True Crime Brewery

Among the thousands of vacationers who traveled to Ocean City, Maryland, on Memorial Day weekend, 2002, were two couples whose paths crossed with horrific results. The first couple, Joshua Ward and Geney Crutchley, were good people looking for a relaxing weekend. But the second couple, Erika and Benjamin Sifrit, had much darker plans. Join us at the quiet end for Bad Romance. At first glance, Erika and Benjamin appeared to be a typical young married couple, but they were a deadly match. They were big partiers, always looking for a bigger thrill. When drinking and drugs were no longer enough to satisfy them, they moved on to burglarizing businesses and carrying loaded guns. Then, one dreadful night, the Sifrits played a twisted game of murder and mayhem, showing their gravitation towards violence and their complete lack of human empathy.

Early in the morning of March 1, 2008, two men entered the Caffey family home in rural Alba, Texas. Terry Caffey and his wife Penny had been living a quiet, peaceful life in their modest country home with their three children, Erin, Matthew, and Tyler. A violent break in was the last thing the family could have ever expected. After family members were attacked by armed assailants, their home was set on fire. 41-year-old Terry was shot five times, but he somehow managed to crawl to his only neighbor, about 400 yards away, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.Join us at the quiet end for Daddy’s Little Girl. A home invasion and mass murder were not something the tiny Texas town of Alba had ever seen before. When 16-year-old Erin Caffey was found alive, she appeared to be in a state of shock. But right away, investigators wanted to know what Erin knew about the attack. Her father Terry rejected that idea that Erin could have any knowledge of the crime against her own family members, but he believed her olde

Mary Yoder was a beloved wife, mother, and chiropractor, apparently living her best life. In 2015, she and her husband Bill, who ran their own chiropractic practice together, were planning on retiring and finally taking their dream trip to Europe. But on July 20th, Mary didn’t seem like herself. She left work, complaining of an upset stomach and intractable vomiting. By the following morning, she was intubated in the hospital ICU. Join us at the quiet end for Inside Job. Doctors caring for Mary in the hospital were puzzled by her sudden, severe illness. Within 36 hours, she had seven episodes of cardiac arrest. Her family came to be by her side, but the outcome was devastating. Mary Yoder was dead. Toxicology studies found a poison in Mary’s blood, solving the medical mystery, but the investigation into how and why she had ingested the poison had just begun.

It was a beautiful day on the California coastline when 20-year-old Deana Wild agreed to take a day trip to Big Sur with older couple Virginia and Billy Joe McGinnis. This is a popular tourist spot, but the cliffs are dangerous with unstable earth near the edge and the rocky Pacific coast below. Deana didn’t feel well that day but Virginia convinced her to walk along the cliff’s edge and pose for photos. As Deana looked out at the beautiful scenery, Virginia began to snap photos. Billy Joe put his arm around the listless young woman with his hand at her back as Virginia continued to take their picture.Only Deana, Virginia, and Billy Joe knew what happened next. What we do know is that Deana fell to her death from the cliff that day. Her autopsy would show that she had clawed her fingernails into the earth trying to save herself. But the weight of her body or the push of her killer sent her plummeting to the rocks below.Join us at the quiet end for The Beneficiary. When Deana fell to her death, the idea o

When 50-year-old multi-millionaire Bill McLaughlin answered 25-year-old Nanette Johnston’s classified ad back in 1991, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.  The ad was directed at “wealthy men only” and Nanette described herself as a “classy, well-educated woman” who “knows how to take care of her man.”  Clearly, Nanette was looking for a sugar daddy. Divorced and lonely, it seemed like a good deal to Bill.Despite the concerns of Bill’s daughters, Nanette moved into Bill’s Newport Beach home.  He took her on expensive trips, bought her a new car, and even gave her a generous allowance.  But unknown to Bill, Nanette had secrets, including other boyfriends, during their relationship.Join us at the quiet end for Death of a Sugar Daddy. After three years together, Nanette was out shopping when someone got into the house with a brand-new key and shot Bill six-times.  There was no direct evidence linking Nanette to the crime, but she was the beneficiary of a $1 million life insurance policy.  In 1995, N

