Small Town Murder: "Hooters, Hitler & Horribleness" – Ocean City, Maryland
Hosts: James Pietragallo & Jimmie Whisman
Air Date: January 24, 2026
Episode Theme:
An in-depth, comedic look at a horrifying double murder in the beach resort town of Ocean City, Maryland, as the hosts unravel the unhinged, disturbing case of Erika and Benjamin "Beej" Sifret, blending true crime research, local color, and characteristic humor.
Episode Overview
James and Jimmie examine Ocean City, Maryland—its idiosyncrasies, local history, and crazy population inflations every summer—before diving into the truly wild, outlandish details of a 2002 double homicide by two of the oddest, scariest perpetrators to ever enter their docket: a couple obsessed with Hooters memorabilia, Nazi paraphernalia, and impulsive violence.
The episode is classic Small Town Murder: deeply researched, unsparingly dark, but always leavened with jokes, as the hosts weave together community reviews, personal histories, and a genuinely sad case of senseless murder.
Ocean City, Maryland: A Character Study
Population and Vibe
- Permanent population: ~6,800 (swells to 350,000+ on summer weekends).
- James: "You're packing 10 pounds into a 2 pound bag type of shit that we got going on here." (03:00)
- Median household income: $58,563. Median home: $433,600.
- Tourist hotspot, heavily service-industry oriented.
Local Color
- Area codes: 410, 443, 667 ("Good Lord." – Jimmie, 06:01)
- Famous for wild summer festivals, beach culture, and a party reputation.
- Notable event: Oceans Calling Festival—90s and 00s nostalgia acts abound:
- "If you were 17 in 1998, that is like, you'd love to go to that show." – James (12:24)
Town Reviews (Hilarious & Odd)
- Five-star local: “Grew up just running across the street to jump in the ocean and enjoy a sun filled day of fun. You little prick.” – James (08:18)
- Three-star: “It’s slowly becoming less and less of a family friendly place.” (09:03)
- One-star, unhinged: “Ocean City is full of radiation... All condos and hotels have 5G on top of them.” – James (10:03)
- “Or he's a insane, crazy lunatic.” – James (10:31)
Victims: Joshua Ford & Martha "Jeannie" Crutchley
Their Backgrounds
- Joshua Ford: 32, Army veteran, insurance underwriter, South Boston native, martial arts enthusiast.
- “Best thing I can say, he’s a damn solid citizen, this cat.” – James (12:55)
- Notable traumatic history: his niece was murdered in a still-unsolved decapitation case.
- Martha "Jeannie" Crutchley: 51, insurance executive, Kansas native, renowned for never missing a day of work for 21 years.
- “She has not missed a day of work in 20 years. Really missed perfect attendance over here. All the medals hanging for each year.” – James (15:11)
Unusual Couple
- Significant age gap: “You just don’t see it this way very often.” – James (14:38)
- Met at a company party in 1999, quickly became inseparable, moved in together 2001.
Memorial Day Weekend 2002
- Motivation: Vacation to Ocean City to decompress from personal trauma.
- Fun, easygoing couple, ready for a restful break.
The Perpetrators: Erika and Benjamin "Beej" Sifret
Erika Sifret (née Grace)
- Only child, Pennsylvania, privileged upbringing, perfectionist, basketball star, honors student.
- “Couldn’t have met a nicer, more polite person than Erika... but under the surface... a lot of disorders.” – James (23:25)
- Functioning OCD, anxiety, eating disorders.
- Highly pressured by a relentless father (“Moved family to different school district for more playing time.” – James 25:22)
- College: University of Mary Washington, history and poli-sci major, top Division III three-point shooter.
Benjamin "Beej" Sifret
- Iowa—Midwest native, father was corporate executive, moved frequently.
- Wanted action: Excelled at Navy SEAL training (one of just 18 to complete his class, one of only positive things anyone can say about him).
- "He's like Ric Flair, this fucking guy. What? He is, except his dick's in his pants." – James (33:16)
- Ultimately kicked out of Navy for AWOL, insubordination, and wearing unauthorized insignia. (36:47)
Relationship and Escalation
- Whirlwind romance: Met at bar in 2000, married after three weeks in Las Vegas, not telling families.
- Erika became financially and emotionally dependent—fiendish jealousy, stalking behavior, pill and alcohol addiction.
- Obsession with Hooters memorabilia: Erika collected Hooters merch (tank tops, etc.), BJ used locksmith skills for burglaries.
- “Started burglarizing Hooters restaurants... all she wants is the merch cabinet.” (42:44)
- Swastika & Hitler fixation:
- “He got a giant swastika on his chest. They called it Ed Norton American History X. Fucking swastika on his chest. Enormous.” – James (40:15)
- “They both became obsessed with Hitler, obviously.” (41:18)
- Named their cobra "Hitler" and another snake "HIV." (41:36)
Drug Use & Crime
- Extensive Xanax and Valium abuse (smuggled from South America)
- Escalating criminality: pills, ecstasy, cocaine, and increasingly bold Hooters burglaries.
