The trial of a particularly sordid affair was held last week in Maryland. Candace Craig, 46, was accused of killing her mother, attempting to burn her body on a grill in the back of their home and ultimately dismembering her with a chainsaw. The remains of Margaret Craig, 71, were discovered in trash bags stored in the basement of her family’s Hyattsville home in June 2023.
Salia Hardy, Candace Craig’s daughter, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact, as part of a deal with the prosecutor, writes WUSA 9. In court, she explained that her mother committed the act because his grandmother accused him of stealing money from her bank account. On the day of the murder, the 21-year-old heard a scream inside the house and her mother ordered her not to enter Margaret’s bedroom.
The next day, Salia went into her grandmother’s room and discovered her body in a trash can, a bag over her head and blood on the carpet. Her mother then explained to her that they had to dispose of the body either by burning it, using acid, or cutting it up. A few days later, after purchasing grilling equipment and a can of gasoline, Candace attempted to burn her mother’s body on a grill in the back of the house. She grilled some chicken at the same time, hoping to mask any suspicious smells.
This attempt failed, as neighbors noticed the fire had spread and came to the rescue. To drown it out, mother and daughter explained that they were burning a tire. The next morning, the two accomplices brought the body of the septuagenarian inside, “once it had cooled,” explained Salia. Candace then bought a chainsaw online and cut up her mother’s body in the basement. On June 2, 2023, police officers came to inquire about Margaret’s state of health after neighbors reported her disappearance. Alerted by a pestilential odor, they made this macabre discovery.
Candace Craig was found guilty of premeditated murder. She will know her sentence later.
