Bruce Mendenhall was born on April 14, 1951, in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He grew up in a small town, living a seemingly ordinary life. There isn't much known about his early years, but like many children, he went to school and played with friends. However, his life took a different path than most.

As Bruce grew older, he got a job as a truck driver. This job kept him on the road for long hours, traveling across the country. Being a truck driver can be a lonely job, with lots of time spent alone, away from family and friends. For Bruce, the isolation of the road might have had a significant impact on him.

Despite the normal appearance of his life, Bruce's behavior began to change. He started to develop dark thoughts and troubling habits. His job as a truck driver gave him the opportunity to move around unnoticed.

Bruce Mendenhall, a truck driver from Albion, Illinois, was arrested on July 12, 2007, at a truck stop in Nashville, Tennessee. Detective Sergeant Pat Postiglione spotted Mendenhall’s truck, which matched surveillance footage from the night Sara Nicole Hulbert was murdered at the same truck stop. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the police found a large amount of bloody clothing and personal effects belonging to a missing Indianapolis woman. Blood spots were scattered inside the truck, including on the steering wheel and Mendenhall's hands. The police seized over 300 items from the truck, including weapons, handcuffs, latex gloves, and sex toys. DNA from these items linked Mendenhall to five different women. He was arrested and taken into custody, later waiving his right to a preliminary hearing.

Mendenhall’s victims were mostly young prostitutes, often found shot. He admitted to killing Sara Nicole Hulbert, whose body was discovered on June 26, 2007. He also confessed to the murder of Symantha Winters, whose body was found in a trash can at a Lebanon, Tennessee truck stop on June 6, 2007. Winters had a criminal record, including at least one charge of prostitution. A Wilson County grand jury indicted Mendenhall for Winters' murder, and he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Another victim, Carma Purpura, was found on July 11, 2007, at a truck stop in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her belongings and a large quantity of her blood were discovered in Mendenhall's truck. Her remains were found years later off Interstate 65 in Kentucky. Mendenhall was charged with her murder in April 2008. Additionally, he was charged with the murder of Lucille "Greta" Carter, found nude with a plastic bag taped around her head in Birmingham, Alabama on July 1. Investigators suspect Mendenhall in several other murders, including those of Deborah Ann Glover, Sherry Drinkard, Tammy Zywicki, Robin Bishop, and Belinda Cartwright. Although initially cooperative, Mendenhall eventually stopped confessing to further murders.