When Jan Roseboro’s husband Michael found her unconscious and bleeding in their new swimming pool, there was no reason to suspect him of anything nefarious. Even though his 911 call was unusual, it wasn’t proof of a crime. But then a motive for murder was discovered: Michael’s lover, Angela Funk.When Angela’s computer and phone records were examined, thousands of romantic and lustful messages with Michael Roseboro were discovered. In these messages, he professed his love for her and his desire to marry her. In fact, he was planning to leave Jan and ask for a divorce on July 22, the day Jan died. Join us at the quiet end for Lady in the Water, the murder of Jan Roseboro. Within days of Jan’s death, investigators decided that Michael Roseboro had beaten and strangled his wife before tossing her into the pool to drown. All of this happened while their three small children slept inside the home. Michael’s family and lover didn’t believe that Michael could do such a thing, but Jan’s family had no doubts that

Since Dick and I are away this week, we decided to put out this ad-free TCB Premium episode, from July, 2020, for all of our listeners today!  This is just one of dozens of ad-free episodes available with a premium subscription! Here are the show notes:Faith Hedgepeth was just 19-years old when she was violently murdered in her off-campus apartment. Faith was popular and outgoing, with plans to become a pediatrician and serve the Haliwa-Saponi Native American tribe. She was studying at the University of Chapel Hill in North Carolina and living with her best friend. Then, on September 7, 2012, a 911 call came in from Faith’s roommate. The call would become the subject of much speculation, along with a note left at the scene, DNA evidence, and an unusual murder weapon.Join us at the quiet end for Unsolved: The Murder of Faith Hedgepeth. It’s been 8-years since Connie Hedgepeth lost her baby girl. It doesn’t seem like too much for her to ask to learn why Faith was killed or to see her killer go to trial. Toda

Doctor Josephakis “Joe” Charalambous had a thriving family practice when he became obsessed with 15-year-old Shelley Joel. Shelley, along with other members of her family, was his patient. Shelley’s parents were alarmed when the doctor began buying her gifts and calling her at home. He was obsessed with her, speaking of little else. And they soon came to believe that the doctor brainwashed Shelley, luring her into an inappropriate, illegal, and abusive relationship. As soon as Shelley was legally allowed, she married her doctor. But she didn’t live happily ever after.After the wedding, Joe engaged with prostitutes and his interest in young girls persisted. He soon became infatuated with two pretty young patients, Katie and Sian Simmonds. But Katie and Sian weren’t as easily brainwashed as Shelley had been. They told their father about their doctor’s inappropriate remarks and behavior and he contacted the College of Physicians and Surgeons, helping his daughters file a formal complaint for sexual misconduct

In the early morning of February 10, 1992, Robin Lee Row’s two-story duplex in Boise, Idaho, was engulfed in flames. Robin wasn’t home that morning. She had spent the night at a friend’s house after a fight with her husband, Randy Row. But at 3am, Robin had a premonition of the fire. She woke her friend at 5:30 am and they drove together to the duplex to check on Robin’s children. Joshua, 10-years-old, Tabitha, 8-years-old, and their step-father Randy all died in the fire. Initially, there was an outpouring of compassion for Robin, a grieving woman who had lost her entire family overnight. But Robin was not who she appeared to be. Her behavior after the tragedy along with fire-investigators’ suspicions about the fire led the police to look into Robin’s past. After a bit of digging, they would discover that Robin had lived a lifetime of deceit, fraud, and, quite possibly, murder. Join us at the quiet end for Burning Down the House. The deaths of her family members in the 1992 fire were not the only

Police were surprised by Barbara Stager’s lack of emotion when her 40-year-old second husband, Russ Stager, died from an accidental gunshot wound to his head.  Within days, Barbara called her insurance company to cash in on Russ’s life insurance policy. She would collect her money and life would go on for her and her children. That’s what she believed.To the untrained eye, Barbara looked like an ill-fated woman, widowed twice in just 10 years. But she had her critics; people who knew that her first husband had also died from an “accidental” gunshot wound.  And, in both shootings, Barbara had been in the bed beside her husband.  In fact, she had been the one with the gun in her hand.Join us at the quiet end for a convoluted story of treachery and deception.  Barbara Stager was a spendthrift, a liar, a sex addict, a thief, and a killer.  She spent her adult life moving from house to house, job to job, and man to man.  It wasn’t until after her second husband’s death that a criminal investigation was initiated,

