A Nevada woman who took her boyfriend’s life after finding another woman’s tampon in his trash has been sentenced to prison term long enough to reshape the rest of her adult life—but not before delivering a bewildering confession in court:
“I love him very much.”
As per court records, 31-year-old Julie Bush had been in an abusive relationship with the deceased, 51-year-old Richard Penardo Jr. When she confronted him about the tampon and accused him of cheating, Penardo flew into a rage, attacking Bush’s car with a steel chain and shattering its windows.
It would turn out to be a fatal mistake.
Trigger warning: this story contains detailed descriptions of violent crimes. Reader discretion is advised.
Nevada woman who took boyfriend’s life after finding another woman’s tampon in his trash cries over still “loving him”
Image credits: Sebastian Duda/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
What happened next was caught on a doorbell camera. Bush drove away, returned to the scene multiple times within minutes, and ultimately accelerated the vehicle right into Penardo’s body, launching him into a brick wall.
He passed away the next day, in May 2024.
Image credits: 8 News Now — Las Vegas
Bush was sentenced last Tuesday (June 17) to a term of 12 to 35 years in prison by Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and DUI. She will be eligible for parole in 2036.
During the sentencing hearing, a visibly emotional and remorseful Bush addressed the court.
“I love him very much,” she said. “I’m sorry that he passed away and I wish I could change it, but I can’t, and I know there’s not a sentence in the world that’s going to make anybody satisfied.”
Image credits: Clark County Detention Center
Her statements were followed by those of her public defender, Chief Deputy Special Public Defender Lisa Chamlee-Brainard, who argued that Bush had shown remorse from the moment of the incident.
“Video footage clearly shows that Julie was overwrought with emotion and obviously remorseful for her actions,” she said, adding that Bush “has continued to feel remorse while incarcerated” and “takes full accountability.”
Both Bush and Penardo were under the influence of potent substances when their altercation began
Image credits: 8 News Now — Las Vegas
Bush reportedly attempted to render aid immediately after striking Penardo. According to investigators, both had been under the influence of substances at the time of their fight.
Ironically, the tampon that triggered the fatal altercation may not have belonged to another romantic interest as Bush suspected. Prosecutors said in court that it likely belonged to Penardo’s female roommate.
Image credits: 8 News Now — Las Vegas
Regardless of Bush’s remorse, the victim’s family offered her no forgiveness.
“Rick wasn’t perfect,” said Grace Fisher, Penardo’s mother. “He made plenty of mistakes and poor choices during his life. His biggest mistake was ever getting involved with Julie Bush. She made his life a living hell.”
Fisher’s words stand in stark contrast to Penardo’s lengthy criminal history, including serving time for forgery, conspiracy to commit m*rder, and unemployment insurance fraud.
While Penardo had a long criminal history, Bush was reportedly addicted to dr*gs since she was 9
Image credits: 8 News Now — Las Vegas
In 2017, he was sentenced to three to ten years in prison for defrauding Nevada’s unemployment system.
While locked up at the Clark County Detention Center and later at High Desert State Prison, his co-defendants filed fraudulent claims in his name, allowing him to collect more than $4,700 in benefits.
Image credits: 8 News Now — Las Vegas
Years earlier, Penardo had taken an Alford plea in connection with the 2008 strangulation of Maria Marino. Though he didn’t admit guilt, he acknowledged that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him.
Despite his past, his family made clear that none of it justified his passing.
Bush, on the other hand, had an upbringing full of personal struggles. According to her defense, Bush began abusing alcohol at the age of nine, ecstasy pills at eleven, and prescription drugs by thirteen. She was described as battling mental health problems her entire life.
At the time of her sentencing, Bush was also the mother of a 5-year-old daughter.
“Psychopath.” Bush’s tears did little to sway the public opinion in her favor
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