INDIANAPOLIS (Court TV) — Sarah Jo Pender, once dubbed “the female Charles Manson” by a prosecutor, stood before an Indiana judge in December, asking for a second chance at freedom 25 years after being convicted in a double murder that left two roommates dead.
Sarah Pender sits in court on Dec. 5, 2025, during a resentencing hearing. (Court TV)
Pender, now 45, delivered an emotional statement during her resentencing hearing, taking responsibility for her role in the 2000 deaths of Andrew Cataldi, 25, and Trisha Nordman, 26, while maintaining she was not the shooter.
“I’m so nervous. Today is one of the biggest days in my life. I’m asking to be free, not to die in prison,” Pender said, her voice shaking as she addressed Marion County Superior Court Judge James Snyder…