EP 15 - Tammi

Summary

Betrayal: Weekly – Episode 15: Tammi

Release Date: October 24, 2024

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Introduction

In Episode 15 of Betrayal: Weekly, host Andrea Gunning delves into the harrowing true story of Tammy McCrary, a devoted mother whose life was upended by the deceit of someone she trusted implicitly. This episode explores themes of trust, deception, and resilience, offering listeners a profound look into the aftermath of betrayal and the journey toward healing.

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Tammy's Early Life and Marriage

Tammy McCrary grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, in a close-knit family consisting of her mother and aunt. As an only child, Tammy yearned for the stability of a two-parent household, a desire that shaped her aspirations for the future.

“Most of my friends were in a two-parent home. I did not have the family structure of father and mom, so I admired that. I wanted to have that for myself and for my children.”
— Tammy McCrary [04:17]

At 17, Tammy's plans for college were derailed when she discovered she was expecting a child. She married her long-time boyfriend Spencer Herron, a beloved soccer coach and award-winning teacher in Acworth, Georgia. Together, they built what seemed to be an idyllic seven-year marriage, supported by a stable, middle-class lifestyle and a strong community.

“I am an only child, he's an only child. And we both came from middle-class backgrounds, so we didn't have those struggles that you would think that a young couple would have.”
— Tammy McCrary [05:00]

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A Growing Desire for Independence

As her children grew and began school, Tammy found herself yearning for personal growth and independence. Balancing motherhood and a nascent career, she felt she had sacrificed too much of her own aspirations.

“I just got to this place where I wanted more, I wanted to do more. The time that I would have been in college, you know, having that freedom. I was a mom and I was a wife, so I missed that.”
— Tammy McCrary [05:44]

This internal conflict led Tammy to separate from Spencer and pursue a job as a flight attendant based out of Chicago. However, her independence was short-lived as a severe car accident in Chicago nearly claimed her life, resulting in a long recovery period.

“It was actually a situation where I was pronounced dead. It took me about six months to a year to recover from that car accident.”
— Tammy McCrary [06:52]

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Meeting Eric: A New Beginning

After recovering, Tammy moved back to Atlanta to prioritize her children, securing a work-from-home job to provide stability. It was during this period that she met Eric, a man presenting himself as Dr. Eric Petit, an electrical engineer with a tragic past.

“My mom used to always joke around and say, oh, you never marry a doctor because he knows how to kill you and get away with it. She always said that.”
— Tammy McCrary [03:17]

Their meeting took place spontaneously at a nightclub, where Eric charmed Tammy with his attentiveness and shared a fabricated story of loss, claiming to have lost his parents and two children in a car accident caused by a drunk driver.

“He explained to me that his parents, along with his two sons, were taking a trip by car and they were involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler. I was just heartbroken.”
— Tammy McCrary [13:05]

Moved by his vulnerability, Tammy felt a deep connection with Eric, leading to a swift progression in their relationship. They married in an intimate ceremony and embarked on a life together that seemed filled with love and shared dreams.

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The Unraveling of Deception

Despite the apparent authenticity of Eric's persona, subtle inconsistencies began to surface. Tammy, ever cautious, decided to conduct a background check through a friend who was a private investigator.

“He came back and was like, oh, he's clean. So I felt comfortable.”
— Tammy McCrary [22:25]

However, this reassurance was short-lived. Eric's sudden disappearance and subsequent arrest revealed a shocking truth: he had been impersonating a doctor, using a forged ID, and committing financial fraud through stolen credit cards.

“He was arrested last night for impersonating a doctor.”
— Guardian Bike Representative [34:49]

Tammy discovered that Eric had fabricated his medical credentials, manipulated those around him, and exploited the trust of others to maintain his deceitful facade.

“There's one thing to say that you're a doctor, but to actually go through the act and show up on site and then to actually walk around the hospital and interact with other doctors, that is something different.”
— Tammy McCrary [35:35]

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Confrontation and Aftermath

Determined to uncover the full extent of Eric's deceit, Tammy confronted him in jail. Eric maintained his fabricated identity despite mounting evidence against him, leaving Tammy with more questions than answers.

“I just said, why? And he pretended to not understand.”
— Tammy McCrary [40:29]

Feeling betrayed and embarrassed, Tammy struggled with public judgment and personal shame. Friends and community members questioned how she could have been deceived, adding to her emotional turmoil.

“People were harsh. Oh my gosh. Some of the things that I read, I could not read because of, you know, the things that people were saying about how stupid I was.”
— Tammy McCrary [44:26]

Despite the emotional devastation, Tammy focused on rebuilding her life. She changed her phone number, distanced herself from past relationships, and eventually found love again with someone she could trust.

