jonathan Hearn. He knew the murder victim had had words with Hearn. And he knew that Sabrina Lamone had lied to him about all of that.

[Jason Bernatine]

It obviously caused some suspicion for me.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

She had an affair. Her husband found out about it. It caused some. Sounds like some significant stress in that marriage.

[Jason Bernatine]

Yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The detective did not know how those lives collided or why Rob Lamone wound up dead on a shop floor in Tehachapi. In the months to come, the friends and family of all three filled in the blanks. The backstory on Rob and Sabrina began in the late 90s when Sabrina met Rob at a backyard barbecue in Prescott, Arizona. Rob would have been 21 back then, Sabrina, just 18. Old photographs show them the way they were. Rob, a thick shouldered construction worker with a shaved head. Sabrina, willowy and blonde with an incandescent smile. Rob liked dirt bikes. And Sabrina, well, she liked whatever Rob liked. There's a photo of them from those days. Rob is sitting astride a motorbike, his bald head gleaming in the sun. Sabrina sitting right behind him, grinning from ear to ear. It was after one of those days spent careening across the sage dotted desert outside Prescott, that Rob's family met Sabrina. He brought Sabrina home and introduced us to all of us. Lydia Marrero, one of Rob's four older sisters, they just got back from riding dirt bikes and so she was kind of embarrassed.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

It wasn't a real formal meeting. He was very friendly. He brought her to our home because, you know, he was living with us and introduced us.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And that's the voice of Chris Wilson.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Another sister, nice girl. And he said, I think I'm going to marry her.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

He said, I think I'm going to marry her. And you thought great or mistake?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

I thought great. She was nice. She loved my brother and I could tell she did.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

A cursory review of the biographical details would have told the detective that Sybrina and Rob were married in August of 2000. Soon after, they moved to California, where Rob had gotten A job at the sprawling Burlington Northern and Santa Fe rail yard in Barstow. The happy couple settled in the Silver Lake section of Hellendale to be near her parents.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Robert, he doted on her. He did mostly everything that needed to be done. And he loved her. I could just see by the way he treated her.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In 2003, the Limones added a baby boy to their family. They named him Robbie. Three years later, they welcomed a daughter. They named her Leanna.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

She was just such an amazing mom. And Robbie and Leanna always came first to her. Always. That's all she cares about.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Those were the years when the Limone home on Strawberry Lane was filled with the sounds of kids and cartoons, a clack and clatter of plastic toys. Situation normal. Then, in 2008, something unseen and undetectable to others occurred in the Limone home. How it happened is a mystery. Only Rob and Sabrina know why it happened. It was then that Rob and Sabrina decided to open their marriage and to enter into a sexual relationship with another couple.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

I didn't know Sabrina and Robert's life in depth in Hellandale.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's Rob's sister Chris.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Again, nobody called me. And when I had heard that, I thought, you know, if that's what a couple agrees with in their marriage, then that's their business. It's just something that she told me about, I guess.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Kelly Bernatine says she heard about the Lamones open marriage from Sabrina.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

It was a couple that they had done that with. It wasn't like they had this big group.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Kelly says Sabrina told her their relationship with the other couple only lasted a few months and ended when the other couple split up. However, Sabrina's sister Julie Cordova says she suspected that little foursome was not a one off.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Rob would even tell my husband things, like he'd show him pictures, naked pictures of the women out in Silver Lakes on his phone.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That certainly could suggest that he wasn't ashamed of it. Here's what we're doing. Almost like they're showing you vacation pictures.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Yes, yes. You know, I just thought about this. There was a close friend of theirs that came out to visit. She knew what was going on or saw what was going on. She went to Robert and she said, this needs to stop now. And he said, oh, we're just having fun.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The detective did not know much about Jonathan Hearn, the third player in this particular love triangle. But a little back of the envelope math revealed Hearn had been young, just 18 years old. In 2008. That was the year Sabrina and Rob lamone opened their marriage. According to Rob Lamone's friend, Jason Bernatine, Hearn had been a smooth cheeked kid who liked to hang out at firehouses. He'd been one of several junior volunteers in the San Bernardino Youth Fire Explorer program back then. Despite that, Bernadine told the detective that seasoned firefighters could tell Jonathan was a cut above. He was thoughtful, well spoken, and already taking college classes. He said he wanted to be a paramedic when he got older, maybe even an arson investigator. And as anyone in the firehouse who'd spent 10 minutes talking with the kid could tell, Jonathan Hearn had the brains to be whatever he wanted.

