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Maryland police are accusing a mother of killing a grandmother and then trying to hide the remains with the help of her own 19-year-old daughter.
Candace Craig, 44, and Salia Hardy are facing charges following the death of 71-year-old Margaret Craig at a Landover home in late May, according to the Prince George’s County Police Department.
Police say officers went to a home for a welfare check on June 2 after a “911 caller said he had not communicated with Margaret Craig in several days and was concerned about her welfare.”
“Candace Craig opened the door and allowed patrol officers to enter the house to look for Margaret Craig. When the officers entered the basement, they immediately smelled the odor of decomposition,” the Prince George’s County Police Department said in a statement.
FIVE SUSPECTED US MS-13 GANG MEMBERS UNLAWFULLY ACCUSED OF MURDER IN THE DEATH OF 15-YEAR-OLD MARYLAND
Candace Craig, 44, left, and Salia Hardy, 19, are being charged in connection with the murder of Margaret Craig, a 71-year-old grandmother in Landover, Maryland. (Prince George’s County Police Department)
“Based on additional evidence collected at home and multiple interviews, the preliminary investigation suggests that Candace Craig killed her mother on May 23, 2023,” the statement continued. “The next day, Hardy helped her mother dispose of the remains.”
The motive for the murder is unclear and is “under investigation,” police said.
“Homicide detectives will ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted and that both suspects are held accountable for their brutal and criminal behavior,” said Major David Blazer, the commanding officer of the department’s Major Crimes Unit.
Candace Craig is charged with premeditated and premeditated murder, while Hardy is charged with complicity afterwards.
GRANDMOTHER ACCUSED OF MURDER IN DEATH OF 8-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER: POLICE
Prince George’s County police say the motive for the murder is still under investigation. (Prince George’s County Police Department)
Both women are currently in custody.
“The Chief Medical Examiner’s office will confirm the victim’s identity and attempt to determine the cause of death,” police said.
The murder comes months after a grandmother in North Carolina was charged with murder after allegedly beating her 8-year-old granddaughter to death.
In that case, deputies from the Nash County Sheriff’s Office were called to a hospital in February after a youth was taken to the emergency room with serious injuries and pronounced dead on arrival.
The street in Maryland that Prince George’s County Police responded to after being asked to conduct a welfare check on Margaret Craig. (Google Maps)
Investigators determined that the girl was beaten so badly by her grandmother that she died of her injuries. She and several other siblings lived with the grandmother, who was their legal guardian.
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The grandmother, identified as 72-year-old Patricia Ann Ricks, did not make a statement after being transported to the sheriff’s office. She was charged with first-degree murder and felony child molestation with grievous bodily harm.
Pilar Arias of Fox News contributed to this report.
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.
