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A grandmother's chilling note was discovered after she allegedly poisoned her daughter and four grandchildren before taking her own life.
The bodies of 64-year-old Amy Steadman, her daughter Sarah Myers, 44, and Myers' four children were found inside an apartment in Mechanicville on Tuesday after a concerned neighbor requested a welfare check.
Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said officers were called after neighbors reported not seeing Steadman for some time.
"When officers were unable to make contact with Ms. Steadman, building management was contacted and access to the apartment was obtained. Upon entering the residence, officers located six deceased individuals," Rabbitt said, per The Mirror.
Authorities later identified the victims as Myers and her children, Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon.
Police believe the family had been dead for an "extended period of time," with investigators initially struggling to identify the victims because of the condition of their remains.
Neighbor Stephanie Sweeney said she became worried after not hearing from the family for nearly two weeks. She said that she noticed a foul odor coming from the apartment.
"I noticed the smell of death," Sweeney said, recalling that flies had gathered around the windows and air conditioner.
She contacted police for a welfare check at around 6:20PM on Tuesday.
"I knew immediately, so I just called, I had to," she said.
Although the investigation remains ongoing, Rabbitt said evidence collected at the scene points to Steadman being responsible for the deaths.
Investigators recovered evidence "to indicate intentional poisoning," including "numerous prescription and over-the-counter medications."
Police also revealed that one of the children "suffered fatal sharp force injuries," though authorities have not disclosed which child.
Officials said they have found nothing to suggest anyone from outside the family was involved and believe everything happened inside the apartment.
The contents of the handwritten note have not been released.
Law enforcement said the causes and manners of death for all six victims remain pending while investigators await toxicology reports, final autopsy findings, and the medical examiner's conclusions.
"We understand the public's desire to identify someone to hold responsible. However, it is important that this investigation be completed thoroughly and professionally before final conclusions are reached," Rabbitt said. "There remains no threat to the public."
The police chief also confirmed the children were homeschooled rather than enrolled in public school.
"Mechanicville is a close-knit city. Many residents knew the family involved, have children and grandchildren of their own, or simply cannot comprehend the loss of six lives under such heartbreaking circumstances," he added.
As investigators continue working to determine what happened, social media posts offer a glimpse into the family's life before the tragedy.
Myers regularly posted photos celebrating her children and once referred to herself as "mama bear" alongside a cartoon image featuring each of them.
Steadman also frequently posted about her grandchildren, writing in one post: "Any day with a grandchild in my arms, on my lap, in my home, or on my mind is an amazing day!"
The family had also been dealing with a lengthy custody dispute between Myers and her ex-husband, Brady Harmon.
According to court records, Harmon filed for divorce in March 2020, with the case concluding two months ago. Myers was awarded sole physical custody, while the former couple shared joint legal custody.
Harmon was ordered to pay $500 per week in child support and was granted scheduled visitation during the summer months.
Less than two months later, he filed an emergency motion seeking to enforce the custody order, while records show Myers had been ordered to appear in court on June 29, 2026, in potential contempt proceedings.
Public records reviewed did not show any criminal history for Harmon.
Harmon revealed that he had not seen his children since 2019 but had recently reached an agreement that would have allowed them to spend the summer together.
"I went from I’m seeing my kids to I’ll never see my kids again," he said. "Hope to hell. Things happen, but nothing like this."
He said police have not told him how his children died and added that he does not know who could be responsible.
The custody agreement would have allowed the children to stay with him in Utah from July 1 until September 1.
Now, the distraught father says he plans to bury them there. "I want them as far away as possible from their mother," he said.
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Police say a grandmother is believed to have poisoned her daughter and four grandchildren before taking her own life.
Authorities in Mechanicville, an upstate New York city around 18 miles north of Albany, announced on Thursday (June 25) that evidence recovered from the home points to 64-year-old Amy Steadman being involved in the deaths of her daughter, Sarah Myers, 44, and Myers' four children.
The victims have been identified as Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin Harmon and Gracelynn Harmon, per ABC News.
The family's bodies were found on Tuesday after neighbors requested a welfare check, telling police they had not seen them for several days.
Speaking at a press conference, Mechanicville Police Department Chief William Rabbitt said investigators have uncovered evidence suggesting the deaths were the result of intentional poisoning.
"We will say that there is recovered evidence inside the apartment to indicate intentional poisoning to include numerous prescription and over-the-counter medications," Rabbitt said.
He added that investigators have found no evidence suggesting anyone from outside the family was involved.
"Evidence recovered during the investigation, including a handwritten note and other circumstantial evidence, strongly suggests that Amy Steadman was involved in the deaths," Rabbitt said.
While toxicology testing remains ongoing and police have not released a motive, investigators also revealed that one of the children "suffered fatal sharp force injuries".