[Sabrina Lamone]

So I used to always tell Jonathan like, you're kind of wasting your life becoming a fireman.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You could become much more.

[Gold Belly Representative]

You could be a doctor, lawyer.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's Kelly Bernatine's husband, Jason, a San Bernardino county fireman and a close friend of Rob Limone's.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Everyone else saw that in him and he would just say, oh, you know, no, this is what I've always wanted to do.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Jason is a little fuzzy on when he first met Jonathan Hearn, but he does remember working a couple of dozen shifts with him at different firehouses over the years. Jason says he was proud of the way the kid's career had taken shape.

[Sabrina Lamone]

He was an explorer, and then he became a paramedic and then the apprentice, and then he eventually got hired with Redlands Fire Department.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Jonathan Hearn had clearly been a young man in a hurry, and the more the detective learned about him, the clearer that picture became. Born the second of six children, Hearn had been raised in a devoutly religious home where church attendance and Bible study were mandatory. Like his siblings, he had been homeschooled.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

My brother Jonathan was homeschooled until the time when he was about 12, and then he was concurrently enrolled in college and he graduated with a double associates in high school around the same time.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's Nicole Hearn, Jonathan's older sister. When I spoke with her years later, she told me her brother had been so busy with school and work in those days that he never seemed to have time for girls.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

He flirted around with girls and he went on dates with them, but I was never privy to anything serious with him. I had never heard of him having a girlfriend, a steady girlfriend.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

No. As far as anyone could tell, Jonathan Hearn's first steady girlfriend had been Sabrina Limone, a married woman more than 10 years his senior. He'd been 22 that summer day in 2012 when he went to the costco in Victorville to pick up some supplies for his firehouse. At some point while he was wandering through the cavernous store, he rounded a corner and saw a pretty blonde woman handing out samples. Their eyes met as he pushed the shopping cart in her direction, and an invitingly brilliant smile flashed across her face. Jonathan Hearn stopped to chat. Almost two years to the day after that fateful meeting in Costco, the Silver Lakes Wolf Pack gathered to celebrate the 38th birthday of one of its most beloved members, Rob Limone. There was a big cake with candles and a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday, Happy birthday to you and many more. As usual, Kelly Bernatine was there to videotape the occasion for posterity. You look at that video, what do you see?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

I just hear her saying after singing Happy Birthday and many more. Yeah, you always add that on to the song.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It seems ironic now, of course. How could any of them have known that Rob Lamone was celebrating his final birthday?

[Amica Insurance Representative]

Thank you, everybody.

[Jason Bernatine]

I love you guys.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

We love you, Rob. There ain't no other problem up. We just look at him now and he says, I love you guys. Like he always. He always says, I love you guys.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Three days later, Rob Lamone was dead. And the detective found himself relying on those friends to catch his killer.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Hey, I'm Yara Shahidi and I'm the host of the Optimist Project. This is the podcast that asks what gives you hope. Each week I sit down with changemakers you may or may not know from comedy, music, academia and more to uncover what inspires them to create a better tomorrow. Join us as we find out ways that we can cultivate optimism in our own lives. You can find the Optimist Project wherever you get your podcasts, don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

At Amica Insurance, we know it's more than just a car. It's the two door coupe that's was there for your first drive. The hatchback that took you cross country and back, and the minivan that tackles the weekly carpool for the cars you couldn't live without. Trust AMA Auto insurance Amica Empathy is our best policy.

