Hulu’s ‘Girl on the Run: The Hunt for America’s Most Wanted Woman’ chronicles the crimes of Sarah Pender and Richard Hull, who were responsible for the killings of their roommates, Andrew Cataldi and Tricia Nordman, in Indianapolis, Indiana, in October 2000. The three-part docuseries primarily focuses on Sarah, who escaped from prison after she was convicted and sentenced. As the fugitive tried to avoid arrest, she became America’s Most Wanted Woman. Featuring in the documentary series, Sarah recounted her experiences on the run and maintained her innocence.
Sarah Pender Was Brought to Justice For Her Role in the Killings of Andrew Cataldi and Tricia Nordman
Sarah Jo Pender was born on May 29, 1979, to Bonnie Prosser and Roland Pender. She grew up alongside her sister, Jennifer, but was raised by her father after her parents got divorced when she was only six years old. After graduating from Lawrence Central High School in 1997, Sarah attended Purdue University. However, she dropped out before completing her course and began working as a secretary at Carl E. Most and Sons. Soon, she crossed paths with Richard Hull, who claimed he worked at a carpet-cleaning business but dealt drugs in reality. At the time, she worked at a construction company. The couple soon began living with another couple, Andrew Cataldi and Tricia Nordman, in the 900 block of Meikel Street in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In 2000, Richard and Andrew allegedly began dealing drugs together from their place of residence. On the fateful night of October 24, 2000, Sarah allegedly left the house after a heated argument erupted between Richard and Andrew over some money Andrew owed Richard’s sister. When she returned, she claimed that she found Richard in the middle of putting the remains of Andrew and Tricia in the truck. The two then reportedly disposed of the remains in a dumpster a few blocks away from the residence. During the investigation, the detectives learned that Sarah had purchased a 12-gauge shotgun with her ID on the morning of the double homicide. Both Richard and Sarah were arrested and charged with the murder of their roommates, Andrew and Tricia.
On July 22, 2002, Sarah’s murder trial got underway. The prosecution claimed that Sarah was the one who killed the couple in the residence, and not Richard. They brought Sarah’s fellow inmate and pen pal, Floyd Pennington, to the stand. He testified that she had admitted to killing Andrew and Tricia during their meeting at Wishard Hospital on September 22, 2001. They also presented a letter, allegedly written by Sarah, that consisted of her admission of guilt. The defense argued that the letter was a fake and that the defendant was not a clever criminal mastermind. On August 22, she was found guilty of both murders and sentenced to 110 years in prison.
Sarah Pender Escaped Prison With the Help of a Corrections Officer and a Former Cellmate
In 2007, Sarah Pender was temporarily held at the Marion County Jail, where she formed a friendship and intimate relationship with a fellow inmate named Jamie Long. The two also served time together at the Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis, Indiana, before Jamie was released. Following her release, Jamie frequently visited Sarah. Not long after, Sarah was transferred to the Rockville Correctional Center, where she got close to a corrections officer named Scott Spitler. Despite being married, Scott got involved in a sexual relationship with the convict. In exchange, he provided her with a cell phone and agreed to help her escape from prison.
On August 4, 2008, Scott gave her civilian clothes and helped her get inside his van, where she hid under the seat. The corrections officer then reportedly drove out of the prison and dropped her off at the parking lot, where Jamie picked her up. While Sarah and Jamie drove to Indianapolis, the prison was put on lockdown when the authorities noticed that Sarah was missing. Not long after, Scott was identified as her accomplice and arrested on August 5, 2008. Charged with official misconduct, trafficking with an inmate, sexual misconduct, and assisting a criminal, Scott led the detectives to Jamie, who was also arrested on August 7.
Sarah is Currently Incarcerated at an Indiana Prison Facility
By then, Sarah had made a new friend, Thia, who worked at a strip club. Through her, she met a businessman named Tom Welch, whom she allegedly began dating. Thanks to his connections, Sarah got a job in Cincinnati, Ohio. However, by October 2008, she was added to the US Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted Fugitives list. At the time, she had settled into a North Side neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, where she was employed as an estimator for a contractor, under the alias, Ashley Thompson. In December 2008, the investigators managed to locate her with the help of Sarah’s former cellmate named Peggy Darlington. She was arrested at her apartment, but she refused to admit that she was Sarah.
After Sarah was arrested again, she was held in solitary confinement at the Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis for more than five years. In 2013, the prosecutor who put Sarah behind bars in the first place found out that Floyd Pennington’s claims about her alleged confession were not reliable. Moreover, several handwriting experts had concluded that the letter presented at her trial was not written by her. In light of all these revelations, Sarah sought court review of her conviction in January 2014. However, her application was denied. On January 5, 2026, her petition was an early release was also denied. As of today, Sarah Pender is serving her sentence at Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her parole eligibility date scheduled for April 2054.
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