Six Family Members Found Dead in a New York Apartment — Investigators' New Findings Reveal Stunning Details

Nearly six weeks after a family of six was found dead inside a New York apartment, investigators revealed a timeline no parent should ever have to read. Text messages, a handwritten letter, and a phone call that never came all pointed to the same devastating truth.

What police uncovered went far beyond the scene that stunned a small town back in June. The evidence traced the plot back several days before the bodies were even discovered, and it revealed just how aware the children may have been of what was happening to them in their final hours.

The Legal Deadline Closing In on the Family

Neighbors at the John S. Moore Homes on Harris Avenue had grown deeply concerned after not hearing from the household for several days. Their frantic call to local authorities on June 23, 2026, led police directly to the grim scene inside the apartment.

Inside the residence of 64-year-old Amy Steadman, officers uncovered a horrific discovery. Six people were found deceased, including Steadman and her daughter, 44-year-old Sarah Myers.

Tragically, Myers's four young children were also found dead inside the home. The community immediately began mourning the loss of Harper, 13, Hudson, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn.

Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt expressed the profound grief of the community during the initial investigation. He noted that residents simply could not comprehend the loss of six lives under such "heartbreaking circumstances."

Far away in Utah, the children's father, Brady Harmon, was hit with the unimaginable news. He had spent years fighting for custody of his beautiful children, whom he had not seen in person for more than six years.

The couple had finally entered a final divorce settlement back in April, according to documents from the Third Judicial District Court of Salt Lake County. The agreement granted Harmon a two-month summer visitation set to begin on July 1.

A local attorney who later reviewed the paperwork, Michael Belsky of the Tully Rinckey law firm, called the arrangement a fairly standard long-distance custody schedule. He noted Myers had agreed to every term herself, including Harmon's summer access to the kids, meaning the handoff should not have come as a surprise to her.

"For parties that live in different states, this type of a schedule is pretty much very common," Belsky said. He added that custody cases only turn dangerous when a parent decides to use a child as a pawn against the other, calling that outcome something that "most definitely" angers him.

But behind the scenes, compliance had completely broken down. Harmon had filed a legal motion on June 2 to hold his ex-wife in contempt of court for violating their parenting plan, forcing a high-stakes court date scheduled for Monday, June 29, 2026.

The Unseen Red Flags That Stopped Just Before the Tragedy

As investigators dug deeper into the family's history, startling new details emerged about the years leading up to the tragedy. It turned out this was not the first time local authorities had been alerted to potential issues inside the household.

The grieving father revealed a troubling paper trail that had been accumulating for years. Harmon disclosed that he had received 10 separate notices from Saratoga County Child Protective Services between 2021 and 2024 regarding the children's environment.

While nine of those anonymous reports were eventually deemed unfounded by social workers, one initial investigation did flag specific concerns before being closed. Oddly, Harmon noted that these official welfare reports stopped completely once the children began being homeschooled.

Local legal experts noted that the custody agreement itself was a standard arrangement for parents living in separate states. The mother had actively agreed to the terms, suggesting that the upcoming summer hand-off should not have been an unexpected shock.

A Missed Phone Call That Changed Everything

Investigators later reconstructed exactly what happened on June 10, the day police now believe the children were actually killed, nearly two weeks before their bodies were found. Text messages showed Myers had instructed Steadman to give the children medication that morning, hours ahead of a scheduled 6 p.m. phone call with their father.

That call never came. Myers told Harmon the kids were sick and unable to talk, promising they would speak the following day at 4 p.m. Mountain Standard Time instead.

Harmon called at the promised time and got no answer. He called again shortly after, still with no response, not realizing his children had likely already died hours earlier.

The Chilling Note That Rewrote the Entire Mystery

With the court deadline looming and the children's departure date just days away, the situation inside the apartment took a horrific turn. Crime scene investigators processing the home quickly realized they were dealing with something far worse than an accidental tragedy.

Physical evidence recovered from the scene pointed toward a deliberate and calculated act. Authorities found multiple prescription and over-the-counter medications inside the home, indicating a case of intentional poisoning.