[Gold Belly Representative]

Hey guys, have you heard of Gold Belly? It's this amazing site where they ship the most iconic famous foods from restaurants across the country, anywhere nationwide. I've never found a more perfect gift than food. They ship Chicago deep dish pizza, New York bagels, Maine lobster rolls, and even Ina Garten's famous cakes. So if you're looking for a gift for the food lover in your Life. Head to goldbelly.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code gift.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It was on a September morning in 2014, a month after Rob Lamone's murder, when Kelly Bernatine noticed a strange motorcycle parked in the driveway at the Limone house. The bike had the word forgiven stenciled on the gas tank alongside a cross. Kelly did not know who the bike belonged to, but she had her suspicions. She wrote down the license number and gave it to Detective Meyer. Turns out it was registered to Jonathan Hearn, the man the detective suspected of killing Rob Lamone.

[Jason Bernatine]

Detective Meyer, after checking Jonathan's registration for that motorcycle, we went to the Yamaha website, checked out some other motorcycles similar in the same year, and was able to look at those motorcycles compared to the video that we captured from Goodrick Road. And they were very similar.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Encouraging. Yes. The detective had now identified a man who'd been sleeping with the murder victim's wife, who owned a motorcycle similar to the one caught on camera near the scene of the crime. And that wasn't all he knew. Jonathan Hearn also owned guns.

[Jason Bernatine]

The firearms that were registered to Jonathan match the same or similar caliber bullet that killed Rob Lemon.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Big bullet, big gun?

[Jason Bernatine]

Yes. He had a couple.45 caliber firearms that were registered to him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The detective was now certain Jonathan Hearn was the killer he had been looking for. If the man on the motorcycle was just Jonathan Hearn, then he was a long way from home. And at some point, the detective figured he'd have had to stop for gas.

[Jason Bernatine]

Highway 58 and Highway 395. There's a couple of gas stations located on that corner there.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

How far from the scene of the murder?

[Jason Bernatine]

About an hour's drive.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Since that would have been the quickest and most direct route to Jonathan Hearn's home, Detective Meyer asked a fellow investigator to visit those gas stations and look for security camera footage of a man on a motorcycle. Since the motorcyclist in Tehachapi was last seen leaving the industrial park at 5. 48, the detective guessed the rider would have likely stopped for gas in Kramer Junction around6.48 or so. It didn't take long for the other investigator to report back. Bingo. Security footage from a Kramer Junction gas station called the Pilot Travel center showed a motorcyclist wearing a black helmet and backpack pulling up to a pump at 651.

[Jason Bernatine]

Same stature, knees very high on the gas tank, wearing a backpack, which the subject was wearing a backpack on Goodrick Road. So at that point in time, we believe same motorcycle, same Subject, but with a clothing change.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So this person stopped somewhere to change clothes?

[Jason Bernatine]

Yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Once again, the security camera was unable to provide a clear picture of the motorcycle's license plate. It did record the rider walking into the gas station's mini mart, entered inside.

[Jason Bernatine]

The business to purchase some water and Gatorade with helmet on, sunglasses.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That sounds like somebody who knows that that whole transaction is being recorded on video and wants to make sure that you can't identify him.

[Jason Bernatine]

Yes, that was very suspicious.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

After pre paying with cash at the register, the rider goes outside and without ever taking off his helmet, refills his tank and rides away. I'm sort of hearing the word search warrant here.

[Jason Bernatine]

Yes, definitely. From the information we gathered, we started looking into phone records.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Up until then, the detective had found a lot of probable but not much cause. The phone records of Sabrina Limone and Jonathan Hearn changed all that. Using an Excel spreadsheet, investigators were able to chart all of the calls and texts between the two since the day they first met in that aisle at Costco two years earlier. There were thousands of contacts.

[Jason Bernatine]

They had multiple conversations via telephone calls and text messages.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Clear evidence of an affair, to be sure. But now the detective wondered if those phone records might also be evidence of a murder plot. As the detective studied two years worth of calls and contacts, he noticed a sudden break in the pattern that looked suspicious. In the spring of 2014, just three months before Rob Lamone's murder, those communications between Jonathan and Sabrina abruptly stopped.

