The Indiana Court of Appeals in Indianapolis on Monday upheld the murder conviction of Bruce Mendenhall, a Tri-State man known nationally as the “Truck Stop Serial Killer.”
Mendenhall, of Edwards County was found guilty in January 2025 by an Indianapolis jury for the 2007 murder of Carman Purpura. He was sentenced to an additional 65 years in prison. Mendenhall was already serving sentences in three other murder cases across multiple states.
Carman Purpura was last seen alive near a Flying J truck stop on the south side of Indianapolis. Authorities say that just one day after she went missing, Mendenhall—working as a long-haul trucker at the time—was pulled over in connection with a separate murder investigation. During the search of his truck, police discovered Purpura’s blood-soaked clothes.
On appeal, Mendenhall argued that there was not enough evidence to prove where Purpura was murdered, challenging Indiana’s jurisdiction in the case. He also claimed that evidence found in his truck should have been excluded because he was not advised of his right to consult with an attorney before the search.
The appellate court rejected both arguments, finding sufficient grounds for Indiana’s jurisdiction and upholding the admission of the evidence. The conviction and sentence remain in place, closing another chapter in one of the country’s most notorious serial murder cases.