“I am married again. I was just excited to be with someone that was genuine, that had a really good heart, and he was real.”
— Tammy McCrary [47:02]

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Lessons Learned and Moving Forward

Tammy's story serves as a poignant reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in trust and the importance of vigilance in personal relationships. By sharing her experience, she hopes to empower others to recognize the signs of deception and prioritize their own well-being.

“Everyone has an area of weakness. So I just don't want us to think that it can never happen to me. No one is above Deception.”
— Tammy McCrary [48:07]

Her journey from betrayal to healing underscores the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to overcome profound personal challenges.

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Conclusion

Episode 15 of Betrayal: Weekly intricately weaves Tammy McCrary's story of love, deception, and redemption. Through her experiences, listeners gain valuable insights into the complexities of trust and the strength required to rebuild one's life after profound betrayal. Tammy's courage in sharing her story not only aids her own healing process but also serves as a beacon of hope and caution for others navigating similar trials.

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Notable Quotes

• “I have three children and I treat all of them as though they are the only. And now my grandchildren. Ugh, those grandkids. That's a whole nother level of love.”
  — Tammy McCrary [03:28]

• “He went to college really early. He graduated from high school pretty early, so it was like he was a whiz kid.”
  — Tammy McCrary [10:10]

• “I just had to call paramedics to the house.”
  — Tammy McCrary [11:38]

• “He was telling me that he was, you understand, saving lives, but he couldn't save his own family.”
  — Tammy McCrary [14:34]

• “He was like, just start looking at the top private schools, and we need to start looking for another house, because I want us to be closer to the hospital.”
  — Tammy McCrary [25:22]

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Final Thoughts

Tammy McCrary's story is a testament to the fragility of trust and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Betrayal: Weekly continues to shed light on such compelling narratives, offering listeners both cautionary tales and inspiring accounts of resilience.

For more stories like Tammy's, be sure to listen to Betrayal: Weekly on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

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[Andrea Gunning]

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[Tammy McCrary]

My mom used to always joke around and say, oh, you never marry a doctor because he knows how to kill you and get away with it. She always said that. So I always had that in the back of my head.

[Andrea Gunning]

I'm Andrea. I'm Brea Gunning. And this is Betrayal. A show about the people we trust the most and the deceptions that change everything. Tammy McCrary is a polite, easygoing woman. She's quick to laugh and to make herself laugh. She says that above all, her kids are her world.

[Tammy McCrary]

I have three children and I treat all of them as though they are the only. And now my grandchildren. Ugh, those grandkids. That's a whole nother level of love.

[Andrea Gunning]

Tammy grew up in Atlanta, where she was raised by her mother. She wasn't only child, just her, her mom and her mom's sister. As a kid, Tammy dreamed of having a nuclear family of her own.

[Tammy McCrary]

Most of my friends were in a two parent home. I did not have the family structure of father and mom, so I admired that. I wanted to have that for myself and for my children.

[Andrea Gunning]

In high school, Tammy started dating a guy she'd grown up with.

[Tammy McCrary]

We had known each other a long time and he'd always teased me about being his wife.

[Andrea Gunning]

It was a joke at first because Tammy had other plans.

[Tammy McCrary]

I had planned to go to college, but when she was 17, I found out that I was expecting.

[Andrea Gunning]

Tammy's college plans were put on hold and the two got married.

[Tammy McCrary]

We both attended the same church, so we had a small wedding.

[Andrea Gunning]

They loved being young parents. Looking back, she says it was easier for them than she expected. By the time they were 20, the young couple bought a house in the suburbs of Atlanta.

[Tammy McCrary]

I am an only child, he's an only child. And we both came from middle class backgrounds, so we didn't have those struggles that you would think that a young couple would have.

[Andrea Gunning]

They were stable and surrounded by community. Tammy and her husband had a second child a few years later.

[Tammy McCrary]

I had so much support from my mom, from his parents, and I had an aunt that was like a mom to me. So I was all about my kids. That was my life.

[Andrea Gunning]

When her kids started school and she had more time on her hands, things started changing for Tammy.

[Tammy McCrary]

I just got to this place where I wanted more, I wanted to do more. The time that I would have been in college, you know, having that freedom. I was a mom and I was a wife, so I missed that.

[Andrea Gunning]

She wanted to grow her career and she realized she missed out on so much in her early 20s. Maybe there was more out there for her.

