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The double murders of Joshua Ford and Martha Crutchley will be explored in the premiere episode of Investigation Discovery's true crime show, Very Scary Lovers.
Joshua Ford and Martha Crutchley were killed by Benjamin and Erika Sifrit on the night of May 26, 2002, in Ocean City, Maryland.
Very Scary Lovers will premiere on Investigation Discovery on February 2, 2025. Viewers can also stream it a day later on Max. The platform describes the show:
"Hosts Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg dig deep behind the headlines to reveal the gritty realities of diabolical couples whose dark and twisted love drives them to murder."
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Trigger warning: This article contains information about graphic violence.
5 key details about Joshua Ford and Martha Crutchley's murders
1) Joshua Ford and Martha Crutchley were killed by another partying couple
Joshua Ford and his wife Martha Crutchley were on a vacation in Ocean City. On the night of May 25, 2002, the couple befriended another vacationing couple, Benjamin and Erika Sifrit.
During a party, both the couples hit it off and all four of them ended up at the high-rise, north-end row penthouse suite the Sifrits were renting. Sometime in the early hours of May 26, 2002, the Sirfits murdered Joshua Ford and Martha Crutchley.
2) Joshua Ford and Martha Crutchley's bodies were butchered
The Ocean City police department started investigating the case three days later when they got a call from Fairfax, Virginia police, Ford’s and Crutchley’s hometown. The couple had not shown up for work which alarmed their colleagues.
When the investigation intensified and the culprits were caught, a chilling detail about the case came forward. The Sifrits had dismembered their victims' bodies and dumped them in one or more Dumpsters in Delaware.
3) The couple's bodies were never fully recovered
When the police reached Benjamin and Erika Sifrit's place, they found some key shreds of evidence that pointed towards a brutal possibility. There was a bullet hole in the wall and dried blood in places not apparent to the naked eye.
When the killers were caught, they initially refused to talk. However, soon Erika confessed to chopping and dumping the victims' bodies. A search team of more than 25 guys along with the police searched through the trash.
However, they weren't able to recover all the body parts of the victim. They could only find Crutchley’s leg and Ford's arms and torso.
4) Benjamin and Erika Sifrit were caught in an attempted burglary
Benjamin and Erika Sifrit were self-proclaimed Bonny and Clyde, who enjoyed burglary at Hooters outlets. Erika came from a wealthy Pennsylvania family and was a star basketball player, while Benjamin was a former Navy SEAL, who had graduated at the top of his class.
After committing the heinous murders, they kept on vacationing as before. On May 31, 2002, they were arrested burglarizing a Hooters restaurant. Erika claimed a panic attack and asked to get her medicines from her purse.
However, the police checked her purse and found a gun, along with the driving licenses of Crutchley and Joshua Ford. This tied them to their disappearance and after investigating their condo, it was clear what they had done.
5) The killer couple tried to blame each other
Upon being arrested, both Erika and Benjamin tried to put the blame on each other. Benjamin accused Erika of the murders and claimed to have been sleeping outside during the murder.
However, he did confess to dismembering and disposing of the bodies.
The killer couple were both found guilty of the murders. Benjamin was found guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree assault in Crutchley's killing and received 38 years in prison.
Erika was sentenced to life with an additional 20 years for both the murders.
How to watch Very Scary Lovers?
To watch the premiere episode of Very Scary Lovers, viewers can tune in to Investigation Discovery on Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. One can also stream the episode on Max the next day.
Viewers can access the content on Max with a subscription to the platform. In the United States, Max offers three types of subscription plans.
The Ad-Lite plan, which costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, enables the user to access the service on two devices at 1080p resolution and with 5.1 surround sound quality.
Users can also opt for the Ad-Free plan, which costs $16.99 a month or $169.99 a year, and the Ultimate Ad-Free plan which charges $20.99 a month or $209.99 a year. These plans provide a 4K resolution display and Dolby Atmos sound quality.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about Very Scary Lovers and other true crime shows on Investigation Discovery as the year unfolds.
