Maryland woman Candace Craig charged with murder of her mother, Margaret Craig, with granddaughter, Salia Hardy charged with disposing of remains. 71 year old victim killed following altercation over fraudulent use of victim’s credit card.
A Maryland woman has been accused of murdering her elderly mother and enlisting her teenage daughter to help hide the remains.
Candace Craig, 44, upon her arrest over the weekend was charged with first and second-degree murder in connection with the death of 71-year-old Margaret Craig, the Prince George’s County Police Department stated in a release.
Her daughter, 19-year-old Salia Hardy, was charged with accessory after the fact following claims the granddaughter helped her mother attempt to dispose of her grandmother’s remains according to evidence presented during a Monday preliminary court hearing.
Odor of decomposing body
Police were called to the family’s home in Landover on June 2 after a 911 caller said they had not communicated with Margaret Craig for several days and was worried for her welfare.
Candace Craig answered the door and let authorities inside to search the home. When officers entered the basement, they ‘immediately smelled the odor of decomposition,’ the release stated.
A preliminary investigation allegedly suggests that Candace Craig killed her mother on May 23. The following day, Hardy helped her mother attempt to dispose of the remains, police allege.
Investigators discovered ‘what appeared to be brain matter’ in open trash bags, according to macabre details revealed in court documents obtained by WJLA on Monday.
Police claim Candace allegedly murdered her mother on May 23, following an altercation and then had her daughter help to dispose of the remains, which had were reportedly being kept in a blue bin in her bedroom.
Court documents allege that Margaret had threatened to report her daughter Candace to the police for fraudulent use of her credit card.
The alleged attack happened just nine days after Mother’s Day this year. In 2021, Candace had posted a heartfelt message to her mom on her Facebook page.
‘Happy Mother’s Day to the number one woman in my life. I hope you have an awesome and peaceful day. I don’t get to say this everyday but I love you very much to the moon and back,’ she wrote.
No official murder motive
Court documents also revealed that police found a knife on the basement floor, along with recovering a chainsaw, cutting utensils, cleaning materials scattered nearby, along with coming across blood spatter throughout the basement.
‘The detectives of the Homicide Unit will ensure a thorough investigation is conducted and that both suspects are held accountable for their cruel and criminal behavior,’ said Major David Blazer, Commander, Major Crimes Division.
The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office will confirm the victim’s identity and attempt to determine the cause of death.
Authorities say a motive for the gratuitous violence remains under investigation.
Both Craig and Hardy are in custody of the Department of Corrections. It’s unclear if they have entered pleas or retained attorneys.
A preliminary hearing for Candace is scheduled for July 3. She is being held without bond.
Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is asked to call detectives with the Prince George’s County Police Department at 301-516-2512.
