1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Hi, everyone, we have some exciting news to share. ABC 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: News Studios has turned Caroline Brega's story from Betrayal season 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: four into a docu series. You'll get to meet the 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 1: people involved, You'll hear from people who have never spoken before, 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: and you get to see where this story took place. 6 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: We are so proud and excited to share it with 7 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: you all. Stream Betrayal Dirty Secrets now on Hulu or 8 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: Hulu for Disney Plus. Hey, guys, Before we get into 9 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: the episode, a quick note. We're looking for news stories 10 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: of betrayal for our weekly Betrayal series, which returns in August. 11 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: If you've experienced betrayal and feel ready to share your story, 12 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: now is a great time to reach out. Email us 13 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 1: at Betrayal Pod at gmail dot com. That's Betrayal Pod 14 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 1: at gmail dot com. 15 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 2: I woke up just kind of feeling this heaviness on 16 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: my chest, like it was difficult to take a deep 17 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,319 Speaker 2: breath in, and my eyes were burning and you can 18 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 2: smell the exhaust. This rumbling sound. Where is that coming from? 19 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 2: Is that his truck? Is that his truck rumbling? 20 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:25,199 Speaker 1: I'm Andrea Gunning and this is Betrayal Season four, Episode three, 21 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: revisionist history. April eleventh, twenty twenty two, was Caroline's d Day, 22 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: the day that split her life in two. It was 23 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: the day her husband, Joel Kern, told her that he 24 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: had received oral sex in his police vehicle while on duty. 25 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: It was also the day he was placed on leave 26 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: pending termination, threatening the job their family had sacrificed. 27 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 3: So much for. 28 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: For Caroline, this wasn't just about infidelity. 29 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 3: It was about twenty years of lies. 30 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: A picture perfect family that never truly was. To fully 31 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: understand the impact of Joel's betrayal, we need to go 32 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: back in time to a few key moments in Caroline 33 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: and Joel's marriage. 34 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:15,119 Speaker 3: There were two. 35 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: Realities happening, and we're going to show you the split screen. 36 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: On one side, what Caroline experienced in the moment, and 37 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: on the other, what Joel was really doing behind the scenes. 38 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: Let's start with the life Caroline thought she had with 39 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: Joel before April eleventh, twenty twenty two. 40 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 2: We had, in my opinion, what would be a fairy 41 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: tale family for a law enforcement family. 42 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 3: We made the best of everything. 43 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 2: We were traveling together and we had these kids who 44 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: were just rock stars. We were talking about what it 45 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 2: was going to look like to retire and not have 46 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 2: a care in the world for day to day life. 47 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 2: We had this dream together. We were not perfect, but 48 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 2: we damn sure lived a beautiful and blessed life before 49 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 2: that day. 50 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 3: But after April eleventh. 51 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: I was lost. To say I was numb is an understatement, 52 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 2: like I have been with this person for more than 53 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 2: half my life. He is all I have known. It 54 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 2: just was this feeling of what the hell am I 55 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 2: going to do? 56 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: In the days after D Day, Joel made a series 57 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: of confessions. Every time he spoke with Caroline, he revealed 58 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: new details about what he had done, and Caroline began 59 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: to replay the tape of her own life vigil. That 60 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: process brought up old memories, Moments that had been buried 61 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: deep in her. 62 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 3: Mind now took on new meaning. 63 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: Let's start back in two thousand and one. 64 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 3: Caroline was twenty five years. 65 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: Old when she and Joel got married, and in episode one, 66 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: we shared that Joel's childhood friend read this passage at 67 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: their wedding. 68 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 3: Love is patient and kind, Love does not envy or boast. 69 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 2: He invited a childhood friend to do a reading, and 70 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 2: she was excited to be part of the ceremony. 71 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: Only six months after the wedding, something happened. It was 72 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: two thousand and one and email communication was still new 73 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: for some people. Caroline's aunt was using email for the 74 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: first time, so Caroline decided to send her a message. 75 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 2: As I logged on, I couldn't get into my email account. 76 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 2: I noticed, though, that Joel's was already up, and so 77 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 2: I thought, Oh, she'll get a kick out of this 78 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 2: even more because she'll think it's coming from Joel as 79 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 2: well as myself. 80 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: Caroline sent the email, but then she saw the preview 81 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: lines to other emails Joel had recently received. 82 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 2: And I noticed the friends who did their reading and 83 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 2: our wedding. There were several email correspondences with her. 84 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: And the preview lines made Caroline look twice. 