The father of four children who were allegedly murdered by their grandmother and mother in an upstate New York apartment expressed his anguish and condemnation, stating the perpetrators deserve a "special place in hell."
Police Chief William Rabbitt confirmed that Sarah Myers, 44, and her mother, Amy Steadman, 64, "conspired in carrying out the murders of the four children on June 10 before taking their own lives." Brady Harmon, the father of the children, stated he knew his children had been murdered and that the two women were responsible.
Three of Harmon's children, Harper, 13, Hudson, 11, and Gracelynn, 10, were poisoned. Gavin Harmon, also 10, was stabbed while reportedly attempting to defend himself. "My kids suffered," Harmon told WRGB. "To poison them and also to stab them – there’s a special place in hell for people like that."
Brady Harmon, who had been involved in a custody dispute with his ex-wife Myers, resides in Utah and had not seen his children in person since November 2019. The children were scheduled to spend the summer in Utah.
Investigators discovered a note written by Steadman in which she accepted responsibility and claimed she believed killing the children was the only way to keep them safe from alleged abuse in Utah. Letters suspected to be written by Myers also claimed her children had been abused. Rabbitt noted that while unsigned, the author of those letters referred to "my babies," expressed anger towards the Utah family court system, and alleged abuse, stating an inability to obtain legal representation. "Whatever [Myers and Steadman] believed justified their actions, the deliberate murder of four children cannot be described as protection," Rabbitt stated.
Brady Harmon has categorically denied these abuse allegations, and police have stated they could independently verify the claims. Rabbitt previously indicated that Steadman did not want Harmon to see his children.
Evidence suggests Steadman visited multiple pharmacies in the days leading up to the June 10 killings and communicated with her daughter about the plot via text messages. These messages reportedly included discussions about obtaining medications, the location of the murders, how to administer the substances, how to gather the children, what to tell them, and how to avoid suspicion. In one exchange, Sarah Myers reportedly instructed Amy Steadman to administer the medications between 10:30 a.m. and noon, so they could finish before a scheduled 6 p.m. phone call with the children's father. Later that morning, Steadman allegedly messaged her daughter, "It's not working. We need another option," as the children did not react as anticipated. Gracelynn reportedly complained of stomach pain, prompting Steadman to message her daughter, "Gracie is aware."
Steadman's internet search history revealed research into medication reactions, and later searches included "Where is the most fatal place to be stabbed," which produced results about specific arteries and the neck, according to Rabbitt.
Harmon reported speaking with Myers on the day of the murder, and she told him to call back the next day, claiming the children were sick but would be able to talk on June 11. The children's bodies were not discovered until June 23, during a welfare check. Due to decomposition, identifying the bodies was difficult for responding officers. Syringes were also found in Steadman's home. Harmon told the Times-Union, "They stabbed my son; they poisoned my children. All in the delusional state of, ‘We’re doing this for your benefit.’"