Toxicology reports have confirmed that an upstate New York woman and her mother died from consuming fatal amounts of the antihistamine diphenhydramine in a murder-suicide that also claimed the lives of four children. Authorities said Amy Steadman, 64, and her daughter, Sarah Myers, 44, ingested lethal doses of the common allergy medication in June, after poisoning Myers’ four children.

The victims included Harper, 13; Hudson, 11; and 10-year-old twins Gracelynn and Gavin Harmon. Toxicology results revealed that the children were administered deadly levels of diphenhydramine, as well as mitragynine, a compound found in the herbal substance Kratom. While Harper, Hudson, and Gracelynn died from poisoning, Gavin was fatally attacked with a knife when he attempted to defend himself.

The Mechanicsville Police Department provided the details, stating that Myers and Steadman had deliberately given the children the substances. Police Chief Bill Rabbitt described the situation as a tragic family poisoning resulting in multiple fatalities.

Myers had been involved in a custody dispute with her ex-husband, Brady Harmon, who resides in Utah. Harmon had not seen his children in person since November 2019. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding this family tragedy to better understand the motives and sequence of events leading up to the incident.