Kriti Mehrotra
NBC’s ‘Dateline: Secrets in Silver Lakes’ examines the 2014 murder of Helendale, Victor Valley, California, resident Robert Limon, along with its brutal and unexpected aftermath. On August 17, the mechanic was shot to death at the remote railroad facility where he worked, shaking the local community to its very core. But it soon came to light that it was his wife of nearly 14 years, Sabrina Limon, and her younger boyfriend, Jonathan Hearn, who conspired to kill him so as to be together.
Who Are Sabrina Limon and Jonathan Hearn?
Robert and Sabrina Limon tied the knot on August 19, 2000, making a home for themselves in Strawberry Lane in Silver Lakes. There, as they raised two children in an active community, while Robert worked as a mechanic, Sabrina got a part-time job at a local Costco. From the outside, the Limon’s were the perfect couple; social, family-oriented, and hard working. But behind closed doors, their marriage exceeded the traditional boundaries as it was an open one. It is reported that Sabrina did not wish it so but went along with it to please her husband and keep their family intact.
One day, while Sabrina was working, she came across a 22-year-old religious firefighter named Jonathan Hearn. The two began talking, and as sparks flew, they found themselves exchanging details. With an emotional connection being found along the way, their relationship soon turned into a romantic one. Sabrina, though, wanted to maintain her image of being the perfect wife with the perfect family, so she hid the affair. Yet, despite their 11-year age gap, Sabrina also wanted a future with Jonathan. Thus, the new couple colluded to remove Robert from the way for once and for all.
Sabrina Limon and Jonathan Hearn Are in Prison Today
Jonathan Hearn was identified as the gunman behind Robert Limon’s shooting death within months, getting charged and arrested for first-degree murder on November 18, 2014. Sabrina was also arrested that day, but because there was not enough evidence to make the charge stick, she was ultimately let go. However, in January 2017, two days before Jonathan was set to stand trial, he agreed to talk to the authorities and tell them the entire truth. Although he never once denied pulling the trigger, he revealed that Sabrina was the mastermind behind it all.
According to Jonathan’s testimony, Sabrina had started talking about killing Robert in April 2014. At first, they attempted to poison him, but then they came up with the idea of burning him alive in his vehicle. Afraid that it would be traced back to them, though, they finally settled on shooting him at his workplace and making it look like a robbery gone wrong. With all this, Sabrina was arrested once again.
When Sabrina stood trial for murder nine months later, Jonathan, having already pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, was the prosecution’s star witness. As per his plea agreement, Jonathan Hearn was sentenced to 25 years and four months, with the chance of early parole. Therefore, although he, at 31, is currently incarcerated at the Ironwood State Prison according to prison records, he will be eligible for parole in November 2028.
Subsequently, at Sabrina’s trial, Jonathan testified against her and claimed they planned on benefiting from the $300,000 life insurance policy Robert had on himself. His testimony proved crucial to the prosecution, and after six hours of deliberation, the jury convicted her of first-degree murder. As a result, she was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in 2018. However, Sabrina was in no mood to accept her sentencing and soon decided to challenge her original conviction. She even submitted a petition for the same, claiming that her constitutional rights weren’t maintained during the trial. However, in 2022 the court reviewed the case and upheld the original judgment. That was when Sabrina and her lawyer took her case to the supreme court in the hopes of winning a retrial. Yet, in January 2023, the California Supreme Court decided not to review Sabrina’s case. Hence, at present, she remains behind bars at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California, and will be eligible for parole in 2033.
Read More: Where Are Robert and Sabrina Limon’s Children Now?
