In 2002, Sarah Jo Pender was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to 110 years in prison. Little did prosecutors, or the public, know the most shocking part of her story was still to come.
The docuseries Girl on the Run: The Hunt for America’s Most Wanted Woman, debuts Thursday, February 19, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ and chronicles all facets of the case—including Pender’s brazen 2008 escape from jail. The project primarily focuses on the “tense, real-life cat-and-mouse chase” with U.S. Marshals that unfolded during Pender’s stint on the lam, according to a news release.
While her status as one of America’s most infamous fugitives was ultimately short-lived, Pender’s legal saga continues almost two decades later. The convicted killer has maintained her innocence in the murders and speaks out in the docuseries about repeated efforts to obtain her freedom.
Here’s everything you need to know about Pender, her escape, and where the case stands now.
Who Is Sarah Jo Pender, and Why Is She Called the “Female Charles Manson?”
Pender, along with her ex-boyfriend Richard Hull, was convicted of two counts of murder for the killings of their roommates, Andrew Cataldi, 24, and Tricia Nordman, 25.
Cataldi and Nordman were living with Pender and Hull when the couple were shot to death in downtown Indianapolis in October 2000, according to Fox 59. Their bodies were later discovered in a dumpster, and Pender and Hull were arrested and charged with the murders.
Hull eventually pleaded guilty to killing the two roommates and received a sum total sentence of 75 years in prison, but prosecutors argued Pender was the mastermind behind the deadly attack. During her trial in 2002, Marion County prosecutor Larry Sells referred to Pender as the “female Charles Manson” because of her purported ability to manipulate people, akin to the infamous cult leader.
Pender later admitted to watching Hull dispose of the bodies and purchasing the gun used to commit the crime, but has maintained she neither killed Cataldi and Nordman, nor orchestrated the murders in any way.
However, an inmate named Floyd Pennington testified that Pender had confessed to him. And, the prosecution submitted a letter allegedly sent from Pender to Hull in which she admitted to manipulating him into committing the murders, according to The Progressive Magazine. A jury ultimately found Pender guilty of the two killings, and, in 2002, she was sentenced to 110 years in prison.
Still, Pender’s case would gain infamy years later for an entirely different reason.
How Did Sarah Pender Escape from Prison?
On August 4, 2008, Pender was missing from her cell during an inmate count, sparking a feverish search for her whereabouts.
“I knew that I was going to die in prison. And then one day I thought, ‘I bet I can get out of here,’” Pender quips in the documentary trailer.
It was eventually discovered Rockville prison guard Scott Spitler and a former inmate named Jamie Long aided Pender’s escape.
With the guard’s assistance, Pender—who had begun a sexual relationship with Spitler in prison—changed into casual clothes and sneaked out the door of a recreation building. Driving a white van, Spitler transported her off the grounds. He was quickly arrested and later pleaded guilty to aiding escape, a Class C felony charge. He received an eight-year sentence, including seven executed at the department of correction.
Police also questioned Long at her house the night of Pender’s escape, according to WTHR 13 in Indianapolis. Long eventually admitted to transporting Pender from the prison parking lot and providing her with $140. She accepted a plea deal with prosecutors on a similar charge of aiding escape and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
As for Pender, she assumed the alternate identity of Ashley Thompson and crossed state lines into Illinois, finding a job and place to live in Chicago. She was able to elude authorities for about four months, until a popular TV show helped end her scheme.
How Was Sarah Pender Caught?
On September 13, 2008, the television show America’s Most Wanted, hosted by John Walsh, featured Pender’s case. She was also added to the list of the most wanted fugitives in the United States.
Following a rerun of Most Wanted later in December, a viewer in Chicago recognized Pender as her neighbor and offered a tip to police. On December 22, she was apprehended at her apartment.
Upon her return to custody, Pender was placed in solitary confinement for five years at the Indiana Women’s Prison. In an essay for Solitary Watch, Pender described her daily routine—which included spending 22 hours per day inside a 7-by-10-foot cell with access to a few books, and being taken to another small locked room for two hours a day with a television and space for “recreation and exercise.”
“Six days a week, my hands are restrained through the door hatch and an officer escorts me into a shower room,” she wrote in 2014. “Four stalls line one wall; each stall is enclosed by three concrete walls and a steel mesh door that shuts us in and gets locked. I have 15 minutes to shower with an army of black bugs on the walls. Black mold peppers the baseboards and thick scales of scum cling to ripped shower curtains.”
Eventually, Pender was returned to the general inmate population. However, she has maintained her innocence in the two murders and her efforts to secure release continue today.
Where Is Sarah Pender Today?
Pender is currently incarcerated at the Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis and has an earliest possible release date of January 12, 2054, according to the Indiana Department of Correction.
Pender has sought multiple remedies in an effort to reduce her sentence. In March 2020, her sister, Jenifer Pender, started a Change.org petition requesting a clemency hearing with then-Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, citing a 2019 affidavit from a prisoner named Steve Logan in which he admitted to forging the letter submitted at Pender’s trial in exchange for Hull’s protection in prison. The page offered a glimpse at Sarah’s life behind bars, revealing she earned the nickname “plant whisperer” because of her gardening ability and was accepted into a master’s program at Evergreen State University located in Olympia, Washington.
“Governor Holcomb, please end my family’s nightmare and pardon or commute Sarah’s sentence in time to start classes this summer,” Jenifer wrote. “The world has so much to gain from Sarah’s love and talents. I hope now, with your help, my family can be reunited.”
Sarah’s clemency hearing was postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s unknown if it was ever rescheduled, according to The Progressive Magazine. Additionally, Pender tested positive for the disease and reportedly experienced symptoms of long COVID, including brain fog and decreased sense of smell.
Interestingly, Sells, the prosecutor who compared Pender to Manson, has since reversed course on his evaluation and supported recent challenges to her convictions and sentence. “I’ve come to the conclusion that there definitely exists a reasonable doubt as to Sarah’s culpability in the case,” he said in 2023.
More recently, Pender appeared in Marion County Court in December 2025 to petition for resentencing in her case. She requested an adjustment to 45 years—including time served and with good time credit, meaning she would be free with approval, according to IndyStar.com.
“Today is one of the biggest days of my life because I’m asking for the chance to be free and not die in prison,” Pender said while holding back tears. However, a judge officially denied her request in January 2026. No reasoning was provided.
How to Watch Girl on the Run: The Hunt for America’s Most Wanted Woman on Hulu and Disney+
The docuseries incudes an exclusive new interview with Pender, her parents, and her ex-boyfriend Hull, according to Deadline. Excerpts with Pender appear in the official series trailer above.
“I’m real dangerous with my charming smile,” Pender says with a laugh.
All three episodes of Girl on the Run: The Hunt for America’s Most Wanted Woman begin streaming Thursday, February 19, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
