Small Town Murder — "Death In The Family: Williamsburg, Indiana"

Podcast: Small Town Murder
Hosts: James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman
Date: December 6, 2025

Episode Overview

In this darkly hilarious true-crime deep dive, James and Jimmie bring their trademark comedic lens to a grisly double murder in the tiny rural town of Williamsburg, Indiana. They trace a story of addiction, deception, and family implosion, examining what can go terribly wrong when drugs, dysfunctional relationships, and small-town secrecy collide. The case follows the unraveling of Scott Hartman, a once "golden child," whose addiction leads to the shocking murder of both his parents—prompting the hosts' unique blend of gallows humor and sharp social observation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: Williamsburg, Indiana

• Population of only 473, nestled in Wayne County, with an "inception-like" Russian doll structure of tiny towns within townships ([05:10]).
• Median household income is surprisingly high ($76,083), but housing is cheap ($182,000) ([06:26]).
• Hosts riff on the area’s lackluster activities, poking fun at community days, antique tractor displays, and a "world famous" pork chop cook-off:

  "If part of the way your town gets down and parties is setting up a table in your driveway and selling your grandma’s lamp ... come up with better shit to do." – James ([08:44])

The Hartman Family Backstory

• Patriarch Brian Hartman: contractor, farmer, workaholic; stern but not abusive disciplinarian ([13:15]).
• Matriarch Sherry Hartman: doting, over-protective mother, later beset by severe health issues—cancer, emphysema, COPD, lumbar stenosis ([14:41]).
• Only child Scott: the "golden child", spoiled, never told no, torn between parents' conflicting styles—strict father, coddling mother ([15:48]).

Scott’s Downward Spiral

• Joins the Army to escape town and his father ([17:09]).
• Marries Angel; becomes a father young (daughter Carolyn) ([19:03]), quickly grows strict, shows troubling behavior—mood swings and pill addiction begin ([19:31]).
• Addiction escalates to painkillers, mainly OxyContin, with a taste for anything he can get:

  “Why are you holding? That would be his answer. What you got?” – James ([20:46])

• Marriage dissolves due to drugs and violence; Angel leaves, but Scott later wins full custody of both children—raising doubts about both parents' stability ([24:24]).

Addiction & Dysfunction on the Family Farm

• Scott moves into a pole-barn-converted home on his parents’ rural property ([26:03]).
• Scott steals his ailing mother's painkillers regularly, even swapping them out with Tylenol or Advil ([33:19]):

  “Think about what a scumbag you have to be ... stealing medication from your cancerous mother.” – James ([34:06])

• First legal trouble: caught forging prescriptions for painkillers ([34:45]); fails all court-mandated rehab.

The Murders

Death of Sherry Hartman (Mother)

• February 12, 2010: Scott calls 911 claiming his mother is unresponsive and foaming at the mouth. She is pronounced dead at the hospital; cause of death listed as respiratory failure linked to her many maladies—no one in the family is surprised ([36:19]).
• Scott insists to relatives that Brian (his father) left town suddenly, leaving checkbook and funeral planning to him ([38:58]). Stories of Brian’s departure change repeatedly—red truck, white car, taxi ([40:24]).

Death of Brian Hartman (Father)

• Brian is missing during Sherry’s funeral; Scott and the kids do not attend either ([42:31]).
• Scott is caught breaking into a neighbor’s house, high and looking for drugs, during the funeral ([43:44]).

Body Discovered

• After family pressure for a welfare check and their own search of the property, Brian’s body is eventually found folded inside a large plastic toolbox in the garage, shot in the back of the head at close range while he slept ([49:36]):

  “He went to the garage ... he didn’t leave at all.” – James ([49:39]) “He died of a significant head wound created by a shotgun blast. Likely fired within inches of the back of his skull.” – James ([49:55])

• Bloodstains, drag marks, and a clean-up attempt reveal the violence of the act; murder weapon found as described by Scott ([48:53]).