Authorities declined to comment further as the investigation continues.
Steadman lived in the same apartment complex as Myers and her children, although in a separate unit.
Rabbitt said he could not determine exactly how long the family had been dead before officers responded to the welfare check, describing it only as an "extended period of time".
He also noted that the children were not enrolled in public schools.
The children's father, Brady Harmon, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, told WNYT he had not seen his children in person since November 2019 despite spending years fighting for custody and visitation.
Harmon claims that he was only days away from finally seeing his children again.
"I wish there was something else I could have done legally," he told the station.
"But I went through everything I could. Everything that my lawyers could do, everything. I just never thought that someone would go and do this."
"You talk about the feeling of, how do you prepare for this? You get down to almost the finish line - just absolutely cut your legs out from underneath you and the only thing left to do is crawl across the finish line to bring the remains home," he added.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.
A woman found dead alongside her four children and her mother in what police suspect was a poisoning had shared heartfelt social media posts in the days before the tragedy, while also dealing with a contentious custody dispute with her ex-partner.
Authorities discovered the bodies of 44-year-old Sarah Myers, her four children, 13-year-old Harper, 11-year-old Hudson, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn, as well as their grandmother, 64-year-old Amy Steadman, inside an apartment in upstate New York on Tuesday evening.
Officers were called to the property around 6:20PM after a neighbor requested a welfare check, reporting they had been unable to contact the family.
Inside, police found all six deceased.
Speaking at a press conference, Mechanicville police said they believe Steadman was “involved in a mass poisoning,” and confirmed that a note was recovered from the scene.
Investigators also said there were signs of “intentional poisoning” involving a mix of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Officials emphasized that everything appears to have happened inside the apartment and that they are not currently looking for any additional suspects.
However, authorities also revealed a disturbing detail: one of the children suffered “fatal sharp-forced injuries,” though they have not identified which child.
As investigators continue their work, social media posts offer a glimpse into the family’s life before the incident. Myers frequently shared photos and messages celebrating her children.
In one post, she referred to herself as “mama bear,” alongside a cartoon-style image featuring each of her children labeled by name.
Photos shared online show the family smiling together during holidays and everyday moments. Steadman also posted about her grandchildren, including one message that read: “Any day with a grandchild in my arms, on my lap, in my home, or on my mind is an amazing day!”
Those posts now stand in stark contrast to the scene police encountered.
Friends and relatives say the family had been under growing strain in recent months, largely due to a high-conflict custody battle between Myers and her ex-husband, Brady Harmon. Myers had publicly expressed frustration about the legal dispute on social media and claimed she had experienced domestic abuse.
Public records reviewed did not show any criminal history for Harmon, who has not responded to requests for comment.
Court documents show Harmon filed for divorce in March 2020, with the case concluding two months ago.
The final order granted joint legal custody of the children, while Myers was awarded sole physical custody. Harmon was ordered to pay $500 per week in child support and was given scheduled visitation during the summer months.
Less than two months later, Harmon filed an emergency motion to enforce the custody order.
Records indicate Myers was ordered to appear in court on June 29, 2026, over potential contempt proceedings, just days after the bodies were discovered.
Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive, released details of the note, or confirmed a timeline of the deaths. The investigation remains ongoing as autopsy and toxicology results are pending.
Myers' ex-husband, and the children's father, Harmon told the Times Union that he learned of the deaths while at home in Utah and had recently been preparing to reunite with his children after years apart.
He said he had not seen them since 2019 but had reached an agreement with Myers that would have allowed them to spend the summer together.
“I went from I’m seeing my kids to I’ll never see my kids again,” Harmon said. “Hope to hell. Things happen, but nothing like this.”
He added that police have not yet told him how his children died and said he does not know who could be responsible.
Police had reportedly performed a wellness check at a home days before a four-year-old girl was found alive alongside the bodies of her deceased mom and brother.
Lisa Cotton, 38, and her son Nazir Millien, eight, were tragically found deceased at their home on Friday after her older daughter was sent to check in on them.
There, she was greeted with the horrific sight of the eight-year-old boy, who was disabled after being born prematurely and required a feeding tube, slumped in his chair with "bugs" on him.
Four-year-old Promise was found alive on her mother's bed, covered in chocolate, which is believed to be what she had been eating in order to survive.
According to reports, neighbors had last seen the family around two weeks earlier, and had called for a wellness check at the address after reporting hearing screaming and smelling a foul odor from the property.
The New York Post reports that police had completed a welfare check on Tuesday after receiving an anonymous 911 call, but nobody answered the door at the second-floor unit at East 231st Street.
Despite neighbors telling officers that they hadn't seen Lisa or her children in two weeks, responding officers had no reason to break down the door as they did not hear any noises or notice any smells, police sources told the outlet.