[Jason Bernatine]

Sometime In April, about the 25th of April of 2014, those phone calls stopped and a new phone showed up on Jonathan Hearn's phone records.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

When you run that number, who's it come back to?

[Jason Bernatine]

It came back to no subscriber information found.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Meaning it's a pay as you go phone, A burner?

[Jason Bernatine]

Possibly, yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The kind of phone that somebody would use if they were either committing a crime or having an extramarital affair?

[Jason Bernatine]

Yes. Yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The number of calls and texts from Jonathan Hearn's phone to and from that new number was overwhelming. 7,000 of them. From April through October of 2014, there's.

[Jason Bernatine]

Conversations daily via either phone or text messages. Every once in a while, you'd have a day that there was nothing. But most of the days, there was some sort of conversation going on.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In the weeks leading up to Rob Limone's murder, those phone logs showed nearly 2,000 text messages between the two numbers. The detective suspected Sabrina Lamone was the person using the burner phone to communicate with Jonathan Hearn. But there seemed to be only One way to know for sure, the investigators asked a judge for permission to wiretap those phones. Difficult to get that warrant.

[Jason Bernatine]

Courts take that very seriously, and so it does take a substantial amount of effort to get that warrant.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In addition to showing a judge there was reason to believe Jonathan Hearn had conspired with Sabrina Lamone to kill her husband, they also argued that a conspiracy to cover up that crime was at that very moment ongoing.

[Jason Bernatine]

Early November 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.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Monitoring those phones 247 would be a huge job, too big for the eight officers who made up the Kern County Robbery Homicide Unit. So they enlisted the aid of other departments and agencies and borrowed the DEA's wire room in downtown Bakersfield. I'm guessing your bosses at some point said to you, you're killing us here.

[Jason Bernatine]

It is very expensive to conduct an operation like that. There's lots of manpower.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You start actual surveillance on Jonathan?

[Jason Bernatine]

Yes. Just prior to the wiretap, we had surveillance out there, and they were typically on them while they were moving during the day. Once the wire tap was initiated, the surveillance is 24 hours a day.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The guys in the wire room did not have to wait long for their monitor screens to light up. Just as expected, that call was Sabrina Lamone's burner phone to Jonathan Hearn's cell.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Hey, baby.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Hey, are you busy?

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Hey, I'm Yara Shahidi and I'm the host of the Optimist Project. This is the podcast that asks what gives you hope. Each week I sit down with changemakers you may or may not know from comedy, music, academia and more to uncover what inspires them to create a better tomorrow. Join us as we find out ways that we can cultivate optimism in our own lives. You can find the Optimist Project wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

At Amica Insurance, we know it's more than just a car. It's the two door coupe that was there for your first drive. Drive the hatchback that took you cross country and back and the minivan that tackles the weekly car pool for the cars you couldn't live without. Trust AMA Auto insurance. AMA Empathy is our best policy.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Oh, my God. It's the coolest thing ever. Hey, guys, have you heard of Gold Belly? Well, check this out. It's this amazing site where they ship the most iconic famous foods from restaurants across the country, anywhere nationwide. I've never found a more perfect gift than food. They ship Chicago deep dish pizza, New York bagels, Maine lobster rolls, and even Ina Garten's famous cakes. Seriously. So if you're looking for a gift for the food lover in your Life, head to goldbelly.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code GIFT.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Two things were immediately clear from that very first wiretapped call. Sabrina Lamone and Jonathan Hearn were as in love as moonstruck teenagers.

[Sabrina Lamone]

I love you. I love you. I love you to the end of the world. I love you.

[Jonathan Hearn]

I love you, Doc.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And in the weeks after Rob Lamone met his maker, his wife and her lover were spending a lot of time praying for guidance and forgiveness.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Hi, God. And we're on our knees for a reason. God, we have been dirtbags, we've been sinners, we've been selfish, we've sinned. We continue and continue and continue to sin. God. But you are a savior. God, you've given us a gift, not only of salvation, but you've given Sabrina and I a purpose.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In practical terms, their purpose seemed to include spending as much time as possible together. Just weeks after her husband's death, Sabrina was including Jonathan in outings with the kids. When 8 year old Leanna and 11 year old Robbie were in school and work schedules allowed, they'd get together at Jonathan's place for sex. When the kids were in bed asleep, Jonathan dropped by for sleepovers. And when they could not physically be together, they were on the phone. At times, Jonathan and Sabrina seemed to suspect their calls were being monitored.