[Tammy McCrary]

I remember getting all of this attention from these guys. I was like, am I really that attractive?

[Andrea Gunning]

She was coming into her own and reevaluating what she wanted, including her marriage with her husband.

[Tammy McCrary]

He was like, I'm not dealing with this. Either you want to be married or you don't.

[Andrea Gunning]

Ultimately, she decided she didn't want to be married. So they separated, and Tammy got a job as a flight attendant based out of Chicago. She was able to work and travel one week and be home full time with her kids the next. But in Chicago, she got into a horrible car accident.

[Tammy McCrary]

It was actually a situation where I was pronounced dead. It took me about six months to a year to recover from that car accident.

[Andrea Gunning]

After she recovered, her priorities changed.

[Tammy McCrary]

I no longer wanted to be away from my kids. That was the main thing.

[Andrea Gunning]

So she moved back to Atlanta and got a job where she could work from home and focus entirely on giving her kids stability.

[Tammy McCrary]

I pushed for them to have the best education. I never wanted them to feel a difference in their lives and the lives of their peers.

[Andrea Gunning]

Every other weekend, her kids would stay with her father, and on the weekend.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

She had to herself.

[Tammy McCrary]

I was hanging out with my cousin, his wife, and their friends. We had our little crew, our little.

[Andrea Gunning]

Clique, and her cousin would try to set her up on dates.

[Tammy McCrary]

They were professional, successful men, lawyers, doctors. But I wasn't interested in dating. I want to be a single mom, but my kids and I, we travel, you know, we do things, and life is still good.

[Andrea Gunning]

On one of these weekends, Tammy, her cousin, and their friends decided on a whim to go out to a nightclub.

[Tammy McCrary]

It's a pretty wild scene. I can remember some women being barely dressed. I had never been before, but, you know, I'm just hanging with the crowd.

[Andrea Gunning]

She admits to feeling a little out of place.

[Tammy McCrary]

I may have just had on jeans and a sweater. Definitely no club gear. Nothing sexy.

[Andrea Gunning]

But she was still getting plenty of attention and even locked eyes with a guy across the bar.

[Tammy McCrary]

But I made eye contact with several people, so, you know, it was nothing until he walked over to the area where we were sitting, and he just started throwing money over the area. Back then, I think they called it making it rain. And so he did that. And, you know, we were just laughing about it, and everyone was like, oh, drinks are on Tammy. Because, you know, they were picking up the money. And then he came back and he introduced himself.

[Andrea Gunning]

His name was Eric. And he told her he had just Moved to Atlanta for a fresh start. They hit it off, and by the end of the night, she gave him her number.

[Tammy McCrary]

So crazy. Because the rule of thumb was always you never meet anyone in a club.

[Andrea Gunning]

Eric called her on Monday and asked her to lunch.

[Tammy McCrary]

I didn't see the harm. I didn't see the harm in it.

[Andrea Gunning]

At the time, Tammy worked as a loan officer, and Eric was looking to buy a home. It seemed like a possible opportunity for Tammy, and he'd just moved from Chicago, where Tammy used to live. So over lunch, they swapped stories.

[Tammy McCrary]

I enjoyed his company very much, so he was very attentive. He was a great listener, and he definitely retained information.

[Andrea Gunning]

Well, that was an understatement. He was really smart.

[Tammy McCrary]

He went to college really early. He graduated from high school pretty early, so it was like he was a whiz kid.

[Andrea Gunning]

He said he'd been married before, but it ended abruptly.

[Tammy McCrary]

He said that he walked in on her and another man. So that was the end of the marriage.

[Andrea Gunning]

By the end of that lunch, she got the feeling that this was their first date and they scheduled another.

[Tammy McCrary]

And so, of course, you know, my next test is to take him around people just to see how he does or what they think about him. And he definitely passed that test as well.

[Andrea Gunning]

But she was cautious about who she brought around her kids.

[Tammy McCrary]

If I met someone, I didn't allow anyone to come to my home. We would meet out.

[Andrea Gunning]

Eric also worked remotely as an electrical engineer. So with their flexible work schedules, they.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

Went on dates during the day.

[Tammy McCrary]

There was no 9 to 5 schedule for neither one of us, so there was a great deal of freedom.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

After a few months of casual dating, Tammy's life took a turn. The aunt, who was like a second mother to her, was living with Tammy at the time. And her aunt started to get sick one night. Her health declined rapidly.

[Tammy McCrary]

She was so ill, I had to call paramedics to the house.

[Andrea Gunning]

She called Eric to tell him that she was going to the hospital and that she was worried he wanted to meet her there to be supportive. And in the ER together, she noticed something interesting about Eric.