85 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 2: And so I clicked and started reading through them, and 86 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 2: there was email after email exchange between the pair discussing 87 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 2: what it would have been like had they married each other, 88 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 2: or if they ever had a opportunity for a romantic interlude, 89 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 2: and they got pretty graphic. 90 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: Just months after their wedding, Joel was having an online 91 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: sexual conversation with a woman who was part of their ceremony, 92 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: a woman who had read the words. 93 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 4: Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 94 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: Caroline was stunned. She left a note next to the 95 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: computer letting Joel know that she had seen the emails. 96 00:05:53,680 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: Then she fled to her parents' house. Eventually she returned 97 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 1: home to confront him. 98 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 2: I pull into the garage, opened the door, walk through 99 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 2: the house, and he's on his knees waiting for me, 100 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 2: and he's crying and crying and over and over. Just 101 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 2: assured me that it was just merely for attention and that, 102 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 2: you know, look, I'll do anything. And then he said, 103 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:26,719 Speaker 2: you know, I'll go to counseling to assure you that 104 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 2: I'll never let this happen again. And so I said yeah, 105 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 2: because at this point there's no trust. 106 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 1: Joel said he was committed to showing Caroline that he 107 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: was serious, and they found a marriage counselor. During counseling, 108 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: Joel attributed his behavior to job stress and residual grief 109 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: from his father's death three years prior. 110 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 3: Joel said and did all the right things. 111 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 1: He apologized with tears streaming down his face. He promised 112 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:00,720 Speaker 1: it would never happen again, and Caroline believed him. 113 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 3: After all. It was only a few emails. 114 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 2: I convinced myself there was no physical cheating, and so 115 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 2: we were able to work through this. Early on, when 116 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 2: he did this, I thought naively that this was going 117 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 2: to make us stronger. 118 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: After D Day, Caroline returned to this memory and she 119 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: realized this was the first time she chose to see 120 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: the best in Joel. Once Caroline forgave Joel, their love 121 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: appeared to grow stronger, just like she'd hoped, and a 122 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: couple of years later, Caroline became pregnant with her first child. 123 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: In the final doctor's appointment before she was due to 124 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: give birth, Joel didn't show up. He said he had 125 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:53,679 Speaker 1: an important work lunch. But at that appointment, Caroline's doctor 126 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: recommended she'd be induced right away, so she called Joel, 127 00:07:57,800 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: begging him to meet her at the hospital. 128 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 3: When he got there, he seemed off. 129 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 2: Joel had been complaining he was super tired. And it's 130 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 2: hard to confess and admit this now, and very few 131 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 2: people know this, but when it came time to push, 132 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 2: the doctor came in and sat me up and said, 133 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 2: you know, here's what we're gonna do, and started explaining things, 134 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 2: and Joel raised his finger and said, can you guys 135 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 2: just all hold on for a minute so that I 136 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 2: can use the bathroom. And everyone just got real quiet, 137 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 2: and the doctor said, why don't you go ahead and 138 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 2: take care of yourself and we'll stay with your wife. 139 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 2: And the nurse who was in the room, she asked 140 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 2: if I was okay and safe at home. It was humiliating. 141 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 2: After our son was born, he said that he was 142 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 2: just incredibly tired, that he had gotten no sleep because 143 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 2: of work, and said that he was going to go 144 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 2: home and get sleep. Meanwhile, I was alone at the 145 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 2: hospital with our newborn son. 146 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: This is one of the most difficult memories for Caroline 147 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: to revisit. The very first day of her son's life, 148 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 1: Joel was mia. 149 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 2: Starting bright and early in the morning. His colleagues and 150 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 2: his coworkers were coming in to congratulate us, and Joel 151 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 2: wasn't there, And so I called him and said, all 152 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 2: of your coworkers are coming in and people are asking 153 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 2: where you're at. Are you going to come to the 154 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 2: hospital see the baby and I And so he said, 155 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 2: I just really needed a night to catch up on sleep. 156 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: Caroline assumed Joel really was exhausted. Maybe he was overwhelmed 157 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 1: by the reality of becoming a fop there. But now 158 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 1: she's forced to look back and ask. 159 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 2: Herself, did he leave that night after I had our 160 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 2: son to go be with someone or do something. I 161 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 2: don't know. I would hope not. I hope that he 162 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 2: went home just to get some sleep. But it's something 163 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 2: hew that I replayed. 