[Jonathan Hearn]

There's a clicking on the phone. Do you hear it?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

However, they did not do anything about it. They didn't get new numbers, nor did they stop using that burner phone. No, they talked and talked about mundane things. Kids, work, family. Mostly they talked about God and the importance of keeping their affair a secret.

[Sabrina Lamone]

We have a purpose. We have a purpose. And I know that God knows our hearts and I just pray and that's my continual prayer to him, is that our purpose is not ruined by, you know, people hearing of our, of our wrongdoing, of our affair.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The one thing they didn't talk about was Rob Lamone's killing. At least not on the phone.

[Jonathan Hearn]

It's so crazy and, you know, I mean, we, I.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In an effort to get them talking about the case, Detective Meyer began providing Sabrina with little updates on how the investigation was going. Sometimes the things he told her were true. More often they were not. Inside law enforcement, provoking conversations between people. You're surveilling is known as tickling the wireless. Over the next week, the detective would become very adept at tickling. The first attempt came on a Sunday morning, November 9th. The detective sent Sabrina a text asking her to give him a call. It worked like a charm. Almost immediately after he sent that text, one of the monitoring screens in the wire room lit up.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Hello?

[Jonathan Hearn]

Hey. I just got a text message from Detective Meyer and he asked me to call him, so I'm going to.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Okay. And I'll pray.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Okay? Okay. I just wanted you to be praying. I'm gonna pray. And.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Guys, please help us, God. Please help us to be wise. Help Sabrina to have the right words.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Their prayer was briefly interrupted when Sabrina's daughter Leanna walked into the room where her mother was on the phone.

[Jonathan Hearn]

You're gonna have to give me a couple minutes. Okay then. Okay, good. You cut it. Good girl.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Once the little girl had been sent away to watch tv, Jonathan resumed praying.

[Sabrina Lamone]

God, please help her. Please give us wisdom in Jesus name. Amen.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Amen.

[Sabrina Lamone]

I love you.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Okay, I love you too.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Bye, baby.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Then Sabrina picked up her home phone and called the detective.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Oh, hi. Good morning, Detective Meyer.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Hey, Sabrina. How are you?

[Jonathan Hearn]

Oh, I'm okay.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The detective told Sabrina that although his investigation had hit a dead end, he was going to re release the security camera video of the man on the motorcycle to the local media in hopes of generating new calls to the tip line.

[Sabrina Lamone]

I know you guys probably don't get our news channels there, but I just wanted to give you a warning just in case you see it on the news.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Okay.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Was it true? It wasn't. No matter. The ploy had the desired effect. After hanging up with the detective, Sabrina immediately called Jonathan as investigators listened in.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Hello?

[Jonathan Hearn]

Hey. Everything's fine. I guess that he just said that, you know, they don't have anything and that they're re releasing the same video.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Any questions?

[Jonathan Hearn]

No, no questions at all. He just said they're at a dead end.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The next day, Monday, November 10, the detective decided to give the old wire another coochie coo nudge. He sent Sabrina another text that said, call me.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Detective Meyer.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Hi, Detective Meyer, It's Sabrina Limone.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Sabrina, how's it going?

[Jonathan Hearn]

Oh, what's up?

[Sabrina Lamone]

Some exciting news.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Okay, tell me.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Crime lab just sent me an email and said they got a good DNA sample from what they believe was a sweat drop. The best news you've gotten so far.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Really? Oh, gosh, that's great.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Good news. If that were true. Except it was not. Then the detective asked Sabrina if she would be available to come to Bakersfield for another in person interview.

[Sabrina Lamone]

So I'm wondering if maybe you'd be available maybe Wednesday and I can get you to come over here and we can get the interview knocked out.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Come to Bakersfield?

