Hulu’s new docuseries Girl on the Run: The Hunt for America’s Most Wanted Woman examines the case of Sarah Pender, one of the most notorious prison escapees of the early 2000s. The three-part series revisits her 2002 double homicide conviction and her dramatic 2008 escape from the Rockville Correctional Facility in Indiana.
2002 Double Homicide Conviction
Pender was convicted in 2002 of murdering her roommates, Andrew Cataldi and Tricia Nordman, who were shot and killed in Indianapolis in October 2000. Her then-boyfriend, Richard Hull, admitted to pulling the trigger and was sentenced to 75 years in prison.
Prosecutors argued Pender influenced Hull and played a key role in the crime, despite not being present when the killings occurred. She was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to 110 years in prison. Pender has long maintained her innocence and has filed multiple appeals over the years.
2008 Prison Escape and Capture
In August 2008, Pender escaped from Rockville Correctional Facility with help from a correctional officer and a former cellmate. She lived under an alias in Chicago for about four months before being featured on America’s Most Wanted.
A neighbor recognized her after watching the program and alerted police. She was captured in December 2008 and returned to custody.
Solitary Confinement and Current Status
Following her recapture, Pender was placed in solitary confinement at Indiana Women’s Prison, where she spent five years in isolation. In a 2014 essay for Solitary Watch, she described being confined to her cell for 22 hours a day.
Pender remains incarcerated in Indiana. She has continued to challenge her conviction through appeals and public advocacy, insisting she did not commit the murders.