164 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: Caroline knew what she was getting into when she married 165 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 1: a cop. Her eyes were wide open. There would be 166 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: times when Joel would have to prioritize work and she 167 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 1: would be the one to pull the weight. 168 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 3: But when it came to. 169 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: Big moments like the birth of their child, she thought 170 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: surely the family would come first, and if anything ever 171 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: happened to their children, she expected Joel to be by 172 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 1: her side. We're going to fast forward to January of 173 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:53,959 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, when their daughter Nicole was admitted to the hospital. 174 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 3: She was thirteen. 175 00:10:56,400 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 2: She had a very severe bacterial infection that grew concern 176 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 2: for her being septic, and so she was admitted to 177 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 2: a children's hospital for about a week. 178 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 5: That was one of the first times I ever saw 179 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 5: my mom cry. 180 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 2: I just was not doing well. 181 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 5: I was weak and lost twenty pounds in a week. 182 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 1: The timing couldn't have been worse for Joel. He'd just 183 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: been nominated for the permanent public Information officer position. 184 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 2: Joel was insistent that he couldn't take any time off 185 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:32,199 Speaker 2: work to come stay with her because it would be 186 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 2: a bad look. 187 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 5: I wanted him around, but I just constantly had this 188 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 5: notion in my head that my dad couldn't sacrifice work 189 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 5: like he had to be there, and so I don't 190 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 5: think it was even really a choice in my head 191 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 5: that he could be there. 192 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 3: They were used to Joel putting work first. 193 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: He couldn't be there to support Caroline or care for 194 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 1: his daughter. It was disappointing, but not surprising. 195 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 2: I now know why he really wasn't there. I found 196 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 2: very clear evidence later that he had made arrangements to 197 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 2: meet someone for sex. 198 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 1: When Caroline first told her mom she met the man 199 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: she was going to marry, her mom said, Jesus Christ, 200 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: you'd better not be a cop. But over the course 201 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: of their marriage, he became incredibly close with Caroline's family, 202 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 1: so close that when her mother passed away, he served 203 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: as the executor of her estate. Among the assets passed 204 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 1: down to Caroline was a rental property she didn't want 205 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 1: to keep. However, Joel convinced her that it would be 206 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: wise to hold onto it. It would provide passive income. 207 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,439 Speaker 1: He promised to manage it for her, and he did. 208 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: He found the runners and handled all the communication with them, 209 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: but unbeknowns to Caroline, he was using that property for 210 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: another reason. We're going to go to April twenty twenty. 211 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:30,680 Speaker 1: When Caroline looks back on this day, she sees it 212 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: as Joel's closest call, a near miss, a day that 213 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:38,680 Speaker 1: could have been her d day, but it wasn't, because 214 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: on this day, Joel was able to stay in control. 215 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 1: Here's their son's memory of what happened. 216 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 6: I was still in high school. I had to be 217 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 6: sophomore junior year. I get home from school and I 218 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 6: U Usually my mom will greet me or say something 219 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 6: when I get home, but I didn't hear anything. And 220 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 6: so I go up to the office and I see 221 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 6: my mom just in tears, and she's beside herself, and 222 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 6: she showed me. She said, look at what this person 223 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 6: just messaged me on Facebook. 224 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: The message claimed that Joel was sleeping with the tenant 225 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: that was living in their rental property. 226 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 6: And then my dad gets home and he's confronted with 227 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 6: it by my mom and he denies it. And I 228 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 6: remember confronting him and I told him, I said, if 229 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 6: this is true, like we're done. I'm never fucking talking 230 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 6: to you again. 231 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: Joel told Caroline somebody was messing with them. Who and 232 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: why he didn't know. But here's the thing about Joel. 233 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 1: He didn't get anxious or crazy. 234 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 3: He was calm. 235 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: Caroline insisted on going to the rental property with Joel 236 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: to get to the bottom of it. Not knowing what 237 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: to expect, Caroline taped the encounter. 238 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 2: Hello, what's going on? Well, you tell me. 239 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: The tenant blamed her ex boyfriend, saying he was looking 240 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: for revenge after their breakup. She strongly denied there was 241 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: any relationship between her and Joel. 242 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 3: That's why I don't know if he's just trying to 243 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 3: get to me to hurt me. I have no idea, 244 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 3: because the thing is I was trying to break up 245 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 3: with him. 246 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 1: We had the art time's arguments, and then he was trying. 247 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 2: To be nice to night. 