Mechanicville, New York — Police have released new findings in the deaths of four children whose bodies were discovered inside a New York apartment earlier this year, saying the investigation uncovered evidence that their grandmother and mother allegedly planned the killings together before both women died by suicide.
Investigators say the evidence includes electronic communications, internet searches, handwritten letters, and text messages recovered during the months-long investigation into one of the region’s most devastating family tragedies.
Police Say Messages Show Detailed Planning
During a Tuesday news conference, Mechanicville Police Chief Bill Rabbit said investigators recovered electronic communications between Amy Steadman, 64, and her daughter, Sarah Myers, 44, that allegedly documented discussions about carrying out the killings.
According to police, the messages included conversations about obtaining medications, deciding where the killings would occur, discussing how the medications would be administered, bringing the children together, and attempting to avoid suspicion.
Chief Rabbit said investigators believe the communications went beyond planning and showed the two women were coordinating while the crimes were taking place.
The children — Harper Harmon, 13; Hudson Harmon, 11; and 10-year-old twins Gavin Harmon and Gracelynn Harmon — were found dead inside Steadman’s apartment on June 23 after officers responded to a welfare check.
Investigation Uncovered Internet Searches and Pharmacy Visits
According to investigators, Steadman visited several pharmacies before the children’s deaths and obtained over-the-counter sleep aids as well as medication prescribed to her.
Police also recovered internet search history that allegedly included searches involving medication reactions, insulin effects on non-diabetics, and Utah’s court system.
Investigators further alleged that search history included questions about fatal stab wounds and the location of the carotid artery.
Authorities say these findings, combined with handwritten notes recovered from the apartment, became key evidence in reconstructing what happened.
Custody Dispute Became Central to Investigation
Police said letters left behind by Steadman and Myers claimed they believed killing the children was the only way to protect them from their father, Brady Harmon, who had been awarded summer parenting time under a custody agreement.
According to court records, Myers and Harmon divorced in 2020, initially sharing joint custody.
The custody arrangement reportedly allowed the children to live with Myers during the school year while spending July through September with their father in Utah.
Investigators said they recovered electronic files from Myers containing photographs, text messages, and handwritten materials alleging abuse.
Authorities have described those materials as part of the investigation, but no court finding cited in the released information established that the allegations against the children’s father had been proven.
Police Describe Children’s Final Moments
Investigators allege the women initially attempted to poison the children, but police said the medication did not have the effect they expected.
According to Chief Rabbit, investigators recovered a text message stating:
“It’s not working. We need another option.”
Police also said they found a message attributed to one of the children describing severe stomach pain.
According to investigators, Gavin Harmon later suffered fatal stab wounds and had a defensive injury, which police said indicated he attempted to protect himself.
Authorities believe the family had been dead for several days before a concerned neighbor requested a welfare check after not seeing them.
Father Speaks Following Investigation
Following the release of the investigation’s findings, Brady Harmon described the emotional impact of losing all four of his children.
He said he had expected to reunite with them but instead learned they had died.
Harmon also told local media he hopes to bury the children in Utah, where he wants them laid to rest away from the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The investigation has now concluded with police saying the evidence supports their determination that the killings were the result of a coordinated murder-suicide involving Steadman and Myers.
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