A 64-year-year-old New York woman is suspected of involvement in the deaths of her daughter and four grandchildren, who were found dead in her home on Tuesday. Authorities believe Amy Steadman poisoned herself, her daughter Sarah Myers, 44, and Myers' children, Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon.
Police responded to a welfare check at Steadman's residence in Mechanicville after neighbors raised concerns about not seeing her. Upon entering the home, officers discovered the five bodies. Initial evidence, including prescription and over-the-counter medications found at the scene, suggests intentional poisoning, according to Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt.
"Evidence recovered during the investigation, including a handwritten note and other circumstantial evidence, strongly suggests that Amy Steadman was involved in the deaths," Rabbitt stated at a press conference Thursday.
The children's father, Brady Harmon, who lives in Utah, had been planning to pick up his children for the summer on July 1. He told local media that he had been in a lengthy legal battle for visitation rights after Myers moved with the children to upstate New York in 2019 without notice. Harmon stated he last saw his children in November 2019 and expressed his devastation over their loss.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths is ongoing.