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Trial begins against woman for gruesome murder of her mother


Candace Craig is said to have killed her mother, dismembered the body and burned it on the barbecue in the backyard.


Candace Craig, a 46-year-old Maryland woman, is accused of brutally murdering her mother, dismembering her body with a chainsaw and then attempting to burn her remains on a grill behind her home. Margaret Craig's remains were found by police in garbage bags in the basement of the house in May 2023.

Candace went on trial Oct. 30 on charges brought against her by prosecutors over her alleged role in the murder of her 71-year-old mother. As People As reported, testimony for the trial began and notably included Candace's 21-year-old daughter, Salia Hardy, who later pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact. She testified that her mother killed her grandmother after Margaret accused her mother of stealing money from her bank account.

Hardy recalled that on May 23, 2023, she heard a scream coming from inside the Maryland home and that her mother ordered her not to enter Margaret's bedroom. However, the next day, Hardy testified that she entered her grandmother's room and discovered Margaret's body in a trash can covered with trash bags.

Hardy described this after confronting her mother. Candace told her that they would have to dispose of the body – by burning, dissolving or cutting up.

Hardy admitted to having some involvement by purchasing grilling equipment and home gasoline at Home Depot. The next day, Candace attempted to burn Margaret's body on the grill behind the house, but reportedly failed because alert neighbors noticed the fire and called the authorities. Hardy helped Craig bring Margaret's burned and cold remains back into the house after Craig purchased a chainsaw on Amazon. Hardy claimed in her statement that Candace dismembered her grandmother's body in the basement of the house and put the pieces in trash bags.

Margaret's remains were later discovered in June when police officers arrived at the home for a welfare check. Officers found three bloody white plastic trash bags, a chainsaw with human remains on the blade, blood spatter in the basement and cleaning supplies at the crime scene.

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