A tight-knit upstate New York city is struggling to process a devastating scene after six members of the same family, including four children, were found dead inside a Mechanicville apartment on Tuesday. Officers conducting a welfare check discovered the bodies and immediately opened a criminal investigation. Police say they are waiting on autopsy and toxicology results before publicly stating how the victims died.
Victims identified
Authorities have identified the dead as 64-year-old Amy Steadman; her daughter, 44-year-old Sarah Myers; and Myers’ four children: 13-year-old Harper Harmon, 11-year-old Hudson Harmon, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon. All six were found in Steadman’s unit at the John S. Moore Homes on Harris Avenue after neighbors requested a welfare check around 6:20 p.m. Tuesday, according to WNYT NewsChannel 13.
Evidence at the scene
Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt told reporters that investigators recovered a handwritten note along with numerous prescription and over-the-counter medications from inside the apartment. He said that “other circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that Amy Steadman was involved,” while stressing that medical examinations and toxicology testing must be completed before any final determinations are made. The Times Union reports that investigators said one child died from a sharp-force injury, while the others showed indications consistent with poisoning, and that detectives have found no signs of forced or outside entry.
Family and custody background
The children’s father, Brady Harmon, who lives in Utah, told investigators he had not seen his kids since 2019. He said he had recently finalized a custody agreement that was supposed to reunite him with them in July. “I went from, ‘I’m seeing my kids,’ to ‘I’ll never see my kids again,’” Harmon said, according to the Times Union.
Community response and safety
Neighbors described the family as quiet and said they were stunned by the discovery, which has rattled the surrounding community. The Mechanicville Central School District announced that counselors will be available for students in the aftermath of the tragedy. Police have stressed that there is no known ongoing threat to the public and that New York State Police are assisting with the investigation, according to WNYT NewsChannel 13.
What happens next
Autopsies and toxicology testing are underway, and officials say they will not release the official cause and manner of death until those medical reviews are complete. Investigators have asked anyone with information to contact the Mechanicville Police Department as they continue processing evidence and following up on leads, according to reporting by MyNBC5.
Legal notes
No arrests or charges have been announced at this time. Prosecutors are expected to review the medical examiner’s findings before making any charging decisions. For official updates or to pass along tips, the public can use contact information listed by the Mechanicville Police Department, which is coordinating local and state resources in the ongoing investigation, per the Mechanicville Police Department.