248 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: Caroline was furious with the situation. How did her family 249 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: get mixed up in the reunner's drama and how did 250 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: the runner's ex boyfriend even know who Joel was. 251 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 2: So you said something. You said something to make some 252 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 2: psychopath think this about my husband. 253 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: And here's Joel defending himself in the moment. 254 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 2: This psychopath is got me on the road to the divorce. 255 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: My kids want me out. 256 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 2: Of the house. 257 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: Remember this was the before times Caroline and the kids 258 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: believed Joel had nothing to do with the tenant. 259 00:15:55,520 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 6: He proved his innocence seemingly to us. 260 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: Joel was able to keep his family together and put 261 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: this mix up behind them. That didn't change how their 262 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: son felt when he first heard about the accusation. 263 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 6: I mean, I was an asshole to him after this, 264 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 6: and I remember we were in the car together driving 265 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 6: and this was a very memorable moment for me because 266 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 6: it kind of takes goal to admit when you're wrong 267 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 6: or are seemingly wrong. 268 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 1: Initially, their son didn't believe Joel. In fact, he came 269 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: at Joel pretty hard, but after the renter cleared it up, 270 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 1: he felt guilty for attacking his father and he humbled himself. 271 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 6: I was in the passenger seat and it was just 272 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 6: us in the car, and I apologized to him for 273 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 6: how I treated him, and he accepted my apology and 274 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 6: so thank you for saying that. But no, come to 275 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 6: find out all of it was true. 276 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: On the day Caroline and her kids confronted Joel in 277 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: the RV, he had admitted that he had, in fact 278 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:04,160 Speaker 1: been having sex with the renner. 279 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 2: Where we got when you had sex at the we're 280 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 2: in the house, the basement, So you go down to 281 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 2: that dirty, filthy basement and then had sex, unprotected sex. 282 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,880 Speaker 1: The entire scene at the rental property was pure theater. 283 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: Joel and the tenant played their parts. 284 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 2: Well, we asked you, did you do this? 285 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 5: Didn't you do this? 286 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: You said no. 287 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:34,400 Speaker 3: Nicole couldn't believe it. 288 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 2: Joel admitted that he contacted told her she better not 289 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 2: say anything to me. 290 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: So when Caroline went to the rental property to investigate, 291 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 1: Joel had already told the tenant to keep her mouth shut. 292 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: Joel had sex on numerous occasions with the renter, but 293 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: stood by while she took all the heat and he 294 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: played the victim. It's a dark example of the split 295 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: screen reality. The family has Joel on tape, at first 296 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: playing the victim and then years later confessing in a cold, 297 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: flat tone. Caroline has lived through this dichotomy many times 298 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 1: after D Day, Joel admitted to lies that were so 299 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 1: disturbing they weren't just a betrayal of his marriage vows. 300 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,639 Speaker 1: They were a betrayal of his oath as an officer. 301 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: In episode one, we mentioned the George Floyd protests of 302 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:35,160 Speaker 1: twenty twenty. Joel told Caroline he was on the front 303 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: lines as tensions escalated. 304 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 2: People were throwing frozen water bottles or rocks, and he 305 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,399 Speaker 2: would say, oh, look look at this bruise that popped up. 306 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 2: This was from a frozen water bottle. Years later, he 307 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,199 Speaker 2: confessed to me that all of the bruises that I 308 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 2: was massaging or rubbing icy hot on were not a 309 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 2: result of the riots at all. He admitted to me 310 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 2: that he had been having an affair during those hours 311 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 2: with a coworker, and he was having sex with her 312 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:11,719 Speaker 2: at their offices, at the police department, in various areas 313 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 2: of town, or in his police car, and the marks 314 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 2: and bruising were a result of his escapades. 315 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: He accepted her sympathy and care, all the while knowing 316 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 1: that he actually got the bruises from having rough. 317 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 3: Sex with a coworker. 318 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 1: We're going to come back to this coworker, but before 319 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 1: we do. There's one more example of Joel using work 320 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:37,679 Speaker 1: as a cover of how low Joel was willing to 321 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: go to avoid the truth. 322 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 2: January of twenty twenty two, he had a moment where 323 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 2: he was called out to an accident in the middle 324 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 2: of the night, and he said it was a fatal 325 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 2: accident and that he would be out for a little bit. 326 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 2: This was uncommon. 327 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: Part of Joel's job duties entailed supervising the Major Accident Unit. 328 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: This required him to go out to the scene of 329 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:05,199 Speaker 1: fatal accidents and oversee the investigation. He was called at 330 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:06,880 Speaker 1: all hours, day or night. 