Woman branded ‘female Charles Manson’ escaped prison, prosecutor now doubts her conviction

Larry Sells called Sarah Jo Pender the "female Charles Manson" when he persuaded a jury in 2002 that she orchestrated the killings of two people. Years later, he wonders if she was given a fair trial.

Pender, a Purdue University dropout, escaped from a prison in Indiana and remained on the run for four months. Her story is now the focus of a true crime docuseries streaming on Hulu, "Girl on the Run: The Hunt for America’s Most Wanted Woman." It features new interviews with Pender, 46, and investigators connected to the case.

Producer Tom Pearson told Fox News Digital he was surprised to learn that Sells, the retired Marion County deputy prosecutor, now has doubts about Pender’s conviction.

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"Sarah Pender is indisputably very clever," said Pearson. "She’s very articulate. She’s very eloquent, and she’s very persuasive. But there are two very distinct camps. There are her family and her supporters who would say that she’s charming. And there are those in law enforcement and the Department of Corrections who’ve described her as manipulative."

Pearson’s comments reflect the perspective explored in the docuseries, which revisits the case and raises questions about Pender’s conviction.

"The ‘female Charles Manson’ label was first put on Sarah by Larry Sells, who was the prosecutor that sent her down for 110 years," Pearson said. "Part of the series is an interview with Larry Sells in which he talks about how this is the only murder case he prosecuted that he regrets prosecuting. Evidence came to light after the trial, and it’s his position now that he doesn’t think that she got a fair trial."

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In 2000, Pender’s boyfriend at the time, drug dealer Richard Hull, killed Andrew Cataldi and Tricia Nordman, The Indianapolis Star reported. The murders took place at the home they shared in Indianapolis.

Hull claimed there was an argument over money that escalated into violence. He used a shotgun that Pender had purchased for him. While Pender wasn’t home at the time of the killings, she rode with Hull as he disposed of the bodies in a dumpster, the outlet reported. She didn’t report the murders to police.

The couple was arrested days later.

"Sarah’s own take on it was that when she met Richard Hull, he offered her protection and love," Pearson explained. "They enjoyed spending time together. But it was within 12 weeks of their first meeting that the double homicide took place. And so, there was a very short window of time between meeting Richard and the murders taking place."

Hull was convicted of the murders and sentenced to 75 years in 2003. At the trial, prosecutors argued that Pender exerted significant influence over Hull and played a role in the killings, portraying her as the dominant figure in their relationship.

During the investigation, Hull’s attorney presented a handwritten letter purportedly written by Pender in which she appeared to confess to the murders. However, Hull later admitted that the letter was fabricated.

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Additionally, Floyd Pennington, a convicted sex offender who corresponded with Pender while incarcerated, told police that Pender had confided in him that she had manipulated Hull into committing the murders. However, Pennington’s claims are widely regarded as unreliable.

While some aspects of the evidence have since been challenged, court records show the jury was presented with multiple pieces of testimony and circumstantial evidence, not solely the disputed claims.

In 2002, Pender was found guilty of the murders. During the sentencing hearing, Sells called Pender the "female Charles Manson," arguing that she manipulated Hull into killing her roommates over drugs and money. She was sentenced to 110 years in prison.

Prosecutors at the time argued that Pender was not merely present after the fact but played a central role in the crimes. They alleged she encouraged Hull and helped orchestrate the killings, a theory the jury ultimately accepted in convicting her.

Pender admitted to witnessing Hull disposing of Cataldi and Nordman’s bodies and buying the weapon that was used. However, she has maintained her innocence in the murders. 

Six years later, with the help of Correctional Officer Scott Spitler and former cellmate Jamie Long, she escaped from Rockville Correctional Facility in 2008.

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"It was widely reported that Sarah was a manipulator and manipulated the guard into helping her," said Pearson. "I think a lot of people would take the view that it was the guard’s responsibility not to help a prisoner escape. In the documentary, she puts that as quite a clear example of when the label of manipulator is being placed on her for the misdeeds of other people."

Spitler and Long were arrested and convicted for their roles in Pender’s escape. But for four months, she lived on the north side of Chicago under the name Ashley Thompson.

"Most escaped prisoners do the same thing, which allows them to be caught," Pearson explained.

"They hang out with their friends, and they see their family. Sarah didn’t do any of those things. She dyed her hair, she took steps to change how she looked. She got glasses, although she didn’t have a prescription for glasses. But I think the thing that she did to evade capture is to keep moving and cut off contact from the people that an escaped prisoner would normally reach out to."

"She used burner phones," Pearson continued. "She used a phone once and then threw it away. She also had an extraordinary network of women on the outside who were helping her. Several former prisoners went out of their way and risked their own freedoms to help Sarah keep ahead of law enforcement."

Pender also got a new boyfriend, a "well-to-do" older businessman who quickly became her benefactor.

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"The truth is that they both had something to gain from the other," said Pearson. "This man, Tom, essentially gave Sarah places to stay, but in return, he was expecting a relationship with her. Ultimately, it’s up to the audience to decide who was actually in control of their relationship."

Pender’s newfound freedom came to an end when "America’s Most Wanted" profiled her. A neighbor recognized Pender and tipped off the police. She was captured in 2008. For five years, she was placed in solitary confinement at the Indiana Women’s Prison.

"Sarah managed to be on the run for nearly 140 days," said Pearson. "She knew, by all probability, she would never get out of prison. Her earliest chance at parole was in her mid-70s. She was prepared to die trying to get her freedom. She would rather face that than spend the rest of her life in prison."

In 2009, Sells was helping author Steve Miller with research for his 2011 true crime novel, "Girl, Wanted: The Chase for Sarah Pender." While going through old files, Sells and Miller discovered a "snitch list" written by Pennington that lawyers didn’t know about during her trial, The Indianapolis Star reported.

Pennington had identified individuals he was willing to help police apprehend in exchange for a plea deal.

According to the outlet, Sells became convinced that Pender should be given a new trial. 

"I’ve come to the conclusion that there definitely exists a reasonable doubt as to Sarah’s culpability in the case," Sells told WRTV in 2023. "I have learned things since Sarah Pender’s trial and conviction in 2002 that convince me that important evidence presented at her trial was tainted and that her murder convictions should be set aside."

"Justice is long overdue for Sarah Pender," he shared. "Unfortunately, the legal system has to date failed her, but that grievous error can and should be corrected."

Despite Sells’ change of view, Pender’s conviction has remained in place, and courts have not overturned the verdict.

In December 2025, Pender petitioned to have her sentence lowered to 45 years, including time served. In January, the judge denied her request. She is currently serving 110 years.

"I think some people say hope is a dangerous thing," said Pearson. "But you need to have hope to keep moving forward. It must also be incredibly difficult each time that hope is dashed."

"Two young people were murdered," he reflected. "I think the question here is what is fair justice for those crimes? It’s one of those events that continues to reverberate through many people’s lives for many years afterward."