Police Say Mother and Grandmother Planned the Deaths of Four Children in New York

Four children found dead alongside their mother and grandmother in a Mechanicville, New York, apartment were killed as part of what investigators describe as a planned murder-suicide.

Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon were found dead with their mother, Sarah Myers, 44, and grandmother, Amy Steadman, 64, during a welfare check on June 23, 2026.

Police believe the four children were killed on June 10, nearly two weeks before the bodies were discovered. Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said investigators concluded that Myers and Steadman had communicated about and coordinated the killings before their own deaths. (Spectrum Local News)

Investigators found evidence of planning

According to police, the investigation uncovered written material, electronic messages and internet searches that indicated preparations had taken place before the deaths.

Messages between Myers and Steadman allegedly included discussions about obtaining medication, where the killings would occur, how the medication would be administered and how the children would be brought together.

Investigators said one exchange discussed giving the children medication between approximately 10:30 a.m. and noon, taking into account that they were expected to speak with their father by phone at 6 p.m.

Later communications reportedly suggested that the first method was not working and that the two women would need to consider another option.

Police also examined Steadman’s internet search history, which they said included research concerning reactions to medication and potentially fatal injuries. (Times Union)

Three children were allegedly poisoned

Police said Harper, Hudson and Gracelynn died after being poisoned, while Gavin suffered fatal sharp-force injuries and investigators believe he may have attempted to defend himself. (Times Union)

The deaths of the four children were ultimately classified as homicides, while the deaths of Myers and Steadman were ruled suicides. (Times Union)

Their father, Brady Harmon, lives in Utah and had been separated from the children for years amid a custody dispute with Myers. He had not seen them in person since November 2019.

Harmon said his final known communication with Myers came on the day investigators believe the children were killed. She told him the children were sick and that they should speak again the following day. That conversation never took place.

Claims about protecting the children

A note recovered during the investigation indicated that Steadman believed the killings were intended to protect the children from alleged abuse in Utah.

Police also said they recovered letters believed to have been written by Myers containing similar allegations.

Harmon has categorically denied those accusations, and investigators said they were unable to independently verify the claims contained in the writings.

Chief Rabbitt stressed that whatever the two women may have believed, investigators did not consider the children’s deaths an act of protection. (Spectrum Local News)

Bodies discovered during welfare check

The six family members were found on June 23, after police were asked to conduct a welfare check at Steadman’s residence on Harris Avenue. Officers discovered the bodies inside the apartment. (Spectrum Local News)

Police said Myers and her children lived in a separate apartment within the same housing complex, while Steadman lived in the residence where the bodies were found. (aol.com)

Investigators recovered prescription and over-the-counter medications as part of the investigation, as well as other evidence from the home. (Spectrum News NY1)

The combination of the communications, written material, internet activity and physical evidence led police to conclude that Myers and Steadman had planned and coordinated the deaths.

The case has since prompted further scrutiny of the family’s history and the custody dispute surrounding the children. In September, Harmon filed a $400 million notice of claim against several public entities, alleging failures in protecting his children; those allegations are part of a separate legal action and have not been established by a court. (Spectrum Local News)

The four children — Harper, Hudson, Gavin and Gracelynn — were between 10 and 13 years old when they died.