331 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:09,960 Speaker 2: I was awake because he needed to get up to 332 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:12,159 Speaker 2: get ready to go out. He said goodbye to me, 333 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:14,199 Speaker 2: give me a kiss goodbye, and I said, you know, 334 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 2: be safe. I'll see you when you get home. 335 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,879 Speaker 1: Like many families, they shared an app called Life three sixty, 336 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,040 Speaker 1: which helped them keep track of each other's locations. 337 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 2: Why couldn't it go back to bed? I couldn't fall asleep, 338 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 2: and so I'm sitting there kind of scrolling through social media, 339 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 2: and then I see from one of the news sites 340 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 2: that the accident that he was called out to had 341 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 2: actually been cleaned up an hour hour and a half 342 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 2: before that, it was already moved and done. So I 343 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:45,400 Speaker 2: looked at our life three sixty and I saw him 344 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 2: in just kind of this random location, not too far 345 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 2: from our home. I texted him and I said, Hey, 346 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 2: where are you at. He didn't text back, and so 347 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 2: I thought that's strange, because even if he was at 348 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,399 Speaker 2: some type of accident or call for service, almost always 349 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 2: within minutes he would text back, or you know, do 350 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 2: an auto reply from his watch or something and say 351 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 2: can't talk right now. But I didn't get anything. So 352 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 2: then I got a little concerned and I called him. 353 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,960 Speaker 2: He put me to voicemail immediately, and so I waited 354 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 2: for a little bit, and then I texted him again 355 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 2: and I said, hey, I'm a little worried about you. 356 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:24,719 Speaker 2: And then he texted me back and said, I'm at 357 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:27,920 Speaker 2: a second accident scene. I'm headed to the hospital right 358 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 2: now to help. I'll be home in a little bit. 359 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 2: And so as he's saying this, I'm literally watching the 360 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 2: phone where I can see him speeding to our house. 361 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 2: He's not at another accident, he's not at the hospital, 362 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 2: He's coming from somewhere. And so when he got home, 363 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 2: I said, are you lying to me, and he said, 364 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 2: what are you talking about? 365 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:55,680 Speaker 1: His location on the app didn't match what he told her. 366 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:59,159 Speaker 1: He was saying one thing and she was seeing another. 367 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:01,920 Speaker 1: Joel blamed the technology. 368 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 2: That must be a cell phone tower pinging wrong. I 369 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 2: was at the hospital. Oh my god, do you think 370 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 2: I want to be out in the middle of the 371 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 2: night any longer than I have to be? And so 372 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:15,440 Speaker 2: he just kept saying this to me, to the point 373 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 2: where I started feeling terrible. I felt guilty for questioning him. 374 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: It's hard to look back on those moments, because when 375 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: you love someone and believe in their love for you, you 376 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: accept answers you believe. 377 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:39,440 Speaker 2: After we learned about his true colors and what he 378 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 2: was really doing, I asked him about that night and 379 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 2: he said, yeah, I had met someone on the internet 380 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 2: and we arranged to meet at an exit close to 381 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 2: the Air Force Academy, and that's where I was at, 382 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:51,919 Speaker 2: and you caught me. 383 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:58,400 Speaker 1: The data didn't lie, Joel did. This punctured Caroline's perception 384 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,199 Speaker 1: of her husband. She used to see him as a 385 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: hero to their community. Now she sees him as nothing 386 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: but a liar. As for that coworker, Joel confessed to 387 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: having sex with the one he actually got the bruises from. 388 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 3: Caroline found her. 389 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: Number and texted her, and to her surprise, she responded. 390 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,679 Speaker 1: Caroline was able to make contact with the woman that 391 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 1: Joel had an affair with at cspdvia text, and she 392 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 1: shared those texts. 393 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 2: With us, and so I wrote, Hi, this is Caroline Kern, 394 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:57,200 Speaker 2: the wife of whose husband you've been fucking. I look 395 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 2: forward to discussing your affair that you started and conducted 396 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 2: during work hours with internal affairs investigators. 397 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 1: Caroline wanted the CESPD to know that this affair was 398 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 1: going on during work hours on the taxpayer's dime. His 399 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: former mistress responded. 400 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:19,400 Speaker 4: No, sorry, I ended what he started because he said 401 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:22,159 Speaker 4: he was leaving you and he was lying to everyone 402 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 4: about himself. That was almost two years ago. Now I 403 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 4: don't know what has happened or why he lost his job, 404 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:32,440 Speaker 4: but I'm not involved, nor have I talked to him 405 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 4: since twenty twenty. 406 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 3: Ish you should look at. 407 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:39,440 Speaker 4: Getting HIV and HPV tested after his being involved in 408 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 4: all that. I'm really sorry for whatever has happened, but 409 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 4: he is a total lying piece of shit and you 410 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 4: deserve better run. 411 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,159 Speaker 1: The woman may have been really sorry, but when my 412 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:58,680 Speaker 1: producer eventually contacted her, she didn't seem to have much 413 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 1: sympathy for Caroline. What she did say, though, was illuminating. 