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Published 16:16 05 Aug 2026 GMT
Disturbing new details have emerged in the deaths of four children in upstate New York, with investigators revealing that one of the victims appeared to realize she and her siblings were being poisoned shortly before they were all killed.
Ten-year-old Gracelynn "Gracie" Harmon, her twin brother Gavin, 10, Hudson, 11, and Harper, 13, were found dead inside the Mechanicville apartment of their grandmother, Amy Steadman, in June.
Their mother, 44-year-old Sarah Myers, and 64-year-old Steadman were also found dead. Police believe the two women killed the children before taking their own lives.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said Gavin died from "multiple sharp force injuries," while his three siblings showed signs they had been poisoned.
Investigators say messages recovered during the investigation indicate Gracie became aware something was wrong.
According to Chief Rabbitt, the 10-year-old confronted her mother and grandmother, writing: "Why would you do that? You both won't let me puke," as she complained about worsening stomach pain.
Police said that later the same evening, Steadman messaged her daughter, saying: "Gracie is aware," before the pair allegedly continued discussing their plan.
Authorities recovered electronic evidence, including text messages between Myers and Steadman, which investigators say outlined how they intended to obtain medication and kill the children in order to "protect them."
Chief Rabbitt said investigators believe the motive was to prevent the children's father, Brady Harmon, from gaining custody of them.
Myers had accused Brady of domestic violence, allegations he has denied. He has not been charged with any offence.
According to investigators, Myers had hoped the children would be dead before a scheduled 6PM phone call with Brady on June 10. However, after a combination of prescription and over-the-counter medication allegedly failed to kill them, police say she texted her mother: "We need another option."
Detectives also examined Myers' internet search history, which Chief Rabbitt said included "searches about medication reactions, the effects of insulin on non-diabetics and the Utah court system."
He added that investigators also found searches including: "Where is the most fatal place to be stabbed."
Police further revealed that Gavin suffered a defensive wound during the attack, which Rabbitt said indicated "that he attempted to protect himself during the attack."
The final text exchange between Myers and Steadman reportedly took place at around 8:40 PM on June 10. About an hour later, surveillance footage captured Steadman visiting a nearby gas station before returning to the apartment.
The bodies were not discovered until nearly two weeks later after a neighbor requested a third welfare check, having not seen the family for 13 days.
Chief Rabbitt said officers did not enter the apartment during the first two welfare checks.
By the time the family was found, the bodies had decomposed to such an extent that identifying the victims proved difficult.
The investigation remains ongoing, with toxicology testing still pending. Authorities have indicated the results may never be released publicly because they fear disclosing specific details could encourage copycat crimes.
Chief Rabbitt strongly rejected the suspects' apparent justification for the killings.
"Amy Steadman and Sarah Myers consistently portrayed these murders as a way of protecting the children," he said.
"Whatever they believed justified their actions, the deliberate murder of four children cannot be described as protection."
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Brady Harmon revealed he had previously received multiple letters from Saratoga County Child Protective Services informing him that concerns had been raised about the children's living conditions.
He told the Albany Times Union that the final letter stated Myers was being investigated for Munchausen by proxy, a form of child abuse in which a caregiver fabricates or deliberately causes illness in a child.
According to Brady, a therapist concluded Myers had been negligent but determined the children were not in immediate danger.
"Nothing happened after that," he said.
He also described the condition of Myers' apartment when he later collected his children's belongings, claiming it was filled with cat urine and feces.
The cat has since been rescued by the Mechanicville Housing Authority and rehomed.
Brady said he does not know who originally contacted Child Protective Services but believes someone connected to the Mechanicville City School District may have raised concerns before Myers withdrew the children from school in 2024 to homeschool them.
