Four children in Mechanicville, New York, were poisoned with allergy medication and kratom before their mother and grandmother died by suicide in June, according to a new report citing toxicology results. The children—Harper Harmon, 13; Hudson, 11; Gracelynn, 10; and Gavin, 10—all had diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, and kratom in their systems.
Kratom, also referred to as “gas station heroin,” is a psychoactive herbal extract that can produce opioid-like effects, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Authorities stated that the children's mother, Sarah Myers, 44, and grandmother, Amy Steadman, 64, were responsible for the deaths before taking their own lives. While Harper, Hudson, and Gracelynn died from poisoning, Gavin was reportedly stabbed while attempting to defend himself.
The killings occurred shortly before the children were scheduled to spend the summer with their father, Brady Harmon, who lives in Utah. Myers and Harmon had been engaged in a contentious custody battle, and he had not seen the children since November 2019.
Authorities discovered a letter from Myers alleging that Harmon had abused her and the children, and that the killings were an attempt to protect them. Harmon denied these abuse allegations and expressed his grief, stating, "My kids suffered. To poison them and also to stab them – there’s a special place in hell for people like that."