A neighbor added: "[The police] said they’d be back in a few days. One of the social workers said she was trying to get a court order to have the door broken in."
Neighbors also claimed they'd heard "screaming" coming from the apartment for days.
Neither body reportedly had any signs of trauma, and police allegedly believe Lisa, who had asthma, may have died of cardiac arrest, leaving Nazir to tragically starve to death.
Promise is believed to have kept herself alive by eating chocolate she found inside the home, and was brought to a local hospital in a stable condition.
The pair's bodies were eventually found when their landlord had phoned Lisa's father, Hubert Cotton, 71, to ask if she had moved out of the property.
Hubert told the outlet: "I had been trying to call her for days and she never answered. I figured she didn’t answer me because she didn’t want me to talk to me."
Concerned, he sent Lisa's eldest daughter to the apartment to check on them, where she made the tragic discovery.
She found Nazir, who was disabled after being born prematurely and a feeding tube, slumped in his chair.
Hubert explained: "When she came in, [Nazir] was slumped over."
The young woman then went looking for Lisa but found four-year-old Promise "feeding herself with chocolate" on her mother’s bed.
"She picked her up and ran out and called the police," Hubert said, with a transcript of the 911 call stating that she had seen "bugs crawling" on Nazir's body.
It is not known how long the mom and son had been dead before they were found, but neighbors had reportedly been complaining of a foul odor that smelled like "death" for weeks.
Hubert is now looking after Promise in his Bronx home and mourned Nazir, who was "so small. I held him in my palm. Like a bird, like a young bird."
He believes Promise may be traumatized from living with the bodies of her mother and brother for several days, and explained that while she "hasn't said anything" she often looks at him "like she knows something".
Hubert, who is originally from St. Kitts, added that his daughter had struggled with her mental health and believed she may have had bipolar disorder.
He also broke down over the prospect of burying both his daughter and grandson, adding: "I’m sorry. . . . Two of them. How am I going to get the money? To bury both of them?"
Eric Perez, who lived above Lisa, added: "The landlord hadn’t done wellness checks, people had called, neighbors called.
"It just smells like rat infested . . . the exterminator said the same thing — the smell is similar to rats and even death."
Police sources also claimed that the mother had an Administration for Children’s Services case pending against her, after she was arrested in June 2021 on child abandonment charges.
Sources claimed she had been acting erratically, swinging her young daughter around in a stroller and lighting a wig on fire in front of a commercial strip on White Plains Road.
When the police arrived, she was allegedly found walking away from the child, and authorities said the case was later sealed.
An ACS spokesperson told the outlet that the incident is now under investigation.
Minnesota police have confirmed that seven members of the same family all died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
As reported by ABC News, the bodies of the family members - who all lived together - were discovered by relatives in the south Moorhead home on Saturday night. Concerns had been raised after their relatives had not heard from them for some time.
On Wednesday, authorities revealed that the cause of death is currently being investigated as apparent accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Blood tests carried out by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office in St. Paul found that the deceased family members had been subjected to a lethal level of carbon monoxide.
Police are still working to put together a timeline of the death, after three of the children in the home failed to turn up to school on Friday (December 17).
The deceased family members moved from Honduras in 2013, and have been identified as Belin Hernandez, 37, Marleny Pinto, 34, Eldor Hernandez Castillo, 32, Mariela Guzman Pinto, 19, Breylin Hernandez, 16, Mike Hernandez, 7, and Marbely Hernandez, 5.
Investigators found that the carbon monoxide detector in the garage had been replaced with a smoke-only detector. Additionally, one carbon monoxide detector was found in the laundry room cabinet with its battery removed.
CBS4 adds that four of the deceased family members were found in their beds.
Police Chief Shannon Monroe said at a press conference that the lethal levels of carbon monoxide are believed to have come from a van in the garage or the house furnace. Although, technicians were unable to find a defect in the furnace that could have caused the deadly levels of carbon monoxide to enter the family home.
Further tests are being carried out to determine whether the victims had hydrogen cyanide in their blood, which would lead investigators to believe that the van would be the cause. Chief Monroe added that the van was found with a dead battery - a common factor in cases of intentional carbon monoxide exposure.
However, Monroe also stated that there is currently "no indication of any kind of criminal activity".
"Unless we find something else yet later in the investigation, right now it’s pointing toward some type of accidental situation," Monroe added.
ABC News says that Belin Hernandez and Marleny Pinto were the parents of Breylin, Mike, and Marbely. Eldor Hernandez Castillo was Belin's brother and Mariela Gusman Pinto was Marleny's niece.
Alfredo Hutar, fiancé of Mariela Guzman Pinto, told the Star-Tribune that the tragedy has left loved ones with more questions than answers.
Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson also told the Star-Tribune that they are looking at ways to help support the surviving family members moving forward.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of loss lost in this tragedy.
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