Father of 4 Children in NY Murder-Suicide Sues Agencies for $400 Million
Brady Harmon alleges negligence by government and school entities in the deaths of his children.
The father of four children who died in a murder-suicide orchestrated by their mother and grandmother is seeking $400 million from New York state and local agencies. Brady Harmon claims that the City of Mechanicville, Saratoga County, two school districts, and a housing authority failed to protect his children from years of abuse.
Harmon filed a legal notice three months after his ex-wife, Sarah Myers, and her mother, Amy Steadman, allegedly poisoned the children—Harper, 13; Hudson, 11; and 10-year-old twins Gracelynn and Gavin Harmon—and then themselves. The children's bodies were discovered in their Mechanicville apartment on June 23, more than a week after their deaths.
The lawsuit notice alleges that Myers and Steadman engaged in Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a disorder where caregivers fabricate or induce illness in those under their care. Harmon claims the women regularly administered melatonin, Benadryl, and Kratom to the children to control them and make them ill.
In May 2024, three of the children were taken to Albany Medical Center, showing signs of an opiate overdose. One of the twins, Gracelynn, required Narcan to be revived. According to court documents, the hospital notified Child Protective Services (CPS) after this incident. Harmon's legal notice claims this event should have triggered immediate intervention and criminal investigations.
The notice further states that the youngest son, Gavin, was subjected to false diagnoses of mental illnesses and given psychotropic medication that weakened his ability to defend himself. Harmon alleges that while Myers claimed to be homeschooling the children, they were chronically absent from school. The agencies are accused of withholding information about the abuse and neglect, as well as school and medical records, from Harmon, thereby violating his parental rights.
Harmon, who had been in a contentious custody dispute with Myers, had not seen his children since 2019. He was preparing for their visit to Utah when authorities found the bodies. The legal notice claims that Harmon repeatedly requested welfare checks from police in the days leading up to the discovery of the bodies, but officers did not enter the apartment until a neighbor reported a foul odor.
Myers had left a letter alleging Harmon had abused her and the children, stating the killings were an act of protection. Harmon denies these abuse claims, asserting in the legal notice that his ex-wife used this narrative to manipulate and harm the children. The lawsuit contends that agencies, including the Mechanicville Housing Authority, failed to act despite multiple complaints and investigations by CPS, allowing the abuse to continue.
Nicholas Liakas, Harmon's attorney, stated that Child Protective Services failed the children and that agencies must intervene when warning signs are present, rather than waiting for tragedies. He added that the legal action aims not only to seek justice for the family but also to implement institutional changes to protect vulnerable children in New York.
The Ballston Spa Central School District declined to comment. The City of Mechanicville, Saratoga County, the Mechanicville City School District, and the Mechanicville Housing Authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment.