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 Jo Pender, who was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder in 2002, is the subject of a new true-crime documentary, “Girl on the Run: The Hunt For America’s Most Wanted Woman.” (ABC News Studios)

“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 Pender is currently serving 110 years at the Indiana Women’s Prison. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK)

“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.

Sarah Pender was called the “female Charles Manson” because prosecutors argued she manipulated others into committing violent crimes, similar to how cult leader Charles Manson directed his followers. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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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Indiana State Police Detective Ryan Harmon investigated Sarah Pender’s case. The convicted double murderer escaped from a prison in Indiana. (ABC News Studios)

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.

Sarah Pender spent five years in solitary confinement. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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.

“When I looked back and saw how I misinterpreted the evidence based upon my lack of information that I didn’t gain until later, I just felt horrible about that,” Larry Sells, retired Marion County deputy prosecutor, said about the double murder case involving Sarah Jo Pender. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK)

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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Sarah Jo Pender’s ex-boyfriend, drug dealer Richard Hull, was sentenced to 75 years. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK)

“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.

Indiana State Police Detective Ryan Harmon investigated Sarah Jo Pender’s case. After escaping prison, she lived on the run for four months on the north side of Chicago using the name Ashley Thompson. (ABC News Studios)

“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.”

“Here’s how bad I feel,” said Larry Sells. “If the Supreme Court wouldn’t disbar me for representing her, I’d go ahead and represent her myself.” (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK)

“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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“He needed something that was big and juicy to put under his belt and he made me that case on purpose, which is where the female Charles Manson name comes from,” Sarah Jo Pender said of ex-Marion County deputy prosecutor Larry Sells. “And I think that at the time, he probably thought that what he was doing was the right thing.” (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK)

“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.

“Girl on the Run: The Hunt For America’s Most Wanted Woman” is now available for streaming.  (ABC News Studios)

“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.”

A neighbor recognized Sarah Jo Pender on an episode of “America’s Most Wanted” hosted by John Walsh (pictured here). (Mike Coppola/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

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. 

When Sarah Pender vanished, she ignited fear, fascination and a relentless pursuit that stretched across state lines. (ABC News Studios)

“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.”

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Larry Sells, retired Marion County deputy prosecutor, previously argued that Sarah Jo Pender manipulated her boyfriend to kill her roommates in a dispute over drugs and money. Sells later became convinced that Pender was wrongly convicted after discovering an overlooked piece of evidence that was not given to Pender’s lawyer. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK)

“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.

A view of Rockville Correctional Facility in Rockville, Indiana, on Jan. 11, 2023. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK)

“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.”

Senate Democrats blocked a move by Senate Republicans to modify a Trump-backed voter ID bill with a provision that would halt men in women’s sports.

The amendment to the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., was one of several tweaks to the legislation requested by President Donald Trump.

Tuberville’s amendment could have codified Trump’s earlier executive order from last year to ban transgender women from participating in women’s sports — a culture war flashpoint between Republicans and Democrats that, unless turned into law, will likely be reversed should a Democratic administration take over in 2028.

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 U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) speaks to reporters as he returns to his office at the U.S. Capitol on February 10, 2026 in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

But, as expected, the add-on failed on a party-line vote in the upper chamber.

The amendment was the first of several expected to hit the floor as Republicans continue their takeover strategy to debate the bill. Saturday marked the fifth day that the SAVE America Act dominated the floor.

“I would do whatever it took to get this passed,” Tuberville told Fox News Digital. “This is probably one of the most important bills that’s come through here in a long, long time. It’s just pitting Americans versus non-Americans.”

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UNITED STATES – FEBRUARY 4: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during the House and Senate Democrats’ joint news conference on DHS funding negotiations in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. Schumer is flanked from left by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)  (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Others on the docket include a ban on transgender surgeries on minors and halting unsolicited mail-in ballots — add-ons that Trump requested Republicans tack onto the voter ID and citizen verification bill.