Tyler Hadley’s parents were trying to get the 17-year-old to make better decisions in his life. Since his early teens, he had been using drugs, stealing, and showing a fascination for violence. His mother Mary Jo loved her son fiercely, never giving up on him and describing him as a sensitive boy. As he sunk into depression and sullenness, she worried that he would hurt himself. But when asked, she would say that she never feared her son would hurt her or her husband.Join us at the quiet end for Killer Party. Tyler planned a big bash at the family home, telling his friends that his parents were going on a trip. He put out the word on his Facebook page and stocked up on food, booze, and drugs. But as the party went on, Tyler’s friend noticed that Tyler’s parents’ cars were still in the driveway. Knowing that they would never allow a teen drug party in their home, he wondered where they were. Then a rumor began to circulate among partygoers that Tyler had murdered his parents. It turned out that this w

Kathleen Folbigg has lived a life filled with tragedy. As a child, her father murdered her mother, leaving her to grow up in foster care. But Kathleen seemed to have overcome her difficult past when she married her husband Craig and they set out to start a family. In 1989, Kathleen’s infant son Caleb died. This death was followed by the deaths of three more of her children in 1991, 1993, and 1999. It wasn’t until the death of her daughter Laura in 1999 when family, friends, and the authorities became suspicious. Kathleen denied killing her babies, but her behavior and her journals may have told a different story.Join us at the quiet end for The Hand that Rocks the Cradle: The Kathleen Folbigg Story. When a mother loses a child, sympathy is abundant. But, when each of Kathleen’s children died in her care, one after another, dark questions about Kathleen and the complexities of motherhood came up. The accepted wisdom at the time was that one cot death is a tragedy, two are suspicious, and three is murde

Divorce and child custody battles can be brutal, but they rarely end in murder. In February, 2002, Alan Bates and his wife Terra were excited to pick up his two daughters from the home of his ex-wife, Jessica McCord. His relationship with Jessica had been acrimonious since the divorce, but he loved his girls and would not give up on them. The couple was planning to take the girls to his parents’ home for a weekend visit, a rare and happy event.When Alan and Terra failed to show up at his parents’ house, his family was worried. Alan’s father called the police, who handled the call as a routine case of overdue motorists. It happened all the time. People made plans, and something along the way held them up. But this wasn’t like Alan and Terra. The longer family members waited, the more panic began to set in. Join us at the quiet end for Overdue Motorists: Alan & Terra Bates. Alan’s ex-wife Jessica and her police officer husband, Jeff McCord, would claim that Alan and Terra never showed up to pick up h

The Schenecker family home was in a nice neighborhood; the kind of place couples choose to raise a family. Julie, her husband Parker, and their two children, Calyx and Beau, seemed to be living the good life in their spacious home located on a cul-de-sac in a gated community. But on January 28, 2011, the city of Tampa and surrounding communities were reminded that appearances can be deceptive and money cannot buy happiness.Join us at the quiet end for The Devil They Knew, the story of a mother who planned and carried out the murders of her two children because they were “mouthy and disrespectful.” Julie was a carpool mom, her husband was a Colonel in the military, and their two children were good students who played sports and had lots of friends. But behind the family’s facade, Julie was a powder keg with serious mental health and substance abuse issues. At the heart of this case lies the question of whether Julie was capable of understanding the consequences of her violent actions. And how could her c

William Bradford Bishop, Jr., was born and raised to succeed. With classic good looks, cultured parents, and a Yale education, he expected a lot out of life. As an adult, he married a beautiful woman who gave him three healthy sons. They travelled the world, eventually settling into a Maryland suburb. Bishop built a career with the U.S. State Department, working in military intelligence. In his esteemed position, he felt in charge. But in his home, his wife and mother were running things. After 15 years of government service, Bishop was passed over for promotion. His stalled career may have been the final indignity.Join us at the quiet end for The Bradford Bishop Murders. Forty years have passed since this stunning case of family annihilation and Bishop seems to have vanished from the face of the earth. The suggested motives behind his crimes are as specific as they are unusual. Today we’re taking a deep dive into the psychology and sociology in Bishop’s family life and career as they culminated in the

