Candace Craig, 44, has been found guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and tampering with evidence for the brutal killing of her 71-year-old mother, Margaret Craig, in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The conviction was announced Friday by State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
The horrific incident began after an argument over fraudulent credit card charges. According to Braveboy, Candace Craig murdered her mother and then, with the assistance of her 19-year-old daughter, Salia Hardy, attempted to conceal the crime. The mother-daughter duo dismembered Margaret’s body using a chainsaw and tried to burn the remains on a barbecue grill and in a fire behind their home.
Braveboy described the victim, Margaret Craig, as a hardworking woman collecting social security and a pension, who supported her daughter, granddaughter, and even her daughter’s boyfriend. “Killed, dismembered, her body burned, her body grilled, it was insulting,” Braveboy said of the crime.
The murder came to light on July 2, 2023, when police responded to reports from neighbors who had not seen Margaret Craig for several days. Upon arriving at the residence on Hill Road in Hyattsville, officers noticed a foul odor and blood near three white plastic trash bags in the basement. Inside one of the open bags, they found dismembered human remains and brain matter. A forensic investigator later confirmed the contents to be human remains.
Authorities discovered a chainsaw, bloodstained cutting tools, and cleaning supplies in the basement, alongside significant blood spatter. The chainsaw itself had traces of human remains when seized by investigators.
Candace Craig is now being held accountable for the heinous crime. Her daughter, Salia Hardy, who previously pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact, is awaiting sentencing. Hardy admitted to finding her grandmother’s body in a blue bin and helping her mother dismember and attempt to burn the remains.