And the ongoing floor takeover likely won’t result in the SAVE America Act passing, given that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats are unified in their rejection of the legislation.

“So I’m like, President Trump, we need to get it done,” he continued. “But I don’t know whether we’ve got enough support, even on the Republican side, much less Democrats.”

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US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House after arriving on Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The unlimited debate on the legislation is meant to mimic the talking filibuster, a strategy that would lower the threshold to pass the legislation to a simple 50-vote majority at the cost of deadlocking the Senate floor.

And Senate Democrats would be able to offer an unlimited number of amendments that could drastically change the bill, which Republicans have acknowledged they don’t have the numbers to block.

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The floor takeover they’re currently undertaking is largely meant to shift blame from Republicans to Schumer and Democrats for the bill’s expected failure, given that, in order to pass conventionally, the GOP would need 60 votes.

But others hope, like Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who is the lead sponsor of the SAVE America Act in the Senate, that the constant debate will grind down Democratic resistance and flip some over to support the bill.

For some seniors in Minnesota, happy hour comes with hurdles — but a new bill could change that by letting assisted living facilities serve drinks without a liquor license.

Minnesota law currently prevents facilities from organizing events that include alcohol without a liquor license, but the “Grandparents’ Happy Hour” bill would allow nursing homes and assisted living facilities to serve alcohol to residents without one, according to reports.

Much of the attention has centered on Anita LeBrun, an 88-year-old resident of the assisted living facility Amira Choice Champlin, whose vocal support of the bill has gone viral.

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“My friends and I love happy hour, just like many of you do, I am sure,” LeBrun said before the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee on Tuesday. “Over a shared drink, we get to reminisce about parts of our lives, military service, raising a family, the loss of a friend, and celebrating the golden phase of our lives too.”

Minnesota law currently restricts assisted living facilities from serving alcohol during events. (iStock)

Earlier this month, LeBrun told the state’s Senate Commerce Committee that living in an assisted living facility “doesn’t mean that we should have fewer freedoms than anyone else.”

On “Fox & Friends” Friday, she described regular meetups that include snacks, music and conversation, and how residents must bring their own drinks due to current restrictions. (See the video at the top of this article.)

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In many other states, senior living communities can allow residents to drink alcohol or host informal social hours, though policies vary widely. Minnesota stands out because its current rules can limit how facilities organize and serve alcohol in a communal setting.

“Requiring a liquor license is simply red tape without value,” Abby Dahl, executive director of Amira Choice Champlin, said in her testimony Tuesday.

The “Grandparents’ Happy Hour” bill aims to expand social opportunities for seniors. (iStock)

The issue arose after her staff sought to host a reception following a new renovation but were told a liquor license would be required, Dahl said.

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Under the measure, facilities would still have to follow state alcohol rules, including avoiding over-serving and ensuring safe conditions.

Industry advocates argue that the proposal is about preserving small, familiar routines that contribute to quality of life.

The bill would cut “red tape” and make it easier for seniors to socialize over drinks without supplying their own alcohol. (iStock)

“Ultimately, the ‘free the happy hour’ bill is about restoring a fundamental expectation — that moving into a senior living community does not mean giving up one’s autonomy,” LeadingAge Minnesota, an industry group that represents senior living providers, said in a statement.

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The bill has also received positive feedback from legislators.

“I appreciate the purpose of liquor regulations, but sometimes we recognize they go too far,” Rep. Danny Nadeau, R-Rogers, a co-sponsor of the bill, previously said, according to a House news release.

Advocates say allowing happy hour in assisted living could improve seniors’ quality of life. (iStock)

Some lawmakers, however, have raised concerns about expanding alcohol access more broadly. The bill is part of a broader omnibus liquor policy bill that would loosen some alcohol-related restrictions in specific cases.

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“As a state, we should be cautious about saying that this thing that kills 2,000 people a year in the state of Minnesota should be more available everywhere,” Rep. Leigh Finke, DFL-St. Paul, said.

The measure now heads to the full House for consideration.

