Daughter Accused of Dismembering Mom with Chainsaw, Grilling Remains

Candace Craig, 46, is is accused by prosecutors of murdering her mother, 71-year-old Margaret Craig

Prince George's County Police Department

A Maryland woman is accused by prosecutors of murdering her mother, dismembering her with a chainsaw and then attempting to burn her remains on a grill and a fire in the back of their house.

Candace Craig, 46, is on trial this week on allegations of murder in connection with the death of her mother, 71-year-old Margaret Craig, whose remains were discovered by police in trash bags in the basement of her Hyattsville home in May 2023, WUSA9 reported.

In two days of testimony beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 30, Craig’s 21-year-old daughter, Salia Hardy, who pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact, testified the killing occurred after her grandmother accused her mother of stealing money from her bank account, ABC7 reported.

On the day of the May 23, 2023, killing, Hardy said she heard a scream inside the home and recalled her mother telling her to stay out of her grandmother’s bedroom.

Craig allegedly told her that if she were to go to jail, Hardy was to "look out for her sisters,” Hardy testified, per WDCW.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

The following day, Hardy testified she went inside her grandmother’s room and found the victim's body in a bin with a trash bag over her head and blood on the carpet, per FOX5.

Hardy confronted her mother, who allegedly told her they needed to dispose of the body by either burning it, using acid, or chopping it up, Hardy alleged on the stand, WDCW reported.

Hardy claimed to jurors that days later, after buying grilling supplies including a can of gasoline at Home Depot, Craig attempted to burn the body in the back of the house, but it didn’t work because neighbors noticed the fire had spread and contacted the fire department, according to FOX5.

The next morning, Hardy and Craig brought the victim's remains inside after they “had time to cool off,” Hardy testified, WDCW reported.

Then, Craig allegedly purchased a chainsaw on Amazon and cut up her mother’s body in the basement, Hardy testified.

Officers were called to the home on June 2, 2023, for a welfare check after a neighbor reported her missing, WUSA9 reported. Officers immediately smelled decomposition and saw blood by three white plastic garbage bags, according to charging documents, per WUSA9.

Investigators allegedly later found a chainsaw with human remains on it, as well as blood spatter and cleaning supplies in the basement, per the charging documents, WUSA9 reported.