Ex-Walmart Santa Claus arrested after bodies of his 2 children found buried in his backyard
GUYTON, Georgia -- A Georgia father is among the four people charged in the deaths of his two teen children after their bodies were found behind their family's home.
Investigators made the discovery after they were called to do a welfare check at the home last week.
They were told 14-year-old Mary Crocker was missing and believed to be dead. She hadn't been seen since October.
After questioning everyone inside her family's home, deputies say the family lied, claiming that Mary went to live with her mother.
When deputies returned, they found the girl's body buried just feet away from her home. The body of her brother, Elwyn Crocker Junior, was found nearby.
Elwyn hadn't been seen since November 2016. Authorities believe he was killed at that time and only discovered now. He would have been 16.
Neither of the children were reported missing.
"How sick can somebody be to hurt a child? If you don't want a child, don't have them. And if you got 'em and you don't want 'em, give 'em up. Don't do it this way. It's wrong. This is against the good Lord's work," neighbor Ruth Sikes told WSAV.
Deputies have charged the children's father, 49-year-old Elwyn Crocker, their stepmother, 33-year-old Candice Crocker, and their stepgrandmother, 50-year-old Kim Wright, with concealing the death of another and cruelty to children in the first degree.
Deputies say a child of the stepmother was found alive at the home. He was taken to the hospital to be checked out.
"I've been doing this 41 years. And a while ago, I almost broke down in tears. It's that bad. I just can't understand how you do children like this. Horrible," said Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie.
The step-grandmother's boyfriend, 55-year-old Roy Anthony Prater, has also been arrested. He faces the same charges as the other three suspects, plus an additional count of possession of a controlled substance.
The teens' father recently worked as a Santa Claus at a Walmart. The company says he no longer works there.
All four suspects are in jail.
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