UCLA center Skyy Clark has a new smile he’s showing off after the Bruins’ 75-71 victory over UCF on Friday night. 

The California native and senior lost his front tooth during UCLA’s first round game in the men’s NCAA tournament after he caught a stray elbow from UCF’s Themus Fulks when the pair dove for a loose ball late in the second half. 

UCLA’s Skyy Clark (55), right, has a tooth chipped by UCF’s Themus Fulks (12) during the second half of a first-round game of the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The accidental contact knocked out half of Clark’s front tooth, an ugly scene captured on the CBS broadcast. 

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“It definitely hurt,” Clark said after the game. “I have a little lisp going on.”

As Clark was being attended to by the team’s staff, UCLA walk-on Jack Seidler jumped into action to find the missing tooth.

“Somebody’s got to get it, somebody’s got to get it,” Seidler recalled.

UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) reacts after having his tooth knocked out against the UCF Knights in the second half of a first-round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)

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The broadcast showed Seidler returning to the scene and picking up what was left of Clark’s tooth, which he said resulted in his cellphone blowing up with reactions to his heroics. But for Seidler, the real star was Clark, who returned to play shortly after the incident. 

“That’s toughness right there,” he said. “Losing half a tooth and coming back into the game to help us get the win.”

Clark, who averaged 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals throughout his collegiate career, returned and hit a free throw with seconds remaining to secure the Bruins’ victory. 

UCLA’s Skyy Clark (55), center, smiles after chipping his tooth during the second half of a first-round game of the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament against UCF in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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“He looked so good in the locker room,” head coach Mick Cronin said after the game. “Looks like a boxer. Keep trying to talk to these guys about my old days. He just looked tough. Looks tough. In the locker room, smiling. There’s blood.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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FBI agents raided a Hollywood mansion early Thursday, arresting a suspect in pajamas in a raid tied to an alleged $17.4 million mortgage fraud scheme targeting elderly homeowners.

Prosecutors said the scheme resulted in about $6 million in actual losses, with 11 suspects — including an Iranian and Azerbaijani national — accused of stealing victims’ identities, taking out mortgages on their homes and pocketing the cash.

During the raid, part of Operation Hard Money, agents surrounded the home and took the suspect into custody after he walked out with his hands up before being handcuffed, FOX 11 reported. Several luxury vehicles were parked outside, and the property appeared recently remodeled, the outlet reported.

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FBI agents take a suspect into custody outside a Hollywood mansion during a raid linked to an alleged $17.4 million mortgage fraud scheme targeting elderly homeowners. (FBI Los Angeles)

“There is no shortage of massive fraud occurring within California,” Bill Essayli, first assistant United States attorney, said in a statement. “Today’s operation represents one of many sophisticated schemes used by criminals — including foreign nationals — to defraud U.S. citizens and taxpayers of their hard-earned property. Those days are over under this U.S. Department of Justice. These defendants will be facing significant prison time for their charged conduct.”

“Massive alleged fraud takedown in California from @FBILosAngeles — well done,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X in response to the raid.

FBI Director Kash Patel praised the operation. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

All defendants except one are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud, while several also face aggravated identity theft and money laundering charges, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said.

Authorities allege the group targeted elderly homeowners between 2021 and 2023, stealing personal information and using it to create fake IDs and email accounts to impersonate victims. They then applied for high-value “hard money” loans backed by the victims’ properties, submitting falsified documents including bank statements, rental agreements and medical records.

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After a four-year probe, the FBI’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force arrested 11 suspects in “Operation Hard Money,” accusing them of stealing elderly victims’ identities to fraudulently secure loans against their properties. (@FBILosAngeles / X)

The suspects allegedly used fake identities and shell accounts to funnel the proceeds, which were wired to accounts under their control.

Authorities said the scheme involved properties across Los Angeles — including Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Westwood and Chinatown.

