Brady Harmon, the father of four children killed in a New York apartment, has condemned the two women responsible, saying they 'deserve a special place in hell' after investigators revealed a chilling plot involving poisoning and a stabbing.
Bodies Found in Mechanicville Home
On June 23, authorities discovered the bodies of Amy Steadman, 64, her daughter Sarah Myers, 44, and Myers' four children—Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, and 10-year-olds Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon—at Steadman's home in Mechanicville, New York. The children were days away from traveling to Utah to stay with their father, Brady Harmon.
According to investigators, three of the children were fatally poisoned, while 10-year-old Gavin had been stabbed, with injuries suggesting he tried to defend himself. Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt told reporters that the two women 'conspired in carrying out the murders of the four children before taking their own lives.'
Handwritten Confession and Text Messages Revealed
Police found a handwritten confession signed by Steadman inside the property, along with a series of handwritten papers believed to be written by Myers. Rabbitt detailed that text messages between the two women included 'discussions regarding obtaining medications, where the murders would occur, how those medications would be administered, how the children would be brought together, what they would be told and how suspicion could be avoided.'
In one exchange, Myers instructed Steadman that the medications should be administered between 10:30 a.m. and noon so they could be finished before a scheduled telephone call at 6 p.m. As the children failed to respond as expected, a message read: 'It's not working, we need another option.' Gracelynn sent her own message complaining of a stomach ache and asking, 'Why would you do that? You both won't let me puke,' prompting Steadman's final text: 'Gracie is aware.'
Father's Reaction and Custody Battle
Harmon, who had not seen his children in person since 2019, was locked in a custody battle with Myers. He had been planning to bring the children to Utah for the summer, but Myers was due in court for a custody hearing on June 29 amid claims she had not stuck to the parenting plan. Myers had claimed on social media to be a victim of domestic violence—a claim Harmon strongly denies—and had shared a GoFundMe to raise money for a custody battle and legal fees.
Speaking to News10, Harmon said: 'I knew my kids were murdered. And then I know those two are the ones that did it. My kids suffered. To poison them and also to stab them—there's a special place in hell for people like that.'
Investigation Details
Rabbitt noted that the confession stated the author 'believed killing the children was the only way to keep them safe from alleged abuse in Utah.' However, police could not independently verify any abuse allegations. The writings expressed anger toward the Utah family court system and claimed the author and children were abused while living in Utah.
Steadman's internet search history included queries about medication reactions, the effects of insulin on non-diabetics, the Utah court system, and 'the most fatal place to be stabbed.' Harmon raised the alarm after the children missed a scheduled video call on June 13. A neighbor, Stephanie Sweeney, requested a welfare check after seeing flies around the apartment and smelling 'death.'
Police in Utah broke the news to Harmon at his home. He told Spectrum News 1: 'I have been fighting for so long to be able to have access to them, fighting so long to be part of their lives and show them there's something different. Almost to that finish line, have my legs cut out from me and gutted because someone decided to take my kids away from me.'