[Tammy McCrary]

He began interacting with the doctors about my aunt and her condition. All these medical terms. I'm curious, like, what does he know?

[Andrea Gunning]

Eric had said he was an electrical engineer, but at the hospital, he was talking as if he was a doctor, like, asking to see the results of tests and pressing them to do others.

[Tammy McCrary]

At that time, I'm really like, what is going on? And that's when he tells me he went to medical school.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

He said he'd gone to med school at the University of Chicago. Another doctor in the room was familiar with the school, so the two started chatting about it.

[Andrea Gunning]

Tammy's aunt was stable enough to move out of the er, and finally there was an opportunity to ask Eric questions about his past and medical school.

[Tammy McCrary]

Now I want to know, why aren't you doing that? And that led to the conversation of him sharing with me his story.

[Andrea Gunning]

His story was unlike anything she'd ever heard. It was a nightmare.

[Tammy McCrary]

He explained to me that his parents, along with his two sons, were taking a trip by car and they were involved in an accident with an 18 wheeler. He said the driver was DUI. He said one son may have died on the scene. Father died on the scene and his mom and one son were in the hospital, but they both passed before he arrived. So I was just heartbroken. He's lost both parents and both children.

[Andrea Gunning]

She sat there, stunned. He went on to explain that the accident derailed his career. He just started working in the ER when it happened, but he had to quit.

[Tammy McCrary]

It was just so devastating for him to know that on a daily basis he's saving lives. But here it is, he's not able to save the lives of those that he loved the most. And so it was just too soon for him to go back into medicine. He just couldn't do it.

[Andrea Gunning]

Tammy herself had nearly died in a car accident. With Eric sitting in front of her in the hospital waiting room, holding back tears, she saw how resilient he was. Just like her, he'd fought for a new life and a new career after a tragedy.

[Tammy McCrary]

Of course, I'm saying, oh, yeah, I understand, I understand.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

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[Andrea Gunning]

Last all year long.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

A Guardian bike. The easiest, safest and quickest bikes for kids to learn on. Kids are learning to ride in just one day. No training wheels needed. I recently got my niece a Guardian bike and it's been amazing watching her learn to ride without training wheels. The bike's intuitive design made it easy for her to balance, and with a bit of help from her grandparents, she was off on her own in no time. It's given her such a boost of confidence. She feels so free and independent every time she rides. Watching her reach this milestone has been priceless and Guardian made it truly special. Join the hundreds of thousands of happy families by getting a Guardian bike Today. Their holiday sales have begun offering the biggest deal of the year. Save up to 33% on bikes no code needed. Plus get free shipping and a free bike. Lock and pump with your first purchase. After signing up for their newsletter, visit guardianbikes.com to take advantage of these deals and secure your holiday gifts today. Happy riding.

[Bartisian Representative]

Black Friday is coming. And for the adults in your life who love the coolest toys, well, there's something for them this year too. Bartisian is the premier craft cocktail maker that automatically makes more than 60 seasonal and classic cocktails each in under 30 seconds at the push of a button. And right now Bartisian is having a huge site wide sale. You can get $100 off any cocktail maker or cocktail maker bundle when you spend $400 or more. So if the cocktail lover in your life has been good this year or the right kind of bad, get them Bartesian at the push of a button. Make bar quality Cosmopolitans, Martinis, Manhattans and more all in just 30 seconds. All for 100 off Amazing toys aren't just for kids. Get 100 off a cocktail maker when you spend 400 through Cyber Monday. Visit bartesian.com cocktail that's B A R T E S I A N dot.

[Tammy McCrary]

Com cocktail for a gift that's always.

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[Andrea Gunning]

Eric opened up and shared that he was a doctor but had to stop practicing after a family tragedy. He lost his parents and two young children in A car accident. These revelations and Eric's vulnerability brought he and Tammy closer. Eventually, they made it official.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

He started coming over to her house where he met her son. It was a big step for Tammy.

[Andrea Gunning]

They would make dinner together and watch.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

A movie on the couch.

[Andrea Gunning]

But on one of these nights, I.

[Tammy McCrary]

Remember it being a Sunday evening and he received a phone call and he wanted some privacy. So he actually came upstairs, took the phone call in my bedroom, and I just remember him yelling for me. Of course, I ran upstairs to see what was going on. And he is just like an emotional wreck. He is just crying. I was finally able to get him to share with me what was the problem. And that's when he and told me that his stepdaughter had committed suicide.

[Andrea Gunning]

Tragedy had struck his life again. It was his first wife's daughter. He helped raise her.