The defendants are Nazaret Chakrian, 65; Arnold Moradians, 57; Avetis Hekimyan, 38; Ross Tarkhan, 32; Tigran Hovanesian, 56; Armen Vardevaryan, 55; Craig Higdon, 66; Helen Spangler, 62; Victor Lossi, 43; Marine Sarkisian, 49; and Cynthia Borjas, 51.

FBI agents take a suspect into custody outside a Hollywood mansion during a raid linked to an alleged $17.4 million mortgage fraud scheme targeting elderly homeowners. (FOX 11/KTTV)

Two of the suspects are foreign nationals — Moradians, an Iranian national who has an outstanding warrant for removal from the United States, and Sarkisian, an Azerbaijani national and green card holder, prosecutors said.

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If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison for each fraud and money laundering count, along with a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft.

The case is being investigated by the FBI-led Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force alongside IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and local law enforcement agencies.

HR executive Kristin Cabot took a swipe at Gwyneth Paltrow and Ryan Reynolds over the Coldplay Kiss Cam scandal.

Cabot insisted Hollywood should have stayed out of the drama instead of releasing an ad for the company she used to work for.

“That was really disappointing to me,” Cabot explained during a sit-down interview for “The Oprah Podcast.” “I felt like Gwyneth, someone whose company [Goop] is founded on or framed around uplifting women and women’s well-being… I don’t know why she felt she needed to throw gas on the fire and get involved in all of this.”

“It just felt really hypocritical to me and unnecessary,” she added.

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Former Astronomer HR executive Kristin Cabot called out Gwyneth Paltrow and Ryan Reynolds over their ad mocking the viral Coldplay Kiss Cam moment. (Getty Images, @calebu2/TMX)

Paltrow appeared in an ad for Astronomer — the company who employed Cabot until her relationship with married then-CEO Andy Byron was made public at the fateful Coldplay concert.

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Cabot also took issue with Reynolds’ part in the ad, which mocked the viral moment.

“I don’t wanna let Ryan Reynolds off the hook either,” she said. “He produced the ad, he created it, and his wife has just gone through something really similar over the last year.”

“I find it really kind of astounding that he thought this was a great way to lead,” Cabot added.

Ryan Reynolds is married to Blake Lively. (NBC)

Winfrey said she called Paltrow to ask her about the ad.

“She said that she was told that you and Andy Byron had signed off on that commercial, and she said she wouldn’t have done it if she hadn’t heard that you had signed off on the commercial,” Winfrey said, explaining Paltrow had given permission to share the information.

“She communicated that to me as well,” Cabot replied.

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Gwyneth Paltrow starred in an ad released by Astronomer after the Coldplay Kiss Cam moment. (Steven Ferdman)

Cabot agreed that the commercial just added fuel to the fire.

“It made everything in that moment and, for ensuing days or weeks, it made everything harder,” she said. “It made it a lot harder for my kids too. I think when a celebrity gets involved like that … they’re teenagers, like I said, they know who she is. They know, and it just added to it in a way that was so unnecessary. But people have their own needs and I can’t speculate as to what those are.”

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Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin questioned if the couple was having an affair as he caught them on the Kiss Cam.  (@calebu2/TMX)

During her interview, Cabot opened up about the harassment she endured after video of her and her boss at the time, former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, enjoying a romantic moment at a Coldplay concert went viral in 2025.

Chris Martin, the band’s frontman, and much of the internet assumed the two had been caught in an affair, and the narrative spread like wildfire.

Chris Martin’s reaction to Kristin Cabot moving away from Andy Byron on the kiss cam sparked a viral internet storm. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Despite the global speculation about an illicit affair, Cabot maintained that she was already separated from her husband at the time and that he was aware of her “very close” working relationship with Byron.

She was repeatedly told that the situation would blow over but said that instead it derailed her career and her life.

Cabot revealed that the internet frenzy didn’t just cost her a job, it left her teenage children fearing for her life amid death threats and public harassment. She told Winfrey that her children became concerned they might lose her after they overheard a conversation about the online death threats.

“They were terrified for me,” she explained.

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