Scott’s Confession

• Under Miranda, Scott confesses:
  • He "assisted" his mother’s death by giving her a fatal overdose of meds she was allergic to ([51:48]);
  • He shot his sleeping father "according to a family pact" that both parents supposedly requested ([54:25]):

    “It was a pact ... agreed that when it was Sherry’s time to go, Scott would assist her in doing that, and Brian had said ... I don’t want to live without my wife—kill me too.” – Paraphrased ([54:45])

  • Motivation: allegedly a mercy killing/suicide pact. However, Sherry was in remission from cancer at the time, contradicting Scott’s claims ([57:01]).

Criminal Proceedings and Legal Complexity

Original Charges & Motion to Suppress

• Initially charged with murder (father) and assisting suicide (mother).
• Scott’s confession is ruled inadmissible over Miranda rights violations; prosecution responds by upgrading charges to double homicide ([67:59])—defense protests, claims “vindictive prosecution.”
• Appellate and Indiana Supreme Court rulings mostly uphold the convictions.

Trial & Verdict

• Scott’s stories fall apart: contradictory tales of his father’s disappearance, witnesses to his pill addiction and theft, direct evidence of his role in both deaths.
• Prosecution:

  “We have two people that are dead and one person [...] living in their home, no explanation.” – Jimmie ([69:18])

• Jury deliberates only 45 minutes, finds him guilty on two counts of murder ([71:52]).
• Sentenced to 120 years (60 each, consecutive), with earliest possible release in 2070, at age 94 ([72:14]).

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Williamsburg’s leisure options:

  “Explore the Levi and Catherine Coffin State Historic Site. OK. Go to the Warm Glow Candle Outlet. This is why AI is terrible.”
  – James, mocking AI-generated suggestions ([11:01])

• On Scott’s pill-seeking burglary:

  “He was trying to break into their house to steal their pills. This is three days after he refilled a 90-day supply of OxyContin.” – James ([44:17])

• On the spousal ‘pact’ defense:

  “How many people fight cancer, get in remission, and go, ‘I’ll kill myself now, I’ve had enough’?” – James ([57:11])

• On the ineptitude of Scott’s cover-up:

  “Imagine—‘I’ll put that there, do some drugs and deal with that later.’ That’s hardcore addict shit.” – James, on storing the body ([50:10])

• On the impact of drugs:

  “He just messed up his mind on them drugs and it made him a monster.” – Scott’s son, Brian ([74:25])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Williamsburg overview and town riffing: [05:10 – 12:03]
• Hartman family history & dynamics: [13:15 – 17:11]
• Scott’s addiction, criminal start: [20:43 – 24:37]
• Scott living on property, stealing meds: [26:03 – 34:16]
• Legal/forgery issues, escalating drug use: [34:45 – 35:49]
• Events leading to the deaths: [36:19 – 39:10]
• Contradictory stories about Brian’s disappearance: [40:24 – 41:40]
• Discovery of the crimes and police involvement: [48:03 – 49:40]
• Murder details & confession: [51:46 – 54:45]
• Discussion of the mercy killing defense: [57:01]
• Trial and sentencing outcome: [71:52 – 72:22]
• Aftermath and family reactions: [74:02 – 74:29]

Tone, Style & Noteworthy Aspects

• The hosts deftly blend irreverent humor with serious analysis, especially when discussing small-town culture ("loitering for three days" at community days) and the devastating effects of unchecked addiction.
• The case’s disturbing detail is offset by conversational tangents and comedic asides, keeping things engaging without trivializing the real victims.
• Multiple quotable moments, the hosts leaning into their signature "dark, but empathetic" banter.

Closing Thought

In classic Small Town Murder style, the episode uses caustic wit to highlight both the unique quirks and darker tragedies found in rural America. The story of Scott Hartman’s catastrophic descent provides a sharp critique of the destructive power of addiction and the deadly consequences of enabling family dysfunction—reminding listeners that, beneath the bucolic veneer of places like Williamsburg, darkness can lurk.