After Finding a Tampon, She Killed Her Boyfriend — Then Stunned the Court with 5 Words

A Nevada woman was sentenced to at least a dozen years in prison after she pleaded guilty to killing her boyfriend, whom she confronted after finding another woman’s tampon in his trash.

Nevada court records indicate that Julie Bush, 31, entered a guilty plea in March after she had been charged with voluntary manslaughter and driving under the influence in May 2024.

KLAS and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, citing court documents and Las Vegas police, reported that Bush confronted her boyfriend, Richard Penardo Jr., 51, after finding the tampons in his trash can.

The outlets reported that Bush claimed she got in her car while Penardo swung a steel chain and struck the windows, breaking them.

Bush then reportedly accelerated the vehicle, hitting Penardo, who was thrown into a brick wall, KLAS reported, citing prosecutors.

Penardo died a day later, the outlets reported.

On Tuesday, June 17, a judge sentenced Bush to 12 to 35 years in prison, according to both outlets.

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Bush spoke to the court and expressed regret to the judge before she handed down her sentence.

“I love him very much,” Bush said, according to KLAS. “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.”

The outlet reported that Bush’s public defender said her client was the mother of a 5-year-old child.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.