The Murders (00:12:38 onward)
How It Started:
- Memorial Day 2002: Josh and Jeannie meet Erika and Beej on the city bus, heading to "Seacrets" (a party bar).
- Generous/Friendly Josh pays their bus fare; couples vow to buy each other drinks.
- They party, then head in sequence to each others’ condos, smoke weed, drink, and hot tub.
Deadly Turn of Events (From 3:01 AM)
- Erika claims her purse is missing and calls 911 acting fearful, possibly playing up a scam (47:11).
- "There are people in my apartment... I'm afraid I'm going to have a robbery here." – Erika, 911 (47:08)
- No clear address; police do not respond.
- Shortly thereafter, both Josh and Jeannie disappear. They are reported missing.
The Crime: Host Breakdown
Host Description (Multiple Times): The Sifretes' bizarre behaviors escalate to unspeakable violence.
- Accuse Josh & Jeannie of theft, pull a gun, force them to strip and barricade themselves in a bathroom.
- BJ fires through door—wounds Josh, kicks in door, fatally shoots him. Jeannie is shot and then stabbed by Erika at BJ's behest (61:15).
- Erika's full confession: "We cut the heads off the arms and the legs." – Erika, to police (58:57)
- Dismember bodies, transport remains to a Delaware dumpster. Only partial remains of both recovered.
Notable/Disturbing Details
- BJ, aroused, displays the victims’ heads: "Take a picture. I want to send it to my buddies." – BJ (62:56)
- Allegations of necrophilia and attempted cannibalism.
- Erika wore Josh’s blood-caked ring as a necklace; got a cobra tattoo over the spot she stabbed Jeannie.
Later That Week:
- Sifrets nearly repeat the crime—invite couple to condo, set up same “missing purse” ruse, but the guests escape by faking urgent need for sex. “Too horny to die.” (66:55)
Investigation & Arrest
Discovery (Silent Alarm at Hooters)
- May 31, 2002: Caught red-handed burglarizing Hooters. Both armed and loaded with a veritable murder kit (51:10).
- “Ski masks, zip ties, gloves, tape, lock picking supplies…” – James (51:02)
- IDs, personal effects, and empty shell casings from victims found.
- Condo is freshly repainted and cleaned, but extensive forensic evidence remains, including bullets, blood, a piece of scalp, and incriminating photos (55:05).
Prosecution and Trials
Erika’s Cooperation
- She admits presence, then describes events in detail (58:57).
- Tries to cut a deal by implicating Beej, but admits too much in pre-polygraph interview; deal is rescinded.
Verdicts & Sentencing
BJ Sifret
- Guilty of second-degree murder (Jeannie), accessory after the fact (Josh). (71:16)
- 38 years in prison. Judge: “You’re a butcher. You cut these people up for no good reason.” (74:04)
Erika Sifret
- Guilty of first-degree murder (Josh), second-degree murder (Jeannie), and burglary/theft (Hooters heists). (73:22)
- Sentence: Life + 20 years.
Quotes:
- “This was nothing more than thrill killing for you and your wife. You’re a butcher.” – Judge Weinstein to BJ (74:04)
- “You Xanax-sniffing asshole, may fuck off. Life plus 20 years.” – Judge Weinstein to Erika (74:53)
Aftermath
- Both denied parole (Last as of 2024).
- BJ is eligible for mandatory release in 2030.
Notable Moments & Quotes
The Title, Explained:
Jimmy: "Hooters, Hitler, and HIV. The three H’s. I think Hooters, Hitler, and HIV should definitely be the name of this episode. I think it is." (41:55)
On Hooters' Business Model:
James: “Hooters walks a strange line where they’re like, hey, look, we got chicks in short shorts with their big racks hanging out. But it’s a family place. Bring your kids.” (49:43)
On Being "Spoiled":
James: “If you grew up poor, that’s spoiled... Look at this guy with school clothes. Look at this fucking asshole. That’s how we grew up.” (22:51)
On Their Psychopathy:
James: “If I see a guy with a giant swastika tattoo laying with his eyes closed, he’s going to awake to his fucking nose being driven into his fucking skull.” (65:08)
Jimmie: “He’s gonna wake up terribly.” (65:10)
Key Timestamps
- Town overview: 05:01–12:00
- Victim backgrounds: 12:38–17:45
- Suspect backgrounds: 23:01–38:43
- Hooters, Hitler & weird obsessions: 38:44–43:44
- Night of the murders: 44:29–47:19
- 911 call: 47:08–48:14
- Discovery of crime, evidence: 52:55–56:27
- Confessions and dismemberment: 58:57–62:53
- Trial and verdicts: 70:04–74:53
Final Words
A deeply disturbing case of random, pointless violence—heightened by the perpetrators’ bizarre obsessions and unhinged behavior. The hosts offer a sharp, irreverent take, bringing out the insanity of both the crime and resort-town weirdness.
James:
“There you go, everybody. That is Ocean City, Maryland, very quickly.” (75:45)
Closing tone:
They remind listeners to get tickets and join Patreon, and sign off with their signature:
“And until next week, everybody, it’s been our pleasure.”