Mechanicville, N.Y. — Six members of a family, including four children, their mother and grandmother, were found dead inside an apartment in the upstate New York city on June 23, 2026, in what authorities have described as a suspected murder-suicide involving intentional poisoning.
Mechanicville police responded to a welfare check at an apartment on Harris Avenue shortly before 6:30 p.m. after neighbors reported they had not seen the residents for several days. Upon entering the residence, officers discovered the bodies of six people.
The deceased were identified as Amy Steadman, 64; her daughter Sarah Myers, 44; and Myers’ four children — Harper Harmon, 13; Hudson Harmon, 11; and 10-year-old twins Gavin Harmon and Gracelynn Harmon.
Police Chief William Rabbitt said the bodies had been inside the apartment for an extended period, complicating initial identification at the scene. Autopsies later confirmed the identities.
Investigators recovered evidence pointing to intentional poisoning, including numerous prescription and over-the-counter medications. One of the children, later identified as Gavin Harmon, suffered fatal sharp-force injuries and is believed to have been stabbed while the others were poisoned.
A handwritten note and other circumstantial evidence found at the scene “strongly suggest that Amy Steadman was involved in the deaths,” Rabbitt said during a news conference. Police later indicated that both Steadman and Myers may have been complicit. There was no evidence of involvement by any outside individuals.
The children’s deaths have been ruled homicides, while Steadman and Myers are believed to have died by suicide. Toxicology results released in early September indicated that the four children had diphenhydramine (the active ingredient in Benadryl) and kratom in their systems.
The tragedy occurred amid a long-running custody dispute. The children’s father, Brady Harmon of Utah, had been awarded summer visitation and was scheduled to have the children with him from early July through early September — the first extended in-person contact in more than six years. Harmon has publicly rejected allegations of abuse leveled against him in notes left by the women and expressed profound grief over the loss of his children.
Planning for the deaths appears to have begun no later than early June, according to police, based on communications between Steadman and Myers.
The apartment complex is part of the John S. Moore Homes. Myers and her children lived in a separate unit in the same building as Steadman.
Authorities continue to review final toxicology and medical examiner findings. The Mechanicville Police Department has urged anyone with additional information to contact them.
The case has left the small community north of Albany in mourning. A vigil was held in the days following the discovery to honor the four children.
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