Jennifer Cave and Colton Pitonyak had their addiction to drugs in common, but they were otherwise two very different people. Jennifer was known as a caring person who tried to help everyone she met. Pitonyak was a drug dealer with a growing propensity for violence.In August of 2005, when Jennifer didn’t show up for her new job working for a law firm in Austin, Texas, her employer called Jennifer’s mother Sharon back in Corpus Christi. Concerned, Sharon called several of Jennifer’s friends. She even called Pitonyak, who lied to her and claimed he had not seen Jennifer. The next day, Sharon and her fiancé, Jim, drove to Austin to look for Jennifer. The crime scene they found in Pitonyak’s apartment was shockingly gruesome.Join us at the quiet end for When Darkness Fell. Colton Pitonyak was a former rich kid who was used to getting everything he wanted. Jennifer considered herself his friend, but he wanted more from her. He took Jennifer out for dinner to celebrate her new job on August 16th, but somethin

Ellen Boehm’s husband left her for another woman, abandoning his three children without visitation or financial support. With only her secretarial job to support them, Ellen had to move her children out of the family home and into an apartment building. Money was tight, but Ellen had some strange priorities that made it tighter. She was crazy about professional wrestling and she travelled to attend matches whenever she could, wherever she could, leaving her kids with her mother.In many ways, Ellen lived in her own fantasy world. She wrote love letters to her favorite wrestling personalities and bragged to her friends about her popularity with these men. No one actually believed that Ellen had any romantic involvement with them, but it seemed harmless enough. Until her children began to die.Join us at the quiet end for Mommy’s Little Moneymakers. There were some crucial emotions missing in Ellen Boehm, including kindness, honesty, and maternal love. She began to see killing her own children as a means to

In the spring of 2005, brother and sister Shasta and Dylan Groene were just normal kids, out playing in their yard in their bathing suits. Neither they nor their parents had any way of knowing that a violent pedophile was watching them. Joseph Duncan III, recently paroled, had been trolling the area, looking for fresh victims. He likely knew that this would be his last chance to live out his horrific fantasies before he would be returned to prison.Join us at the quiet end for Shasta’s Story. Shasta was just 8-years-old when the deeply disturbed Duncan invaded her home and proceeded to beat and tie up her family members. For the next several weeks, she experienced more trauma and fear than we can imagine. Today, we’re going over the details of this crime, the criminal history of Duncan, and, most importantly, the strength and determination of Shasta, a child who once showed remarkable courage in the face of terror and a young woman now putting together the best life she can from her own broken and battere

On November 26, 2001, the fire department of Cantonment, Florida, was called to the burning home of Terry King. Terry was dead in his reclining chair, but he had not been overcome by smoke.  He had been bludgeoned to death.  Once the fire was extinguished, concerns turned to Terry’s two sons, Derek, 13, and Alex, age 12. Fortunately, they had not been victims of the fire, but where were they?It took days to locate Derek and Alex, who were brought to the police station by a 40-year-old man named Rick Chavis.  Chavis claimed to be a family friend, but a background check showed that he had a criminal history, including convictions for molesting teenage boys.Join us at the quiet end for Killing Dad.  Terry King’s two sons would confess to their father’s murder, claiming self-defense against an abusive parent.  But there was no proof that Terry was abusive.  Interviews with the boys soon brought into question their relationship with Chavis and his role in the murder of Terry King.

Graduate student Annie Le disappeared from her lab at Yale University just five days before her wedding. When she was first reported missing, investigators theorized that she had cold feet and had likely run off for some time alone. But Annie’s family and friends didn’t believe Annie would do that. She was very much in love with her fiancé and she was excited about the upcoming nuptials. Join us at the quiet end for The Vanishing Bride-to-Be, the story of Annie Le. As the days passed by and her wedding day neared, Annie’s disappearance seemed more and more likely to be the result of foul play, but a thorough examination of CCTV footage at the laboratory showed that Annie had never left the building.