“Unholy Matrimony”: 20/20 Reports on Robert Limon Homicide March 28 2025

This Friday, March 28, 2025, ABC’s 20/20 airs a two-hour special titled Unholy Matrimony, exploring the shocking case of Robert Limon’s murder and the tangled secrets behind it. The episode, hosted by Deborah Roberts, delves into the double life of the seemingly picture-perfect Limon family from Silver Lakes, California. Beneath their outward happiness was a web of infidelity, religious guilt, and a deadly conspiracy involving Robert’s own wife, Sabrina Limon, and her younger lover, Jonathan Hearn.

With interviews from both families, law enforcement, and Sabrina’s appellate attorney, Valerie Wass, the special revisits a case that captured national attention due to its salacious details and moral contradictions. Viewers will follow the investigation from the crime scene to the courtroom, where Sabrina and Jonathan’s relationship would be dissected under oath, culminating in two drastically different outcomes for the former lovers.

A Life Built on Appearances: The Limon Marriage and the “Wolf Pack”

Robert and Sabrina Limon were known in their community for their charisma, generosity, and active social life. They were part of a close-knit group of friends who called themselves “The Wolf Pack,” known for throwing parties and living a carefree lifestyle. Their marriage appeared happy, but behind closed doors, it was built on an unconventional agreement: an open relationship that included spouse-swapping with friends.

In 2008, the couple decided to explore non-monogamy more fully, attending adult-themed vacations and engaging with other couples. While the freedom initially seemed mutual, cracks began to form when Sabrina grew tired of the arrangement. She wanted a return to traditional values and suggested the couple recommit to their Christian faith. Robert, however, showed little interest in changing their lifestyle. Their relationship was drifting, leaving Sabrina vulnerable to emotional connection elsewhere.

The Affair With Jonathan Hearn: Faith and Passion Collide

In 2013, Sabrina met Jonathan Hearn, a 22-year-old firefighter paramedic, while working part-time at Costco. He was a decade younger, religious, and idealistic. The two bonded over their shared Christian beliefs, a connection that quickly evolved into a romantic affair. Sabrina was still married, but Hearn pursued her regardless, viewing their relationship as divinely sanctioned despite its moral complications.

When Robert discovered intimate messages and photos between his wife and Hearn, he demanded the relationship end. Sabrina agreed but resumed contact soon after. Their emotional bond grew, and they began speaking in religious tones about their connection. This language—rooted in guilt, redemption, and destiny—would later be used as evidence to uncover a murder conspiracy cloaked in biblical justification.

Murder at the Railyard: The Investigation Begins

On August 17, 2014, Robert Limon was found shot to death in a remote BNSF Railway facility in Tehachapi, where he worked. The crime scene appeared staged to look like a robbery gone wrong. Initially, investigators found no obvious suspects. Robert was well-liked, with no known enemies. But grainy surveillance footage from the area showed a man on a motorcycle limping near the crime scene, a lead that remained cold—until a tip changed everything.

A friend of the Limons, Jason Bernatene, informed detectives he had received a strange voicemail from Jonathan Hearn expressing deep sorrow over Rob’s death. This revelation put Hearn on the radar and initiated a deeper investigation that uncovered his affair with Sabrina. Investigators secured wiretaps on their phones and began listening to hours of conversations laced with religious self-flagellation and hints of deeper guilt. Still, there was no direct confession or explicit mention of a murder plan.

Sabrina and Jonathan Under Surveillance: The Net Tightens

Detectives attempted a psychological tactic by feeding Sabrina false information about the progress of the investigation. Almost immediately, she called Hearn on a burner phone to share the update—a suspicious move that pointed to coordination between the two. In November 2014, both were arrested. At Hearn’s home, investigators found a red bandana, motorcycle gear, and receipts—items consistent with surveillance from the crime scene.

While Hearn remained in custody, Sabrina was released due to insufficient evidence linking her to the shooting. Hearn refused to cooperate initially. But in the face of mounting evidence and the possibility of a life sentence, he agreed to testify against Sabrina. In exchange for his testimony, prosecutors offered him a plea deal that reduced his charge from murder to voluntary manslaughter and secured a sentence of 25 years and four months.

Trial and Testimony: The Lovers Turn on Each Other

In 2017, Sabrina Limon stood trial for her husband’s murder. She pleaded not guilty to all charges. Jonathan Hearn testified against her in a damning account of the plot. He claimed that after Sabrina refused to divorce Robert, the two discussed eliminating him. Hearn alleged that they even tried to poison Robert’s favorite dessert, banana pudding, with arsenic before the final plan—a shooting at his workplace—was carried out.

According to Hearn, Sabrina provided the layout of the BNSF facility, Robert’s schedule, and encouraged Hearn to go through with the plan. He admitted to firing the fatal shot. The defense, led by Richard Terry, argued that Hearn’s plea deal incentivized false testimony. Sabrina took the stand in her own defense, denying involvement in the murder plot and claiming she only confided in Hearn because she trusted him. She admitted sharing details about her husband’s schedule but denied any malicious intent.

Conviction and Sentencing: Diverging Fates

On February 21, 2018, Sabrina Limon was convicted on four of six charges: first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation of murder, and accessory to murder. She was acquitted of the poisoning attempt. In the sentencing that followed, she received 25 years to life in prison. Hearn’s plea agreement meant he would serve significantly less time, despite being the one who pulled the trigger.

In January 2023, the California Supreme Court denied Sabrina’s appeal for a new trial. Her attorney, Valerie Wass, continues to fight for a reversal, arguing that the prosecution relied too heavily on testimony from a man with a motive to lie. Meanwhile, Jonathan Hearn remains incarcerated, serving out his sentence after admitting to killing a man he believed stood in the way of his “God-ordained” relationship.

Aftermath and Legacy: A Marriage Unraveled by Secrets

The murder of Robert Limon exposed more than a crime—it revealed the hidden cracks in a marriage that appeared joyful on the outside. Sabrina and Robert’s relationship, once filled with parties and laughter, became a case study in secrecy, manipulation, and emotional chaos. The couple’s shared exploration of open relationships, their spiritual contradictions, and their social circle of “The Wolf Pack” added layers of complexity that continue to fascinate and disturb those who followed the case.

20/20’s Unholy Matrimony brings viewers back into the heart of this story with exclusive interviews and never-before-seen details. It offers a sobering reminder of how private passions and moral compromise can spiral into irreversible tragedy. Robert’s children, now without both parents, are the ultimate victims in a case marked by betrayal, deception, and death.

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