She Found a Tampon - Then Ran Him Down With Her Car

Julie Bush wasn’t looking for a fight when she noticed something odd in the trash. But that discovery - a used tampon she insisted wasn’t hers - sparked a deadly chain of events that left her boyfriend dead and her future behind bars.

What Happened

One day in May 2024, Bush, 31, confronted her boyfriend, Richard “Rick” Penardo Jr., 51, outside a home in the east valley of Las Vegas. The confrontation followed her discovery of another woman’s tampon in his garbage. She believed he was cheating. He denied it and allegedly swung a long steel chain at her car, shattering its windows.

Prosecutors said Bush accelerated her vehicle and struck Penardo, launching him into a brick wall. He died the next day.

Security footage and doorbell cameras captured key parts of the incident. Prosecutors argued Bush had returned to the scene multiple times in the minutes leading up to the fatal impact.

The Legal Outcome

In March 2025, Bush pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of fentanyl resulting in death. At her sentencing in June, she expressed remorse, stating, “I love him very much. 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,” according to 8 News Now.

The judge sentenced her to 12 to 35 years in prison. With time served, she could be eligible for parole in 2036.

Context and Controversy

Both Bush and Penardo had complicated pasts. Her defense attorney noted that Bush had endured trauma and began using drugs and alcohol as a child. She was reportedly under the influence of controlled substances at the time of the incident and attempted to help Penardo after hitting him, according to a sentencing memo.

Penardo’s own past included prison sentences for conspiracy to commit murder, forgery, and accessory to a felony. In 2008, he took an Alford plea in connection to the disposal of a woman’s body, though he didn’t admit guilt.

During sentencing, his mother said of her son’s relationship, “His biggest mistake was ever getting involved with Julie Bush. She made his life a living hell,” according to 8 News Now.

A Family Left Behind

Bush is the mother of a 5-year-old daughter. She will serve her sentence in a Nevada state prison while her child grows up without her at home. This case is a chilling reminder of how one emotional moment can irreversibly alter multiple lives.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, confidential help is available 24/7 through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or thehotline.org.

References: After Finding a Tampon, She Killed Her Boyfriend - Then Stunned the Court with 5 Words | Woman sentenced for fatally striking boyfriend with car in Las Vegas | Las Vegas woman who killed boyfriend after finding tampon heads to prison: ‘I love him very much’