414 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 1: We recorded our conversation with the woman and we've distorted 415 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 1: her voice to protect her privacy. 416 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:10,360 Speaker 7: Wow. 417 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, she won't let this go. 418 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:13,440 Speaker 8: We'll see. 419 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: She told us what she thought she knew about Caroline. 420 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 8: Everybody seems to know Caroline and know what she'd like. 421 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 8: Everybody says that she's kind of a problem, and I'm 422 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 8: not sure what that means. I'm wondering how much of 423 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:36,680 Speaker 8: a background you've done on her, because from what I understand, 424 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 8: it wasn't and this is not coming from him. From 425 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:41,920 Speaker 8: what I understand is that you know, she was very 426 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 8: controlling and not nice and something with some other family members. 427 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:57,200 Speaker 8: Shouldn't let him talk to his mom or something like that. 428 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 1: This description and went against everything we've heard about Caroline 429 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: from her friends and family, and it helped us put 430 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 1: together another piece of the puzzle how Joel kept his 431 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:12,679 Speaker 1: double life secret. You see, Colorado Springs isn't that big. 432 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: One way to keep anyone from telling Caroline the truth 433 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: was to paint her as the problem, and it seems 434 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 1: like Joel did exactly that. Did you ever meet his wife? No, 435 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:32,080 Speaker 1: this coworker turned mistress wasn't the only one who heard 436 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: similar things about Caroline at the department. It seemed that 437 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: everyone at CSPD knew Joel's wife was kind of a problem. 438 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 1: Here's a former CSPD officer we're calling Dan. 439 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 7: Other officers I think that were much closer to him 440 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:52,200 Speaker 7: socially would always make some comments about like how maybe 441 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 7: he had to get permission to just do anything with 442 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 7: anyone else from her before he could do that. And 443 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 7: you know, she kind of wore the pants in the house. 444 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,639 Speaker 7: That seemed to me to be somewhat common knowledge in 445 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:07,280 Speaker 7: the department. 446 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 1: Joel's coworker was under the impression that he was leaving Caroline. 447 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 3: Because that's what he told her. 448 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: He lied to Caroline, and he lied to his mistress, 449 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: and eventually she figured it out. Previously, I told you 450 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: about Joel having a mental health episode. He and Caroline 451 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,640 Speaker 1: were attending their son's high school sporting event. It should 452 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:31,959 Speaker 1: have been a fun time out, but Joel was distracted. 453 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 2: He became extremely withdrawn and very agitated. And so this 454 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 2: is about twenty nineteen. Now fast forward after our life 455 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,879 Speaker 2: blew up. He actually admitted to me why he was 456 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 2: desponded and behaving the way he was. It was because 457 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 2: he had broken up with him. It wasn't anything to 458 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 2: do with her son and driving and the concern or 459 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:56,640 Speaker 2: anything like that. 460 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 1: The woman who texted Caroline's saying I ended what he 461 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 1: started had ended their relationship. Within a year of the affair, 462 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 1: he planned an elaborate bow renewal. He stood before family 463 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,919 Speaker 1: and friends and professed his love for his wife. 464 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:18,840 Speaker 2: First time around, we did church bows. This time around, 465 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 2: we're going to speak from the heart. And so we're 466 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 2: before our friends and family out in this beautiful setting 467 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 2: on the beach. And when he gets ready to start 468 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:34,919 Speaker 2: his bows, he gets down on one knee and he says, 469 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 2: you know, over twenty years ago, I impulsively asked you 470 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 2: to marry me, and this time I want to do 471 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 2: it right. Would you marry me all over again? And 472 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 2: has this new, big, beautiful ring. And it was just 473 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 2: such a shock and the surprise. I mean, I felt 474 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 2: like life was perfect. 475 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: On the day of his revelations, what was once cherished 476 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: loving memory was destroyed. 477 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 3: Here's their son. 478 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 6: I was there firsthand, and I witnessed the whole val 479 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 6: renewal ceremony. But I don't think you can look at 480 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 6: his actions now and say there could be any truth 481 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 6: in it. Maybe he thought there was truth, but in 482 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 6: his actions absolutely not. It's just you feel betrayal and 483 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 6: just kind of a phoniness to it, And so to me, 484 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 6: there's no point in even thinking back on it because 485 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 6: it was rooted in a lie. 486 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: After April eleventh, as Caroline was going through Joel's emails, 487 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: she found confirmation he had been sexting with someone just 488 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 1: eight days after the vow renewal. It was with a 489 00:29:56,520 --> 00:30:00,720 Speaker 1: person he'd met online. The person was asking for nudes. Instead, 490 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 1: Joel sent them a selfie. In it, he's staring at 491 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: the camera, lying back on the family couch. Caroline was 492 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 1: so disturbed at the thought of their home being in 493 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 1: Joel's pictures that she sold all the furniture in their 494 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 1: living room. In the months before Joel was placed on leave, 495 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,640 Speaker 1: he could see the writing on the wall. He knew 496 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 1: for months that he was being investigated at work, but 497 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 1: he kept that to himself. While Caroline was reflecting on 498 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 1: her dual realities, she told us about an experience that 499 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:36,760 Speaker 1: happened just months before D Day. We weren't sure what 500 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: to make of it, but it affected her so deeply. 