[Tammy McCrary]

Of course. I'm thinking, oh, my gosh, this man, I know, he's devastated. And then I was just like, well, you know, just stay here. You don't have to go anywhere. You can just stay here with us. You definitely don't need to be alone at this time with this devastating news. You don't have anyone else. You just have us. And so I think from that moment is when things really progressed.

[Andrea Gunning]

After that, Eric started staying over most nights. He took the death hard, but he didn't want to talk about it.

[Tammy McCrary]

He did tell me of his plans to pay for her service, but he said that he could not bring himself to attend.

[Andrea Gunning]

He channeled his grief into their relationship. Doting on Tammy was a good distraction. He would go above and beyond to make her happy.

[Tammy McCrary]

If I said, I used to love these strawberry Oreos, but I haven't been able to find them. I don't even know if they make them anymore, he would pop up with those strawberry Oreos and say, I had to reach out to some people over in Europe, but I had them shipped. And here they are. He was like that. Those are the type things that he would do.

[Andrea Gunning]

He even gave Tammy a nickname.

[Tammy McCrary]

I never had a nickname, Never. But he gave me the name Princess. And I tell you just the way he said it, and oh, my gosh.

[Andrea Gunning]

And he treated her like one.

[Tammy McCrary]

He's buying cards, flowers, no special occasion, just because he's writing coins. Once I did introduce him to my clique of friends, I mean, he would just say the most wonderful things about me. It's like, oh, wow, he really loves her.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

They'd been dating for a few months when Eric said he wanted to look.

[Andrea Gunning]

At engagement rings together.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

So he took her to a custom jeweler.

[Tammy McCrary]

He's telling the guy, you know what he wants, and he's talking about was a peerless diamond. He wanted it in an antique setting. And I'm like, what is. I think it was ringing up over $30,000. I mean, the way he put it together, it was beautiful. So, yeah, I was pretty excited.

[Andrea Gunning]

She was ready to take the next step with him, but the safety of her family and her kids were always her first priority. She didn't have the ability to meet his parents or his friends back in Chicago. So she took it upon herself to vet him. She called her friend, who was a private investigator. She gave him Eric's name and birthdate and asked him to run a background check.

[Tammy McCrary]

He came back and was like, oh, he's clean. So I felt comfortable.

[Andrea Gunning]

The findings were reassuring. The next time the topic of marriage came up, she told him that's what she wanted. So right then and there, Eric got down on one knee, but he didn't have the ring.

[Tammy McCrary]

The ring that we looked at that he was planning to get me that would have to be put on hold because of the money that he had to spend for his stepdaughter's funeral arrangements.

[Andrea Gunning]

She didn't care about the ring, especially when he was spending that money on something so important. Plus, they'd both been married before. They wanted something small. Anyway, Eric offered to take the lead on planning their wedding and sending out the invitations.

[Tammy McCrary]

I'm thinking, oh, wow, this is different, because normally that's the behavior of the woman, but he wants to do it. Okay. So I gave him a list, and he created these invitations, and we sent them out. And then I started getting the phone calls. Everyone was just saying Eric was a doctor. I said, what? Well, the invitation says Dr. Eric Petit and Tammy. So, of course, you know, I approached him and I said, did you put on these invitations that you're a doctor? Because I never told anyone about that. Which I didn't, because I felt he was no longer practicing, wasn't important. And he said, oh, yeah, yeah, I did that. It was actually supposed to be a surprise. That was going to be my wedding gift to you. I was going to surprise you to let you know that once we come back from our honeymoon that I'm going back into medicine.

[Andrea Gunning]

Then he pulled out a folder of documents he'd been waiting to show her, his letters of recommendation and his offer letter from a hospital.

[Tammy McCrary]

I said, and what brought this on? And he says, well, it's been some time, and I have, you now, and I really feel that you deserve a certain lifestyle, and I want to provide you with that lifestyle. I'll be going to work, and I'm just like, wow.

[Andrea Gunning]

The choice felt selfless. It meant a lot to her that he wanted to provide for her family.

[Tammy McCrary]

He was like, just start looking at the top private schools, and we need to start looking for another house, because I want us to be closer to the hospital. You want to look at another house, you want to get a condo, whatever you want to do, just go do it. Just start looking. And I'm just thinking, like, you know, someone just called and told me that I had that winning lottery ticket. All of my numbers match.

[Andrea Gunning]

He received an advance from the new job. So after their intimate wedding ceremony, Eric paid for a honeymoon to the Bahamas. He wanted the whole family to join them. Tammy's kids and her mom. It was emotional for everyone, considering what he'd been through. They were his family now. The vacation ended, but the honeymoon didn't.

