2 Missing Teenagers Found Buried In Yard, Father, Stepmother Arrested

crime tape — Authorities found four malnourished children on a Texas property, including two who were locked in a kennel. This is a representational image showing a crime scene tape in Schertz, Texas, March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Sergio Flores

Bodies of two teenagers were found buried in Guyton, a city in Effingham County, Georgia, on Thursday. Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie announced the arrests of three adults in relation to the case.

Police arrived at the property where the bodies were found after receiving calls for a welfare check and a possible missing juvenile. The missing girl, 14-year-old Mary Crocker, hadn't been seen "in weeks." Family members in the house told deputies the teenager "had gone to live with her mother." Investigators believed they were being given conflicting information.

“Deputies realized this information was false and not accurate,” McDuffie said. “Information from Elwyn Crocker led investigators to search the grounds, and two bodies were discovered.”

The bodies were buried behind a house in the Azalea Point subdivision, off Rosebud Place. Along with Mary’s body, investigators also found the body of her brother — Elwyn Crocker, Jr. — who had not been seen since November 2016.

On scene of a death investigation in Guyton. Officials are digging in the back yard of a home on Rose Bud Place. Official press conference should be sometime this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/46ILOgBvZJ
— Kyle Jones (@KyleJonesNBC) December 20, 2018

Authorities said there had been no official missing person report filed for either child.

The teens' biological father, Elwyn Crocker, 49, their stepmother Candice Crocker, 33, and step-grandmother Kim Wright, 50, were all charged with concealing a death and cruelty to children. The three suspects were in custody in the Effingham County jail.

The bodies of the two victims were sent for autopsy to determine the cause of death. No murder charges were filed at the time and authorities said more details could be expected Friday.

"How sick can somebody be to hurt a child? I just, if you don't want a child, don't have them. And if you got 'em and you don't want them, give them up," Ruth Sikes, a neighbor, told News 3. "Don't do it this way. It's wrong. This is against the good Lord's work."

McDuffie told local media that if suspicious neighbors had called 911 sooner, some of the tragedies in the case could have been prevented.

“People hear things. People see things. Of course, all day today, people have been coming up to us, ‘well I saw this and I saw that,' but for whatever reason, they didn’t feel comfortable enough to call and let us know that,” the sheriff said.

David Exley, Effingham County Coroner, also said: “This day in time with social media, people are always staying in touch, and when people disappear off the grid, something is wrong.”