Homicide detectives this afternoon arrested an over-the-road truck driver and suspected serial killer for the shooting death of Sara Nicole Hulbert, whose body was found at 12:40 a.m. on June 26 in a parking lot of Truck Stops of America on North 1st Street.
Bruce Mendenhall, 56, of Albion, Illinois, is this evening being charged with criminal homicide.
Detective Sergeant Pat Postiglione, while traveling to the Truck Stops of America location late this morning to conduct a follow up interview in the Hulbert murder, saw a tractor-trailer rig on Dickerson Pike that generally matched the description of a truck being sought for investigation in the case. Postiglione followed the truck into the Truck Stops of America parking lot. Once the rig parked, Postiglione approached the driver’s door and knocked. Mendenhall got out of the truck and appeared nervous. After asking a few questions, Postiglione asked Mendenhall if he could look inside the truck. Mendenhall consented. Postiglione saw what appeared to be blood in the vehicle and detained Mendenhall for further investigation.
During questioning at the Justice Center, Mendenhall gave statements implicating himself in Hulbert’s murder. Knowing that there were certain similarities between the Hulbert case and other recent homicides in the south, Postiglione asked Mendenhall if he had knowledge concerning those. He implicated himself in the murder of Symantha Winters, 48, of Nashville, who was found shot to death on June 6 in a trash container at the Pilot Truck Stop in Lebanon, as well as one homicide in Alabama, one in Georgia, and two in Indiana. The Metropolitan Police Department is in contact with those agencies regarding statements made today by Mendenhall.
“The Hulbert case was assigned to the centralized Homicide Unit at headquarters due to the potential that a serial killer was involved,” Chief Ronal Serpas said. “A tremendous amount of work has gone into this case by Sergeant Postiglione, Detective Lee Freeman and their Central Precinct colleagues over the past two weeks. I am extremely proud of their professionalism and dedication.”
Mendenhall’s truck has been impounded and is being processed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Mendenhall drove this truck into the parking lot of Truck Stops of America.
Detectives inspect the interior of Mendenhall’s truck.
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