Search warrants for electronic devices later uncovered a string of messages between Steadman and Myers dating back to at least June 5. The two women had discussed obtaining the medications, where the killings would take place, how the drugs would be administered, and how to avoid raising suspicion.

When the medication did not work as planned, one message between the women read, "It's not working. We need another option." A message recovered from one of the children's own devices read, "Why would you do that? You both won't let me puke," describing severe stomach pain.

The horror deepened when an autopsy report for one of the children came back from the medical examiner. Ten-year-old Gavin had suffered multiple sharp-force injuries and had a defensive wound, evidence that he had tried to fight back. Investigators said they could not determine which of the two women carried out the stabbing.

Internet searches recovered from Steadman's phone included questions about medication reactions and the effects of insulin on people without diabetes.

Neighbors later described Steadman as diabetic herself, saying she wore a monitor on her arm and was otherwise known around the complex for being friendly toward the children and walking at a slow, familiar pace. Later searches on her phone asked where the most fatal place to stab someone is and how to locate a carotid artery.

Two welfare check requests came in on June 13 and June 17, days after the children were already dead. Officers responded both times but found no evidence indicating anything was wrong inside the apartment.

The focus of the murder-suicide investigation quickly shifted to the grandmother, Amy Steadman. Detectives discovered a handwritten note inside the apartment signed with her name, in which the author took responsibility for the killings and claimed it was the only way to keep the children safe from alleged abuse in Utah.

A separate set of unsigned writings, believed to have been authored by Myers, repeated similar allegations against the Utah family court system and referred to the children as "my babies."

Police reviewed the claims, along with images and messages Myers had saved documenting alleged injuries, but were unable to independently verify what happened. Harmon denied the allegations when investigators questioned him.

Investigators believe the primary motive stemmed from a deep-seated resentment toward the children's father. The reality of losing the kids to Harmon for the entire summer appeared to trigger a desperate and deadly response.

Chief Rabbitt firmly rejected the idea that the killings protected anyone. "Amy and Sarah consistently portrayed these murders as a way of protecting the children," he said. "Whatever they believed justified their actions, the murder of four children can not be described as protection."

He said the investigation technically remains open while final toxicology reports and additional lab testing are completed, though investigators do not expect those results to change their conclusions.

The Devastating Reality the Father Is Now Forced to Face

Instead of packing bags for a joyous summer reunion, a devastated father is now faced with the agonizing task of planning a funeral.

The sudden loss has left Harmon completely broken as he reflects on his grueling multi-year battle just to see his kids. The heartbroken parent shared his raw grief over the systemic failure to protect his family.

"I spent thousands of dollars trying just to get access to them, trying to get any record for them at all, any parenting plan, just anything. I got nothing other than these four beautiful kids—they’re gone," he said, choking up. "I feel the two monsters that are responsible are the ones who took them from me."

Learning the fuller timeline of what happened hit Harmon even harder than the initial news had. He described holding back tears while imagining how frightened his children must have felt in their final moments, saying investigators told him some of them were aware of what was happening to them.

"My kids suffered," he said. "To poison them and also to stab them, there's a special place in hell for people like that." Asked about the notes claiming the killings were meant to protect his children, Harmon was blunt. "Yeah, it's a little crap," he said, adding that no one protects a child by harming one.

He believes the years-long custody fight and what he calls failures by the Utah court system and Saratoga County CPS sat at the center of the tragedy. "My kids would be alive if Utah's court system didn't let her do what she did," he said. "My kids would be alive if CPS did their job."

Harmon had hoped to bring his children back to Utah for their final resting place, but he faces painful logistical hurdles due to the condition of the bodies.

Meanwhile, a vibrant memorial of balloons and crosses continues to grow outside the Harris Avenue complex where four young lives were cut short.

This sudden loss mirrors another tragic event that recently left a Louisiana community devastated after a heartbreaking local crisis. In both cases, grieving neighbors are left searching for answers in the shadow of the unimaginable.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.