Detectives pursue multiple potential suspects, a key witness comes forward, and stunning secrets are revealed. This episode originally published on December 3, 2024.
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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 77 feet 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 Lamone 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.
We thought maybe it was some kind of railroad robbery.
BNSF put out a reward, you know, if anybody knew of anything. Silent witness, that type of thing.
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 did you get? A lot. I would say in the 50s or more, there was a lot of phone calls.
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 details started coming out.
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