Sara Jo Pender: The Female Charles Manson?
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Why is Sarah Jo Pender labeled the “female Charles Manson” and how does that nickname shape the story?
Benjamin Franklin famously said, it takes many good deeds to build a good reputation and only one bad one to lose it. It's a sobering thought. Most of us spend our lives carefully stacking those good deeds like bricks, hoping the walls are strong enough to withstand our mistakes. But what if those bricks were pulled out from under you? What if the one bad deed that ruins your name is a story told by someone else? In the case of Sarah Jo Pender, she didn't just lose her reputation, she lost her entire identity. I'm Harvey Guillen, and this is Killer Stories.
Thank you.
Ah, the summer of 2000. If I can think back really hard, it's like I can hear that time, you know? The gentle chime of your home PC booting up, the horrible wail of the ringtone on every cell phone, and the radio playing all the jams in syncs. It's gonna be me, Destiny's Child, Aaliyah, and of course, Heavy Things by Phish, the legendary jam band. I admit I didn't really remember that last one, but it's true, Phish had their one and only radio hit that summer. Our story begins in July of 2000 at a laid back Phish concert in Indiana. Sarah Jo Pender is there with her friends. She's 21 and lives a real work hard, play hard kind of life. She has a job doing bookkeeping and other day-to-day admin for a construction company.
Her colleagues consider her dependable, a hard worker, easy to get along with, and full of wild stories. Because once Sarah clocks out for the day, oh, It's time to live it up. She loves the nightlife she's got to boogie. She's working for the weekend. She works hard for that money, so you better treat her right, honey. Yes, these and other song lyrics perfectly sum up Sarah's work-life balance. Most nights, she goes out with friends to bars, house parties. She often picks up guys, and guys seem to love when she picks them up. Until one day, when she meets somebody worth slowing down for. She's at that fish concert when friends introduce her to 22-year-old Rick Hull. He's a six-foot-five former high school football star, but to Sarah, he's a big old teddy bear, a gentle giant.
The only thing bigger than his hulking frame is his personality. He's got charm and charisma to spare. He's popular, outgoing, exactly like Sarah. On paper, they're a perfect match. And he doesn't know it yet, but Rick has something that Sarah's been looking for. She may act like she's afraid of nothing, but deep down, Sarah is looking for safety, a protector. Back when Sarah grew up in her small hometown, she was always motivated to do well at school. She got good grades and went to Purdue to study physics. But as Sarah puts it, she wasn't mature enough to handle college. By her second semester, she partied more often than she went to class. And then, to everyone's shock, she dropped out. It's not like she's aimless, her job is legit.
At only 20 years old, she's making enough money to support herself, but she's also living on the edge. And her life has been far from perfect lately. In early 2000, Sarah was sexually assaulted at a party. She told her mom what happened, but decided not to press charges. And now, Sarah believes the man who assaulted her is harassing her over the phone. So when she meets Rick, he's exactly what she's been looking for. The first night they meet, Rick puts his arm around Sarah and tells her, I'm going to protect you. And that seals the deal. From that point on, they're inseparable. Less than a month into the relationship, Rick moves in. Sarah invites him and his whole world through her front door. And Rick...
He has a job too, selling drugs. One week after that, Rick needs a favor. His best friend, Drew Cataldi, and Drew's girlfriend, Trisha, need a place to stay. Sarah is infatuated with Rick at this point, so she says, yeah, sure. I'm not sure if Sarah knows it yet, but there's a good reason Rick's friends need to couch surf. Drew and Trisha happened to be wanted fugitives. They've escaped from the Nevada Department of Corrections. Drew was in for drug charges and Trisha for writing bad checks. One day while they were on roadside cleanup duty, they ran away.
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Chapters
3 chapters
1
Why is Sarah Jo Pender labeled the “female Charles Manson” and how does that nickname shape the story?
0:06–10:15
2
How did Sarah’s relationship with Rick Hall develop and why did it become central to the murders?
10:15–22:04
3
What exactly happened on the night of October 25 2000 that led to the double murder?
22:04–32:16