Maryland police have arrested a mother and her 19-year-old daughter for killing the family’s grandmother and attempting to conceal her remains.
The Prince George’s County Police Department has revealed that Candace Craig, 44, and Salia Hardy, 19, are now under charges related to the death of 71-year-old Margaret Craig, which took place at a Landover residence in the previous month.
Officers were dispatched to perform a welfare check at the home on June 2 following a 911 call from a concerned individual who had not seen Margaret Craig for a significant period of time. Candace Craig met the officers at the door and granted them access to search for Margaret. As they entered the basement, the officers noticed a strong smell of human decay, as reported in a statement by the Prince George’s County Police Department. Initial investigations, corroborated by further evidence and interviews, suggest that Candace Craig is responsible for her mother’s death on May 23. It is believed that Hardy aided her mother in getting rid of the body the following day. It’s reported that they used a chainsaw to dismember the victim and incinerated her remains on a charcoal grill. The investigation yielded human remains, blood, and materials related to the murder and cleanup at the scene.
The actual motivation behind the killing is still a mystery and continues to be under investigation.
Candace Craig is charged with first and second-degree murder, and Hardy is accused of being an accessory after the fact. Both are currently held in custody. The identity of the victim and the cause of death are yet to be confirmed by the medical examiner.