Grandmother and Mother Planned the Murder of Four Children

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, August 5, 2026

A grandmother and mother in Mechanicville, New York, killed four children before taking their own lives, with a handwritten confession from the grandmother citing unproven abuse allegations as justification. The children were scheduled to visit their father in Utah, who denies the claims, while investigators examine the motivations and details behind the tragedy.

Authorities have revealed new details in the case of a family tragedy in Mechanicville, New York, where a grandmother and mother killed four children before taking their own lives. The deaths of Amy Steadman, 64, her daughter Sarah Myers, 44, and Myers’ four children—Harper Harmon, 13; Hudson Harmon, 11; and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon—were discovered on June 23.

Mechanicville Police Chief Bill Rabbitt said that investigators found a handwritten confession letter inside the home, signed by Steadman. In the letter, the author accepted responsibility for the killings and claimed that the children were murdered to protect them from alleged abuse while living in Utah. Police have not found evidence to corroborate these abuse allegations.

The four children were scheduled to travel to Utah in the days following the killings to stay with their father, Brady Harmon, for a two-month period. Brady Harmon has denied the abuse claims made in the letter and criticized the court system. “I never thought she’d go full on psychopath—both of them,” he said, referring to Steadman and Myers.

Investigators also recovered several handwritten notes believed to be written by Sarah Myers. Although unsigned, the notes repeatedly referenced “my babies” and contained expressions of anger directed at the Utah family court system, allegations of abuse of herself and her children, and complaints about the inability to secure legal representation.

Police further disclosed that in the days leading up to the murders, Steadman had visited multiple pharmacies to obtain over-the-counter sleep aids that were prescribed to her. Meanwhile, Steadman and Myers were in frequent text communication discussing their plans. Police traced the beginning of their planning to at least June 5, eighteen days before the deaths.

The children’s cause of death appeared to involve different methods: Gavin was repeatedly stabbed, while the other three children are believed to have died from poisoning. Brady Harmon stated he last spoke with his children on June 7 and described them as “happy little kids.” On the day of the killings, he received a text from his ex-wife saying the children were sick.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case, focusing on the motivations behind the actions and the validity of the abuse allegations.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.