5 charged with murder of 2 children found buried in southeast Georgia

GUYTON, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Five people have been officially charged with murder after authorities found two children buried behind a home in southeast Georgia last year.

The official cause of death of 14-year-olds Mary Crocker and Elwyn Crocker Jr. have not yet been released. Their bodies were found in woods at a home near Guyton on Dec. 20.

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The Effingham County Coroner expects that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will have more information in the next several months.

Deputies say Mary Crocker hadn't been seen since October, while Elwyn Crocker Jr. hadn't been since 2016.

MORE: Sheriff: 2 dead children found buried behind Georgia home

Among those arrested are the children's father, 49-year-old Elwyn Crocker; 33-year-old stepmother Candice Crocker; 50-year-old step-grandmother Kim Wright and 55-year-old Roy Anthony Prater, the step-grandmother's boyfriend, and 31-year-old Mark Wright.

The murder charges for each are on top of the first-degree cruelty to children charges.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report