501 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: We wanted you to hear what happened. 502 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 2: In November of twenty twenty one, our daughter had left 503 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 2: for school for something very early in the morning. Joel 504 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 2: had told me that he too was going to go 505 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 2: into work early that day and that he'd simulator that night. 506 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,719 Speaker 2: I'm still in bed. He comes and kisses me goodbye 507 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 2: and tells me to have a great day. And I 508 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:12,240 Speaker 2: was asleep still, and when I woke up, I woke 509 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 2: up just kind of feeling this heaviness on my chest. 510 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 3: It was hard to breathe. She was disoriented. 511 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: Their daughter was already at school. 512 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 3: Caroline was alone in the house. 513 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 2: Like it was difficult to take a deep breath in 514 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:30,240 Speaker 2: and my eyes were burning. And you heard this rumbling sound. 515 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 2: Where is that coming from? Is that his truck? Is 516 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 2: that his truck rumbling? 517 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 1: Caroline's bedroom is on the first floor, just down the 518 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:41,640 Speaker 1: hallway from the garage. 519 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 2: And so I got up and the auxiliary door to 520 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 2: our garage was just a little open, and when I 521 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 2: opened it, it was like a rush of fire almost 522 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 2: hit my face, just kind of this warmth just hit me. 523 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:02,360 Speaker 2: The truck had been left running in our garage. I 524 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 2: was panicked and didn't know what to do, and so 525 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 2: I hit the garage open and I went out to 526 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 2: the driveway, and I'm kind of walking around trying to 527 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:14,200 Speaker 2: get my sense about me, and I'm trying to take 528 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 2: a big deep breath in, and uh, you know, I'm 529 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 2: finally able to gather my bearings. And I go over 530 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 2: to open his truck to shut the engine off, and 531 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 2: I can't open it. It's locked. 532 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 1: So she ran back into the house to get the 533 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: spare key. 534 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 2: We have a key ring holder where we put all 535 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:35,240 Speaker 2: our keys. His police car was gone, and our daughters 536 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:40,280 Speaker 2: were gone, but his truck keys were hanging there, and 537 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:42,920 Speaker 2: so I got the truck keys down, I was able 538 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 2: to open the truck. I opened the truck, and I 539 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,440 Speaker 2: turn off the engine, and I'm sitting there for a second, 540 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 2: and I'm like, what the heck just happened. 541 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: She had no idea how long the exhaust from Joel's 542 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 1: truck had been seeping into the house. Caroline called Joel, plustered, 543 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: end up set. 544 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:04,360 Speaker 2: I said, you left the truck running with the garage 545 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 2: door close, and the door between the garage and the 546 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 2: house just a little open, and he said I did 547 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 2: and I said, yeah, you did. And he was like, well, 548 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:15,960 Speaker 2: there's no way I did that. And I said, how 549 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:20,280 Speaker 2: would that happen? Then then he started saying that his 550 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 2: truck keys must have been in his pocket and he 551 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 2: must have accidentally hit the auto start when he was 552 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 2: pulling away in his cop car in the morning. I said, 553 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 2: there's no way you could have done that. Both sets 554 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:33,200 Speaker 2: of truck keys are hanging on the keyring. And so 555 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 2: we went back and forth, and he had me convinced 556 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 2: that it had to be a manufacturer defect or something 557 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 2: something happened. 558 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: If it was a defect, it was one that could 559 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:48,240 Speaker 1: have lethal consequences. They never figured out how the car started. 560 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: Caroline now wonders if she had really been safe in 561 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 1: her home. That brings us to Sunday, April tenth, twenty 562 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: twenty two. It was the day before their lives would 563 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 1: change forever. Little did Caroline know the two worlds she 564 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:10,720 Speaker 1: didn't realize she was living we're about to converge. 565 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:11,760 Speaker 3: During this time. 566 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 1: One constant for Caroline and the kids had been their faith. 567 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:17,319 Speaker 3: Here's Nicole, I. 568 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 5: Have my own little path, I suppose with my religion, 569 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 5: and so I was going to Mass pretty frequently before. 570 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:31,840 Speaker 2: That this is something that the kids might did together. 