Former Walmart Santa Gets Charged With Murder Of His Children

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Former Walmart Santa And 4 Others Charged With Murder

A Georgia dad–who formerly worked as a Walmart Santa–is now facing murder charges along with four other people in the death of his 14-year-old daughter after her body was found buried in her father’s backyard back in December.

Mary Crocker was last seen in October while her 14-year-old brother, Elwyn Crocker Jr., was last seen in November of 2016, according to the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office. Neither children were reported missing, but the remains of both were discovered in the yard outside the home of their father, Elwyn Crocker Sr., on December 20, 2018.

Authorities initially announced charges for concealing the death of another and first-degree cruelty to children against Crocker, the teen’s stepmom Candice Crocker,  their step-grandma Kim Wright, and Wright’s boyfriend, Roy Anthony Prater. Similar charges later were filed against Candice Crocker’s brother, Mark Anthony Wright.

On Monday the charges against all five were upgraded to felony murder for the death of Mary Crocker, the spokesman for the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, told PEOPLE. Charges have not been brought in the death of Mary’s brother because “the last time he was seen was in November 2016,” Sullivan says. “We believe that his death was about two years ago, so finding evidence linked to his death was a little more challenging.”

Authorities have not revealed a motive or a cause of death and say the investigation is ongoing.

Sullivan says the suspects remain jailed without bond in separate facilities in Effingham County and neighboring counties.