[Tammy McCrary]

And so when we returned, I remember him giving me a check. It was a check for $5,000. And he's like, moving forward. I'm taking care of all of the bills and everything.

[Andrea Gunning]

That week, he started his job in one of Atlanta's busiest ERs.

[Tammy McCrary]

So that meant crazy hours. He was always working, always on call. I can still remember some nights when it was like two or three in the morning, and he would receive a text or a phone call, and he would have to jump up and go to the hospital.

[Andrea Gunning]

They shared a car, so every day Tammy drove him to work and picked him up. One day, while Tammy was driving, they came upon a car crash. It looked like it had just happened.

[Tammy McCrary]

The paramedics had not arrived yet, so he jumped out to check on those that were involved and get their vitals. There was one person that seemed to have been critically injured. He got out to help, and once the paramedics arrived, he was able to give them information on each victim. I was impressed, I must say. I was like, wow, he really knows what he's doing.

[Andrea Gunning]

He could have saved those people's lives. But this responsibility came at a price. His shifts in the ER were grueling. When she picked him up after work, he looked spent. His scrubs were stained and wrinkled, and he would share upsetting stories about what he'd seen.

[Tammy McCrary]

I can remember once he was very disturbed because he said that there was a child that came in with an injury from the playground, and he wasn't able to save the child, and the child died. So, of course, it Triggered memories of his children.

[Andrea Gunning]

The work was taking a toll on him emotionally, changing him in more ways than one.

[Tammy McCrary]

He became somewhat arrogant. I didn't think anything about it. You know, I was just thinking back, okay, so he's back in his zone, in his doctor zone. So that's where all of that is coming from.

[Andrea Gunning]

On his days off, he rested and watched his favorite TV show, episode after.

[Tammy McCrary]

Episode of ER that was his favorite show.

[Andrea Gunning]

After a few months of marriage, they had a routine. She dropped him off at work. He texted throughout the day to keep her updated on when he'd be done. And on the drive home, they debriefed. That was their thing. They did this day in and day out, week after week, until it was on a Sunday.

[Tammy McCrary]

We went to church and came back home, spent the afternoon together, and he said he had to go in for the evening. But whenever he was away, he would always call and check in, see how things were going with myself, let me know what's going. Going on with him. It was weird that this time I had not heard from him at all. I wasn't alarmed. And then the next morning, still hadn't heard from him. And then once it started getting late into the morning, then I did start to worry. I tried to call him on both cell phones. No answer. So of course I'm thinking, okay, well, maybe he's tied up or whatever. After a while, I said, I've never called the hospital, but I'm calling today. And when I called, they're like, there's no one here with that name. Okay, well, they don't know all of the doctors, you know? And I'm like, okay, let me try these cell phones again. And finally, someone answers the cell phone, but it's not him.

[Andrea Gunning]

It was a security guard at the hospital.

[Tammy McCrary]

When I asked for him, the guy, he's like, are you talking about the guy that had this cell phone? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, that's who I'm talking about. He's like, oh, yeah. Well, he was arrested last night for impersonating a doctor.

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[Tammy McCrary]

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[Andrea Gunning]

Betrayal Tammy hadn't heard from her husband and was getting concerned. Finally, someone answered his cell phone. It was a security guard at the hospital who told her that Eric had been arrested last night for impersonating a doctor. And strangely, the security guard seemed to know Eric pretty well.

[Tammy McCrary]

He said, I don't know why he would do that because I had really grown to like him. So security, they were familiar with him.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

Security knew him because Eric had been.

[Andrea Gunning]

Going into the hospital every day.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

When she dropped, he got in using.

[Andrea Gunning]

A forged ID card.

[Tammy McCrary]

She had a badge that actually belonged to a doctor, but he took that badge and put his picture on it.

[Andrea Gunning]

Every day for months, he strolled the hospital hallways and mingled with nurses and staff. He introduced himself as Dr. Eric Pratit. Everyone there knew who he was or thought they did.

[Tammy McCrary]

There's one thing to say that you're a doctor, but to actually go through the act and show up on site and then to actually walk around the hospital and interact with other doctors, that is something different.

[Andrea Gunning]

Tammy was sitting at her kitchen table, hearing from a complete stranger that her husband was a stranger himself.

[Tammy McCrary]

And the one thing that I just kept thinking was, who is this person? Have I been with an ax murderer, a serial rapist? I've got to find out this person's real name.

[Andrea Gunning]

So she started digging.

