Erika Elaine Sifrit (née Grace; born February 3, 1978) and Benjamin Adam "BJ" Sifrit (born October 21, 1977) are an American couple convicted of murdering two tourists, Joshua Edward Ford and Martha Margene "Geney" Crutchley, in Ocean City, Maryland, in 2002.
Benjamin completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training class 212 in 1997, but due to bad conduct discharge for repeatedly being absent without leave, insubordination, poor performance and wearing unauthorized insignia, had his Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) 5326 Combatant Swimmer (SEAL) revoked.
After a night of partying together at the Seacrets nightclub in Ocean City, Maryland, the two couples went back to the Sifrits' condominium located in The Rainbow on 112th Street.
When police searched Erika's purse, they uncovered the drivers' licenses of Ford and Crutchley, who at that point had been reported missing.
Erika confessed to murdering the couple shortly after her apprehension, but claimed the idea was her husband's.
[4] Because of the heavy publicity of the case, the Sifrits' trials were moved out of Worcester County, Maryland.
[6] At Benjamin's 2003 trial, a 22-year-old woman named Melissa Seling testified that she was subjected to the same ritual that Joshua and Martha endured, although she was able to avoid being killed.
[14] The Sifrit case has been profiled on: the 2004 episode "Thrill Killers", of the series American Justice; Deadly Sins; Deadly Women; the 2010 episode "Dirty Little Secret" of the series Forensic Files; Sins and Secrets; Snapped: Killer Couples; and True Crime Daily.
In July 2009, a book entitled Cruel Death, written by M. William Phelps, was released about the case.