On June 10 this year, four children died in Mechanicville, New York, and their mom, Sarah Myers, and their grandmother, Amy Steadman, also passed away in an alleged murder-suicide plot.
Reader Caution
Caution: this story might be disturbing to some readers, so if you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please reach out to a local crisis service.
The Times Union reported on a press conference held by Police Chief William Rabbitt, who said that allegedly, “Sarah Myers and her mother, Amy Steadman, researched pharmacies and drug effects to kill Myers’ four children.”
A Custody Fight
CBS 6 Albany discussed the fact that Brady Harmon, the father of the kids, was fighting for custody of the children, but they never made it to the hearing, which was set for July 1.
It’s a disturbing case for many true crime followers, and when Jesse Weber on Law&Crime Network’s “Sidebar” discussed the deaths, responses ranged from anger to shock.
Jesse recounted how the mom and the grandmother allegedly poisoned and stabbed to death Harper, 13, Hudson, 11, and twin siblings Gavin and Gracelynn, both aged 10.
Welfare Check Discovery
On the day of the deaths, Brady Harmon was scheduled to speak with his children, but that never happened. Jesse explained that a welfare check revealed the four children and the women had died some time earlier, as they were in a state “of decomposition.”
The police arrived at the conclusion that the murder-suicides were likely, given their “forensic findings, reviews of electronic evidence, additional interviews, [and] the collection of records.”
Small Town Shock
Jesse also reminded viewers that Mechanicville is in “upstate New York, north of Albany, and it’s a tiny city.”
Because it\s such a small community, the incident does show that it’s a “jarring reminder… that you never know what’s going on behind closed doors in someone’s home.”
Cause of Death for the Women
He also told his followers that Sarah Myers and Amy Steadman died from gunshot wounds.
For the time being, the toxicology reports have not been released, but police say the evidence indicates the killings were pre-planned.
Alleged Motive
Allegedly, investigators found notes that suggested they believed they were “saving” the kids from an allegedly abusive father.
Additionally, it’s been established that Child Protective Services (CPS) had investigated the parenting of Sarah repeatedly. Police also pointed to evidence of planning that dated back several days before the killings.
And that’s what upset so many viewers. One person commented on YouTube: “How a mom and grandmom can team up and have the capacity to do something this horrifically evil to their own kids is way beyond my comprehension.”
An Attorney Weighs In
Family law attorney Randy Kessler joined Weber, and the duo pointed out that Brady Harmon, their father, denied any abuse ever took place.
Randy said that he has seen this sort of thing before, but fortunately, it seems uncommon. Still, he did talk about “red flags” and he mentioned that there had been a “court order” which in his opinion probably isn’t a red flag.
However, he felt that “the term ‘parental alienation’ gets overused and now it’s been so overused that judges sort of ignore it.”
Mental Health Concerns
He also noted that something seemed wrong with additional steps taken to avoid the custody arrangements.
In his opinion, there might have been some “mental health problems,” and it seems that nobody would kill their children unless something contributed to the “unstable situation.”
Court System Limitations
The courts are busy, so Kessler suggested that it’s not within the scope of the court to constantly check that terms of agreements are met.
It costs money to fight, and often it requires one or the other parent to return to court to contest the kids being “moved to another state” or “taken out of school.”
Call for Faster CPS Action
The attorney personally believes that “CPS could have acted faster, even if it makes it harder for those who are innocent.”
What are your thoughts about the attorney’s comments? Let us know in the discussion and then come back for more true crime news and updates. You can also follow our crime channel on TikTok.