[Tammy McCrary]

He had a duffel bag that was in the closet, and I dumped everything out of that bag. And I just started going through every piece of paper that I could find because I'm looking for clues. I came across his divorce decree that clearly states that his wife couldn't find him, didn't know where he was, and she filed for divorce, and it was granted on the grounds of abandonment.

[Andrea Gunning]

So his marriage hadn't ended like he said, with his wife cheating on him. But one thing she found did corroborate his backstory death certificates for his children.

[Tammy McCrary]

I myself had never laid eyes on a death certificate before with the notary sticker and everything.

[Andrea Gunning]

What was real and what wasn't. There was so much contradictory information in these documents.

[Tammy McCrary]

I also came across some papers showing me that he was on probation, so he really wasn't supposed to be in Georgia. I came across telephone numbers. I think it was on the probation stuff. And I just started calling Those numbers, one of the numbers just happened to be to this really nice young lady. And you know who she was? His mother.

[Andrea Gunning]

His mother was very much alive. There was no car accident.

[Tammy McCrary]

And she confirmed that? No, his kids are fine. And there was a stepdaughter, but of course she was fine as well.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

The death certificates in her hands were forged. His mother said she hadn't talked to.

[Andrea Gunning]

Her son in years.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

She was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and so was the rest of his family.

[Andrea Gunning]

Eric had left the faith, so because.

[Tammy McCrary]

He was no longer practicing the religion, his parents were forced or obligated to treat him as though he was dead. That's the way it was explained to me. So that's why he was disconnected from his parents.

[Andrea Gunning]

His mom provided some answers, but Tammy was still in the dark as to where he was, so she started calling local police precincts.

[Tammy McCrary]

I found out where they had taken him, and I went to visit him because I wanted to hear his version. I wanted to see what he was going to say to me.

[Andrea Gunning]

On the drive to jail, she decided she was going to play dumb and not reveal anything she knew just to see what he would say.

[Tammy McCrary]

I just wanted to see what he was going to tell me. He still held on to the fact that he was a doctor.

[Andrea Gunning]

She went along with it as he stuck to his lie with conviction.

[Tammy McCrary]

How do you, as a doctor end up being in jail? How does that happen? And he tried to explain to me that he ended up getting into an altercation with someone at the hospital, which made no sense to me. I let him tell his story, and I said nothing.

[Andrea Gunning]

Eric finished his story, and they sat there in silence. Before Tammy got up to leave, she asked him one final question.

[Tammy McCrary]

I just said, why? And he pretended to not understand.

[Andrea Gunning]

He wasn't going to give up the act, so she had to walk away. That was the last time they ever interacted. If he wasn't going to tell her the truth, she'd have to find it herself.

[Tammy McCrary]

I was on the mission to find out who was this person.

[Andrea Gunning]

And she started by finding out if his name was even real.

[Tammy McCrary]

The only thing I could think of in my head was that, okay, if I could make contact with the media and have them post a picture of this person. I just felt like once a picture was posted, someone would come forward and say, oh, I know him.

[Andrea Gunning]

So she put him on the news. The story became a sensation in Atlanta.

[Tammy McCrary]

And I never thought that the story would get the attention that it received.

[Andrea Gunning]

All that attention did bring some answers. First, that Eric Pratit was in fact his legal name.

[Tammy McCrary]

It did surprise me that he used his real name. I did later understand why my friend that had the security firm could not find any information on him because I didn't have his correct date of birth. So the age that he had given me, we were the same age. I was in my late 30s, but he was actually 28.

[Andrea Gunning]

Friends of theirs started coming out of the woodwork saying that Eric owed them money.

[Tammy McCrary]

Just different people that we know, you know, ask. So when I'm thinking that he's making money, he's really not.

[Andrea Gunning]

And that wasn't all.

[Tammy McCrary]

When he was arrested, he was in possession of credit cards that did not belong to him. The credit cards belonged to other women. There were women that worked at the hospital that had given him their credit card because they thought he was Dr. Petite. And he may have given some story like, oh, I ran out the house because of an emergency and I left my wallet and them thinking that he. Dr. Petit.

[Andrea Gunning]

So that's how he'd been affording their lifestyle for the past year, on borrowed money and stolen credit cards.

[Tammy McCrary]

I was devastated. I was very angry and disappointed at myself. All the level of embarrassment, I was so embarrassed. When people hear stories, they always seem to think, ah, that would never happen to me. I would have known, you know, or, how could you not have known he was a doctor? And, you know, and I always ask the question, you explain to me how you would have known that he wasn't a doctor. You tell me how you would have known. Because he's at the hospital.

