Where is Jonathan Hearn now? Details explored ahead of Dateline on NBC
The upcoming episode of Dateline on NBC, one of the most prolific true crime shows of all time, is all set to cover the brutal murder of Robert "Rob" Liman at the hands of Jonathan Hearn, who schemed this murder plot with Rob's wife, Sabrina Limon. The case shook the whole community of Silver Lakes and remains fresh in the minds of the locals.
The case will be the subject of Dateline season 33 episode 11, which is set to premiere on Friday, January 10, 2025, at 9.00 PM EST. The synopsis for the episode reads:
"When Rob Limon is murdered at work, the investigation uncovers deep secrets about sex, friendship, religion and family; the broadcast explores the case featured in its chart-topping podcast "Deadly Mirage.""
While initially, investigators struggled to understand what happened to Rob Limon, as he was one of the most beloved members of his community, police soon found a lead with surveillance footage, which ultimately led to John Hearn, unearthing a sinister conspiracy in the process.
Just before his trial, Hearn cooperated with the police and revealed that Sabrina Limon was behind the murder plot. Despite that, he received 25 years in prison and continues to serve his sentence now.
Who is Jonathan Hearn and what did he do?
Jonathan Hearn was a young firefighter who met and fell in love with Sabrina Limon, a married woman and a mother of two. The two allegedly shared such a strong bond together, that Sabrina wanted to get her husband, Rob Limon, out of the way for good so that they could stay together without tarnishing her image in the society.
With the help of Sabrina, who masterminded the whole operation, Jonathan Hearn went to the BNSF railyard in Tehachapi, on August 17, 2014, and shot Rob Limon to death with a long caliber gun. He could have gotten away with the crime if not for surveillance footage that captured him and eventually led to unfurling the entire case.
How was Jonathan Hearn caught?
On reviewing surveillance footage from the railyard around the time of the murder, an unknown man was caught on camera. Moreover, surveillance video also caught an unidentified motorcyclist on the footage. Following on this motorcycle lead, and with a little nudge from Jason Bernatene, a friend of the Limons, they turned their focus to Hearn.
Soon, they deciphered that Hearn and Sabrina Limon were having an affair. Rob had allegedly found out about him and asked her to cut him out of her life, which she did not want.
Detectives wiretapped Sabrina and Hearn’s phones, only to find out that the two were speaking about Rob's murder in Bible verses. While initially it was not enough to ascertain that it was a murder plot, when police fed false information to Sabrina, she responded by panicking and calling Hearn.
This was enough for the police to arrest Jonathan Hearn and Sabrina Limon on suspicion of killing Rob Limon. Though they had to let Sabrina go for a lack of evidence, Jonathan's home search revealed a motorcycle, a helmet, a red bandana, and a backpack, all of which matched the description of the person caught in the footage.
Hearn was charged with the murder and remained in custody.
Where is Jonathan Hearn now?
Jonathan Hearn initially pleaded not guilty but two days before his trial, he agreed to help the police implicate Sabrina in exchange for a reduced sentence. He went on to testify against Sabrina and reveal that she was the mastermind behind the murder.
Hearn also revealed that Sabrina stood to earn from Rob's life insurance policy, which was worth $300,000. In exchange for his testimony, he was sentenced to 25 years and four months with the possibility of parole. He remains incarcerated at the Ironwood State Prison.
The upcoming episode of Dateline will cover this case in more detail.
