Cause of death a mystery
for kids
found buried in
South Georgia
As expected by authorities, autopsies have confirmed the
identities of two children found buried in their family’s backyard in
Effingham County, though many questions remain about the deaths, coroner
David Exley said Monday.
“The cause and manner of death is still pending,” he said, adding it could take weeks.
The trouble, he said, is partly that Mary Crocker and Elwyn Crocker Jr. had been buried so long ago
— Mary for perhaps a few months, Elwyn for maybe as long as two years.
The remains of the siblings, who were both 14 years old when they were
last seen but hadn’t been reported missing, were discovered Thursday in
the rural town of Guyton by the Effingham Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies
went to the house after a tipster called 911 to express concern
regarding the whereabouts of the girl. An interview with the father,
Elwyn Crocker Sr., revealed information that sent deputies to check the
backyard for the bodies.
The father, who turns 50 on Christmas and until
recently played Santa at a nearby Walmart in Rincon, has been charged
with child cruelty and concealing a death. The same charges have also
been filed against his wife, Candice Crocker, 33, her mother, Kim
Wright, 50, and Wright’s boyfriend, Roy Anthony Prater, 55. All lived in
the home and could face additional charges, authorities have said. They
remain in the county jail without bond.
Elwyn Crocker Sr.
(Effingham County Sheriff’s Office)
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Gena Sullivan said
deputies had only ever been called to the home for complaints about a
couple of pit bulls, but they have now been told the family was reported
in the past to the Division of Family and Children Services. The agency
declined to comment, as it doesn’t speak about particular cases. The
Crocker children had been enrolled in Effingham County schools but were
withdrawn for home school before they were last seen, Savannah TV
station WTOC reported.
The deaths have shaken the town, which is an old farming community, home to fewer than 2,000 people.
“This
is a very unusual crime, especially in this area, a good, close-knit
community,” said the coroner. “Many people cannot believe this
happened.”
Authorities haven’t revealed whether they have been able to contact a woman believed to be the children’s mom in South Carolina.
From left: Candice Crocker and Kim Wright
(Effingham County Sheriff’s Office)
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