[Sabrina Lamone]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Okay.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Are you gonna be free Wednesday? Sure.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Sabrina clearly found the whole thing a little unsettling. After months of hearing very little from the detective, she was suddenly hearing from him every day. What did it all mean? Jonathan Hearn had his hands full when Sabrina called that Monday night to ask him about it. It was dinnertime at the firehouse, and Jonathan was on kitchen duty.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Hi, Dee.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Hi, my beautiful. I'm so sorry. We're just still getting dinner for the other guys.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Oh, I'm. I know. Your day's been so crazy. I'm sorry.

[Sabrina Lamone]

No, don't feel bad. I miss you so much.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Sabrina told Jonathan she talked with Detective Meyer and he wanted her to come to Bakersfield on Wednesday for another face to face. Jonathan didn't like the sound of that any more than Sabrina did.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Guess I want to probably talk in person. It almost seems like suspecting, like, you or something or like. So I started to think, like, they might even be tapping into phone calls.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

This development definitely called for a meeting in person. The problem was Jonathan was on the clock and couldn't break away for an in person chat with Sabrina before her Wednesday meeting with the detective.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Gosh, I'm so bummed that I'm on overtime today. And then I'm so bummed that I'm working tomorrow.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Bummed. Oh, yes. Jonathan knew enough about police work from his arson investigation classes that he was certain the detective intended to bamboozle Sabrina into saying something incriminating.

[Sabrina Lamone]

You know, officers are allowed to use ruse, meaning they're allowed to. If you want to get information, you're allowed to lie to get information. So it seemed like the whole thing, stuff like, hey, I need you to call me. I'm putting in the paper again. I have nothing. Was like, probably a ruse to get you to, like, relax and, like, open up, you know? I mean, I. Yeah, like, honestly, I feel like that's kind of what he's doing is, like, bringing you out of your comfort zone and into his comfort zone, and so you're, like, in his. In his domain.

[Jonathan Hearn]

Like, oh, yeah, he was really nice.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Right now, obviously, it's like, okay, you're driving to Bakersfield to give final statements. Why didn't you guys get all the final statements before? You know?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Jonathan assumed the detective had been looking at their phone records and knew about the affair. It was those records he told Sabrina that had captured the detective's attention.

[Sabrina Lamone]

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

[Josh Mankiewicz]

This next meeting with the detective was going to be high stakes and Sabrina needed to be prepped. The only solution, Jonathan thought, was delay.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Tomorrow just call him and say, hey, you know what stuff has come up, family and nature issues and stuff. I'm not going to be able to make Lynn say, can we reschedule for like, Friday, you know, and just kind of like, see, feel him out, like if he met. Is he. Is he jerking you around? Because he hasn't been straightforward. It doesn't seem like.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The next day, Sabrina called the detective and postponed the interview. Later, when Jonathan and Sabrina finally met face to face to prepare, Jonathan quite possibly reminded her of something he'd said earlier on the phone.

[Sabrina Lamone]

They need a lot of information. Is what this is telling me is they have big holes that they need to fill.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Yes, Jonathan suspected the detective would be fishing for something he did not have. So with Sabrina still on the line, he appealed to heaven for help in keeping it that way.

[Sabrina Lamone]

Help Sabrina outlaw the right words. Please give her calmness and clarity thought to not give too much information.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Coming up next on Deadly Mirage.

[Jonathan Hearn]

I've been reading Psalms 51.

[Sabrina Lamone]

The Psalms are so good. The Psalms are so good because David is a lot like you and I.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Sabrina, you ever hear anybody use a story out of the Bible to justify having an affair and killing the other person's spouse?

[Jason Bernatine]

That was the first. So did you guys have an open relationship? No, I just heard some rumors out there.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Yeah, I mean, I know how rumors go, sure. And I know that that's probably how we were viewed by maybe some.

[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 Representative]

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[Detective Randall Meyer]

Thank you for calling Amica Insurance.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Hey, I was just in an accident.

[Detective Randall Meyer]

Don't worry, we'll get you taken care of.

[Amica Insurance Representative]

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