571 00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:34,840 Speaker 2: He never went. He had always been a proclaimed atheist. 572 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,440 Speaker 2: And as our daughter and I are getting ready, he 573 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 2: emerges and says he's going with us again. 574 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:44,720 Speaker 1: This was Sunday, April tenth, when Joel suddenly showed interest 575 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:48,320 Speaker 1: in going to church that day. Nicole was excited. 576 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 2: And our daughter said, Daddy, are you serious. You're really 577 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:54,200 Speaker 2: going to go to church with us? And he said, yes, 578 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 2: I want to go with you guys. I want to 579 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 2: be with you guys. And I think that maybe it's 580 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 2: time I give church a chance. 581 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:04,840 Speaker 5: I thought like, maybe this is the beginning of something 582 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 5: new or something. I was really happy that he wanted 583 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 5: to have family time. 584 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 1: The family thought Joel may have been reconsidering his relationship 585 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:19,200 Speaker 1: with religion, but in reality, his secrets were teetering on 586 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:25,319 Speaker 1: the edge of exposure. When Nicole reflects on that day now, 587 00:35:25,719 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 1: she sees Joel's desire to go to church in a 588 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: completely different light. 589 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 5: Looking back on it, maybe it was his last resort, 590 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 5: a call upon the big Man. 591 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 1: I suppose call it a hail Mary or maybe Joel 592 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 1: wanted to remind the family about the virtue of forgiveness. 593 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 3: But at the. 594 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:50,440 Speaker 1: Time it felt like a lovely family. 595 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:54,360 Speaker 2: Sunday, we went to breakfast together after church, and I 596 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,759 Speaker 2: staw silly pictures we took at the coffee shop we 597 00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 2: were at. We even went to Costco to get other 598 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:03,960 Speaker 2: We just had this really good day together, and I 599 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 2: just remember thinking to myself how thankful I was that 600 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:11,960 Speaker 2: Joel was wanting to be healthy, and that maybe some 601 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 2: of these changes that felt scary were about ready to 602 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:17,760 Speaker 2: be just really positive things for him. 603 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:21,279 Speaker 1: It was the last good day they'd ever have as 604 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:28,040 Speaker 1: a family. Joel's deception didn't just destroy his career, his marriage, 605 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:31,880 Speaker 1: or his family. They destroyed Caroline's memory of her entire 606 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:35,640 Speaker 1: adult life. Even the best memories, like the birth of 607 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:44,160 Speaker 1: her first child, are tainted forever. No memory is sacred. 608 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:46,960 Speaker 2: You know, At random, we'll see a picture and it's like, oh, gosh, 609 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 2: there we were at Disney World together, and then my 610 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:54,640 Speaker 2: brain goes to God, that was such a great trip. 611 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:57,920 Speaker 2: But what were you doing when we weren't looking. 612 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:07,480 Speaker 1: On the next episode of Betrayal, We'll take you inside 613 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: CSPD internal affairs on the day Joel's double life finally 614 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:12,400 Speaker 1: caught up with him. 615 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 8: The slip up proves that you're unable to keep track 616 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:17,839 Speaker 8: of all your lives, and quite frankly, I question how 617 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:19,840 Speaker 8: many other women are out there that may bring forward 618 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 8: allegations in the future. 619 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: The department finally realizes what they've got in Lieutenant Joel Kern, 620 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 1: But how do you catch a master manipulator and a lie. 621 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to Betrayal Season four. 622 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:38,399 Speaker 1: If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal team, 623 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 1: email us at Betrayal Pod at gmail dot com. That's 624 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:45,720 Speaker 1: Betrayal Pod at gmail dot com. 625 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:47,040 Speaker 3: Also, please be sure. 626 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:50,040 Speaker 1: To follow us on Instagram at Betrayal Pod and me 627 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 1: Andrea H. Gunning for all Betrayal content, news and updates. 628 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:56,359 Speaker 1: One way to support the series is by subscribing to 629 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:59,960 Speaker 1: our show on Apple Podcasts. Please rate and review Betrayal 630 00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:03,880 Speaker 1: five star reviews help us know you appreciate. 631 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:03,799 Speaker 3: What we do. 632 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:08,000 Speaker 1: Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of 633 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:12,320 Speaker 1: Glass Entertainment Group, in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show 634 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:16,360 Speaker 1: is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Fason. Betrayal 635 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:19,480 Speaker 1: is hosted and produced by me Andrea Gunning, Written and 636 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:23,719 Speaker 1: produced by Carrie Hartman, also produced by Ben Fetterman. Our 637 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:28,160 Speaker 1: associate producers are Caitlin Golden and Kristin Melcury. Our iHeart 638 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:32,120 Speaker 1: team is Ali Perry and Jessica Crincheck. Story editing by 639 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:36,680 Speaker 1: Monique Leboard, Audio editing and mixing by Matt Delvecchio, Editing 640 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:41,440 Speaker 1: by Tanner Robbins. Special thanks to voice actors Caitlin Golden 641 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:45,000 Speaker 1: and Rocky All, and special thanks to Caroline and her family. 642 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 1: Betrayal's theme is composed by Oliver Baines. Music library provided 643 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:53,080 Speaker 1: by my Music And For more podcasts from iHeart, visit 644 00:38:53,120 --> 00:38:56,440 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 645 00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 1: podcasts