Imagine a life that seems idyllic: a comfortable home, two children, and a quiet community. But beneath the surface, a "sacred bond" was shattering, leading to an illicit affair and a chilling plot that would end in a brutal murder. How far would someone go to escape a marriage, and what role would a quiet, religious paramedic play in a story of ultimate betrayal?
Robert and Sabrina Limon built a life in Helendale, California, a resort town nestled on historic Route 66. Robert worked for the BNSF railroad, and by all appearances, the family lived a comfortable existence with their son, Robbie, and daughter, Lyanna. However, their marriage began to unravel in 2008, when Sabrina testified they "opened our marriage bed," a choice she said "broke" their sacred bond.
Initially, this involved another couple, Dale and Nicole Smith. Sabrina developed an emotional relationship with Dale, whose marriage was already struggling. Robert eventually told Sabrina to stop seeing Dale, which she did. Following this, the Limones became involved with a larger group of couples, even going on adult-only group vacations. While it was speculated they engaged in a "swingers lifestyle," other couples denied it; only Jason and Kelly Bernatine admitted to sexual activity with the Limones, but "it didn't include intercourse". Sabrina even suspected Robert was having a private relationship with Kelly, a claim Kelly denied. Both Sabrina and Robert reportedly became obsessed with sex and pornography after their children began full-time school.
Sabrina began working at a Costco in Victorville, handing out samples. It was there, in August 2012, that she met Jonathan Hearn, a 22-year-old paramedic who did the grocery shopping for his firehouse. Hearn, described as fairly sheltered with a religious upbringing and no prior steady relationships, was immediately drawn to Sabrina, finding her to have a "magnetic personality" and describing her as "very loving and attentive and caring".
Initially, Hearn didn't realize Sabrina was married, as she didn't wear her wedding ring at work due to policy. Once she revealed her marital status, they agreed to remain friends, but their flirting continued, evolving into a "full-fledged affair" by the end of December 2012, which lasted about two years. Sabrina later explained her reasons: she felt a strong connection with Hearn and was drawn to the attention he gave her, something she felt was missing from her marriage. She described it as their "sacred relationship". Hearn corroborated her unhappiness, stating Sabrina expressed that Robert was exploitative, objectifying, and uninterested in their marriage, often focused on his own interests like partying, his truck, and boat, rather than his family.
By Valentine's Day 2014, Hearn and Limon were discussing marriage, a future that chillingly included the death of Robert Limon. Their initial plan: poisoning. Hearn stated they chose poison because it could "present as a medical issue and not a criminal issue," increasing their chances of escaping detection.
Sabrina allegedly provided crucial information, telling Hearn about Robert's rare medical condition that presented with symptoms similar to poisoning, and his recent stomach issues that could mask the poison's side effects. She also suggested food items for the poison: a Costco sandwich/wrap or Robert's favorite banana pudding with Nilla Wafers.
Hearn took meticulous steps. He used a prepaid credit card to purchase arsenic trioxide from an online supplier that required no background checks, having it delivered to his grandparents' art studio. In a chilling test run, Hearn admitted to poisoning a neighbor's dog with arsenic to determine the correct dosing ratio. After the "unsuccessful" (for the dog) test, he prepared a batch of poisoned banana pudding, which he delivered to Sabrina, who was meant to put it in Robert's lunch.
However, the couple got cold feet, worried about their cell phones being traced if the poisoning was investigated. Sabrina called Robert, telling him not to eat the pudding because "the bananas had gone bad". This led to them using burner phones for future communications, attempting to separate themselves from any potential murder investigation.
The poisoning plot was abandoned. Hearn decided that due to his medical background, poisoning would make him too obvious a suspect. The new plan was to "approach him directly". Sabrina then provided Hearn with intricate details about Robert's workplace, the rail yard facility layout, offering pictures and describing the office interior. She even gave him advice on avoiding detection, mentioning newly installed forward-facing cameras on utility trucks and suggesting he use his quieter motorcycle instead of his loud diesel truck. Hearn scouted the location and meticulously prepared: he made his own silencer from a Maglite, which he tested and found to work "very well," and prepared specific clothing, a mask, and extra ammunition, even changing the color of his motorcycle's gas tank and rear fender with adhesive flashing.
On August 17, 2014, Jonathan Hearn drove to the Tehachapi rail yard and shot Robert Limon to death. Robert's co-worker found him leaning against a truck in a pool of blood. Robert had two gunshot wounds: one from front to back, fracturing his jaw and grazing his spinal column, and another to the upper right front of his chest.
Sheriff Meyer's investigation quickly zeroed in on Hearn after friends noticed his vehicles at the Limones' home days after the murder. Phone records revealed over 7,000 communications between Hearn and a "burner phone" between April 25 and September 1, 2014, a phone later identified as belonging to Sabrina Limon. Their phones were tapped, and a recorded call revealed Hearn telling Sabrina that King David, who committed adultery and arranged to kill Bathsheba's husband Uriah, was "a lot like you and I" and "went out of his way to cover up his sin".
In November 2014, both Hearn and Limon were arrested. Sabrina was initially released but re-arrested after Hearn took a plea deal for 25 years in prison without parole in exchange for testifying against her.
The Trial: A Web of Lies Unraveled
Sabrina Limon's month-long trial featured a parade of witnesses, with the prosecution presenting photos, text messages, and call logs that painted her as a willing participant. Hearn detailed her role in the planning. Despite her defense arguing she had no idea of the murder plot, Sabrina's decision to testify in her own defense ultimately hurt her case, according to her lawyer.
The prosecutor relentlessly highlighted contradictions in her testimony:
• He confronted her with a Valentine's Day card she wrote to Hearn, professing her love and mentioning "hopes and faith in our future together" just six months before Robert's murder. Sabrina claimed it was "only a fantasy" and she "didn't know what I meant by that statement," admitting her "priorities were off".
• He pressed her on why she failed to mention Hearn to detectives when asked if Robert had problems with anyone, even after Robert had told Hearn to stay away from his wife. She claimed she "wasn't thinking about Jonathan at that time" and didn't want to "sully Robert's legacy," but the prosecutor exposed her "three lies to law enforcement within the first few hours". This, he argued, was to protect Hearn and obscure their affair from the murder investigation.
Adding to the damning evidence, an insurance payout official testified that Sabrina had inquired about a death settlement while her husband's murder was still being investigated, suggesting financial gain as a possible motive. On February 21, 2018, Sabrina Limon was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. While a motion to overturn her conviction was filed in December 2020, citing a lack of corroboration for Hearn's testimony, her fate remains in the hands of the appeals court.
This tragic saga, born from a shattered "sacred bond," reveals the darkest depths of human desire and deceit.
Open marriages can lead to unexpected emotional entanglements and desperate measures, how much personal responsibility does one bear when infidelity escalates into a calculated act of murder?