A Maryland woman was reportedly murdered last month by her daughter — who, in turn, allegedly had her teen daughter help dismember and burn her body.
According to WUSA, Salia Hardy, 19, told police that her mother, Candice Craig, 44, attacked Margaret Craig, 71, on May 23 during an argument over fraudulent credit card charges. Margaret Craig reportedly blamed Hardy, her granddaughter, for the charges and threatened to contact authorities.
Hardy claimed she found her grandmother’s body in a blue bin at the Hyattsville home the following day.
Authorities alleged that the mother and daughter dismembered Margret Craig with a chainsaw and burned her remains on a charcoal grill.
On Friday, officers conducted a welfare check after a neighbor said they had not seen Margaret Craig in several days. A witness claimed they saw Hardy and Candice Craig burning human remains on May 27 after spotting a brush fire behind their home. The witness called 911 at the time but responding crews did not locate a fire at that time, according to WUSA.
Despite the mother and daughter’s alleged attempts to conceal Margret Craig’s body, officers noticed the smell of decomposition in the basement. WUSA reported that officers spotted blood near three trash bags that contained brain matter and dismembered body parts.
Human remains were reportedly found on a chainsaw that was taken from the home. Detectives also located cleaning materials, cutting utensils, and additional blood in the basement, WUSA reported.
Per the news outlet, officers originally saw a knife in the basement that went missing once they returned.
“To say it’s disturbing is an understatement. It’s horrifying,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy told WRC.
Prosecutors said it will be hard to ascertain how Margret Craig died due to the state of her remains. Residents told WRC that she had been in poor health before her slaying.
Candace Craig is charged with first- and second-degree murder. Hardy is charged with accessory after the fact. They remain jailed without bond.
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[Featured image: Margret Craig/WUSA.
