Family Poisoning
New York Police Suspect Grandmother in Deaths of Daughter, Four Grandchildren by Poisoning.
Police discovered six people dead inside a Mechanicville, New York apartment on June 23, 2026, after a neighbor reported a "smell of death." The victims were Amy Steadman, 64, her daughter Sarah Myers, 44, and Myers's four children — Harper, 13, Hudson, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn — according to ABC News.
Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt named Steadman the primary suspect at a press conference on June 25. Investigators believe she intentionally poisoned the family using prescription and over-the-counter medications. Officers also found a handwritten note at the scene, WAMC reported. The investigation remains ongoing, and a final determination awaits toxicology results.
Welfare Check Reveals Days-Old Scene of Death
Police were called to the John S. Moore Homes on Harris Avenue after neighbors noticed no activity for nearly a week. When officers arrived at 6:20 p.m. on June 23, they found all six victims in Steadman's apartment. The state of the bodies was so severe that autopsies were performed the next day at Albany Medical Center just to identify the victims, according to WAMC.
Sarah Myers lived in a separate unit in the same complex, but her body was found inside her mother's apartment, Daily Voice reported. Neighbors later told reporters the children had often been seen playing outside, which made the sudden silence from the unit feel alarming.
Seven-Year Custody Battle Shadows the Investigation
The deaths came just as a summer custody arrangement was about to take effect. Brady Harmon, the children's father, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. A custody agreement reached in mid-June 2026 was set to give him the children from July 1 through September 1, according to The Mirror US.
Harmon told WNYT he had not seen his four children since November 7, 2018 — nearly seven years. The custody dispute had been bitter and prolonged. Sources close to the investigation say Steadman held significant "resentment" toward Harmon. Harmon described his grief simply: "I went from 'I'm seeing my kids' to 'I'll never see them again.'"
Grandmother as Suspect Is Extremely Rare in Family Killings
Criminologists describe the case as highly unusual. Family annihilation — the killing of an entire family unit — is committed by fathers in an estimated 71% to over 90% of cases, according to published research. Cases involving a grandmother as the suspected perpetrator are described as "extremely rare." Family mass murders also make up less than 1% of all U.S. homicides.
Chief Rabbitt has reassured Mechanicville residents that there is no broader public threat. Police believe the event was a murder-suicide contained entirely within the family. The Mechanicville City School District deployed counseling services after news broke, Saratoga TODAY reported.
Kyra's Law Lands on Governor's Desk Days Before Deaths
On June 15, 2026 — just days before the bodies were discovered — New York's "Kyra's Law" reached Governor Hochul's desk for signing, according to Divorce Law News. The law requires courts to put child safety first in custody cases. It is named after a child killed by her father during a custody dispute.
Advocates are now calling for the law to be signed immediately, arguing that high-conflict custody cases can turn deadly when major custody changes are near. Legal analysts say the Mechanicville case — whatever its final outcome — points to gaps in how family courts track the safety of children caught in bitter disputes, WRGB reported.
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