Mother and daughter accused of dismembering grandmother with chainsaw, burning her remains on grill

A mother and daughter are in custody for the alleged murder of a 71-year-old grandmother whose decomposing remains were sniffed out by police after she had been dismembered with a chainsaw and burned on a charcoal grill. 

Candace Craig, 44, is accused of killing her mother Margaret Craig and enlisting in the help of her 19-year-old daughter Salia Hardy to dispose of the body, according to Prince George’s County police.

Officers on Friday conducted a welfare check on the matriarch at the Landover, Maryland, and immediately smelled the odor of decomposition. 

They discovered ‘what appeared to be brain matter’ in open trash bags, according to gruesome details revealed in court documents obtained by WJLA on Monday.

Both Candace and Salia are in the custody of the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections and face charges in Margaret Craig’s death. 

Candace Craig’s daughter Salia Hardy, 19, was charged with accessory after the fact

An investigation led police to determine that Candace allegedly murdered her mother on May 23, following an altercation and then had her daughter help to dispose of the remains

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. 

While police are still working on identifying a motive, according to the press release.

Court documents allege that Margaret had threatened to report her daughter Candace to the police for fraudulent use of her credit card.

‘Defendant 2 [Salia Hardy] stated that the Defedent threatened to report her daughter, Defendant 1 [Candace Craig], to the police for fraudulent use of her credit card.’ Defendant 1 then attacked the Decedent,’ the court documents stated.

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.

Court documents allege that Margaret Craig had threatened to report her daughter Candace to the police for fraudulent use of her credit card

Police responded to the residence in the 200 block of Hill Road around 1:35 p.m. on Friday after a 911 caller said they had not heard from Margaret Craig and were worried about her 

Police responded to the family home in the 200 block of Hill Road about 1:35 p.m. on Friday after an unidentified 911 caller said they had not heard from Margaret Craig and were worried about her welfare.

Candace Craig answered the door and allowed officers inside to search the home.

When police entered the basement, they ‘recognized the smell of putrefaction and observed blood and tissue on the floor near three white plastic trash bags.’

The documents also revealed that police found a knife on the basement floor, and recovered a chainsaw, cutting utensils, cleaning materials scattered nearby, and found 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,’ Major David Blazer, commander of the major crimes division in Prince George’s County, said in a statement.

Candace Craig is charged with first and second degree murder. Her daughter Salia Hardy is charged with accessory after the fact. 

A preliminary hearing for Candace is scheduled for July 3. She is being held without bond.