Two Georgia children found dead and buried in their father's backyard had been missing for months, but their disappearances were never reported.

News outlets report 14-year-old Mary Crocker disappeared in October and her brother Elwyn Crocker Jr. disappeared in 2016 when he was 14. The Effingham County School System says Mary and Elwyn were removed from school and transferred to a homeschool program.

The children were found last week, and their father, stepmother, stepgrandmother and the stepgrandmother's boyfriend are charged in their deaths. A living 11-year-old child with cerebral palsy was taken from the home and placed this week in the care of his mother, Rebecca Self, of South Carolina.

County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie says despite noticing signs of possible abuse, neighbors and acquaintances didn't report their suspicions to authorities.