Mechanicville, New York — In a shocking update to a welfare check that uncovered six decomposing bodies in an upstate New York apartment, police say evidence strongly points to the grandmother, Amy Steadman, 64, as the perpetrator in a murder-suicide that claimed the lives of her daughter and four grandchildren.

Authorities discovered the bodies of Steadman, her daughter Sarah Myers, 44, and Myers’ children — 13-year-old Harper Harmon, 11-year-old Hudson Harmon, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon — inside Steadman’s home in Mechanicville on Tuesday evening. A concerned neighbor, who hadn’t seen Steadman for several days, requested the welfare check around 6:20 p.m.

Mechanicville Chief of Police Bill Rabbitt told reporters Thursday that a handwritten note found at the scene, along with other circumstantial evidence and recovered medications, strongly suggests Steadman was involved in the deaths. Investigators found evidence of intentional poisoning, including numerous prescription and over-the-counter medications, and syringes. One of the children suffered fatal sharp force injuries (stab wounds), while the others appear to have been poisoned.

The family had been dead for an extended period by the time officers arrived, with the bodies too badly decomposed for immediate identification, Rabbitt said. No evidence indicates the involvement of any outside individuals, and the investigation remains ongoing while awaiting full toxicology and medical examiner results.

Motive linked to custody battle

Sources told local media that Steadman had grown resentful after the children’s father, Brady Harmon, was recently granted two-month custody of the kids, which was set to begin the following week. Harmon, who lives in Utah and had not seen his children in person since 2019, was preparing excitedly for their arrival when police notified him of the tragedy.

“I went from, ‘I’m seeing my kids,’ to ‘I’ll never see my kids again,’” Harmon told the Times Union. He accused his ex-wife of limiting contact to occasional FaceTime calls and expressed a desire to bury the children in Utah, far from their mother.

The tragic case has stunned the small community near Albany. Photos circulating online show the children smiling in happier times — one with their mother at what appears to be a school event, another with their grandmother in cozy winter gear, highlighting the family bonds now shattered.

Police continue to investigate and have stressed that final determinations of responsibility will come only after all forensic evidence is reviewed. As the community mourns, the focus remains on understanding how a family gathering turned into an unthinkable tragedy.