[Andrea Gunning]

I mean, he was at the hospital.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

Wearing scrubs with an ID card to match.

[Andrea Gunning]

He'd successfully fooled the hospital staff, even.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

The security guards, for months.

[Andrea Gunning]

But that didn't stop people in town from judging Tammy.

[Tammy McCrary]

People were harsh. Oh, my gosh. Some of the things that I read, I could not read because of, you know, the things that people were saying about how stupid I was, oh, how dumb, how could you? You know, it was bad. So I was so embarrassed, you know, I couldn't even go to church. I could not because I was so embarrassed. So embarrassed.

[Andrea Gunning]

Over time, she realized that this wasn't her shame to Carrie, and slowly she started entering the world again.

[Tammy McCrary]

It took me about two to three months to just blend back into society. I eventually just stopped trying to defend myself and I just began to focus on moving forward. That's all I focused on.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

Charges were brought against Eric for identity.

[Andrea Gunning]

Fraud and credit card theft.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

After the sentencing hearing, reporters swarmed the courthouse. When asked for comment Eric spoke directly to Tammy.

[Andrea Gunning]

He apologized to her.

[Tammy McCrary]

It meant nothing. It meant nothing to me. I did not show up for his sentencing. I didn't care.

[Andrea Gunning]

But she did care about her privacy and protecting her family from Eric.

[Tammy McCrary]

I changed my telephone number so that he would not be able to contact me.

[Andrea Gunning]

Looking back years later, there's only one thing that still haunts her.

[Tammy McCrary]

He would have, like, syringes in his pocket. And there was something in those syringes, some type of solution. Makes me think like, my mom used to always joke around and say, oh, you never marry a doctor because he knows how to kill you and get away with it. She always said that. So I always had that in the back of my head. But I'm just so thankful that the situation did not have a tragic end. I really am.

[Andrea Gunning]

Today, Tammy still lives in Atlanta and.

[Tammy McCrary]

Well, believe it or not, I am married again. I was just excited to be with someone that was genuine, that had a really good heart, and he was real.

[Andrea Gunning]

She finds that sharing her story takes the power away from Eric and people like him.

[Tammy McCrary]

I'm not afraid to talk about how I was vulnerable and how I allowed this person in, not seeing the danger and just totally letting my guard down because I'm so caught up on the fact that, oh, this person has lost everyone and everything and they've lost nothing. It's all a lie.

[Andrea Gunning]

We end all of our weekly episodes with the same question. Why do you want to tell your story?

[Tammy McCrary]

I don't know why people feel that they are above being deceived. Everyone has an area of weakness. So I just don't want us to think that it can never happen to me. No one is above Deception.

[Andrea Gunning]

On the next episode of Betrayal, I.

[Tammy McCrary]

Can feel myself started to just float away. Because what I am seeing, I just cannot comprehend. And while I'm holding his phone in my left hand, I take my phone in my right and I just start recording.

[Andrea Gunning]

If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal team or want to tell us your Betrayal story, email [e-mail] that's betrayal. P O-mail.com we're grateful for your support. One way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

And don't forget to rate and review Betrayal.

[Andrea Gunning]

Five star reviews go a long way. A big thank you to all of our listeners. Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group and partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Faison, hosted and produced by me, Andrea Gunning. Written and produced by Monique Laborde. Also produced by Ben Federman. Associate producers are Kristen Melcuri and Caitlin Golden. Our I Heart team is Ali Perry and Jessica Kryncheck. Audio editing and mixing by Matt D'Alvecchio.

[Guardian Bike Representative]

Additional editing support from Nico Aruka and Tanner Robbins.

[Andrea Gunning]

Betrayal's theme composed by Oliver Baines Music Library provided by MIB Music and for more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bartisian Representative]

Black Friday is coming. And for the adults in your life who love the coolest toys, well, there's something for them this year too. Bartisian is the premier craft cocktail maker that automatically makes more than 60 seasonal and classic cocktails each in under 30 seconds at the push of a button. And right now Bartisian is having a huge site wide sale. You can get $100 off any cocktail maker or cocktail maker bundle when you spend $400 or more. So if the cocktail lover in your life has been good this year or the right kind of bad, get them Bartesian at the push of a button. Make bar quality Cosmopolitans, martinis, Manhattans and more all in just 30 seconds. All for 100 off. Amazing toys aren't just for kids. Get a hundred off a cocktail maker when you spend 400 through Cyber Monday. Visit bartesian.com cocktail that's B A R T E S I A N dot.

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