Police ruled the children’s deaths homicides and the deaths of their mother and grandmother suicides, but key questions remain unresolved.
MECHANICVILLE, NY — The father of four children found dead with their mother and grandmother in a Mechanicville apartment said he wants more information from investigators as police work to determine what happened inside the home.
Brady Harmon said he has not spoken with Mechanicville police since July 1, about a week after officers discovered the six family members on Harris Avenue. Harmon said he understands that investigators need time to complete their work, but he continues to seek details about his children’s deaths, evidence found at the scene and the events that led to the tragedy.
Police have ruled the deaths of Harmon’s four children homicides. Their mother, 44-year-old Sarah Myers, and their maternal grandmother, 64-year-old Amy Steadman, died by suicide, according to Police Chief William Rabbitt. Police have not publicly given a complete account of who caused each child’s death or whether more than one person participated.
The children were Harper Harmon, 13; Hudson Harmon, 11; and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon. Officers found all six family members dead June 23 inside Steadman’s apartment at the John S. Moore Homes after police were asked to conduct a welfare check.
Investigators found evidence of prescription and over-the-counter medications inside the apartment. Police have said the evidence indicated intentional poisoning, though authorities have not released complete toxicology findings or a final account of how each person died. Rabbitt has also said one of the children suffered fatal sharp-force injuries.
A handwritten note was recovered at the scene, but police have not disclosed its contents. Harmon told NewsChannel 13 that he has not seen the note and does not know who wrote it. He also said he does not know whether it was handwritten or typed, although police have previously described it as handwritten.
Harmon said the latest findings were consistent with suspicions he developed during a custody dispute with Myers that lasted about six years. He had not seen the children in person since 2019 and was preparing for a court-ordered summer visit when they were found dead. The expected reunion was scheduled for early July.
Police initially said evidence strongly suggested Steadman was involved in the deaths. Investigators later said they had not ruled out the possibility that Myers was also involved. The rulings that both women died by suicide did not settle the question of responsibility for the four homicides, and police have not announced a motive.
Harmon has also raised questions about earlier contacts involving Saratoga County Child Protective Services. He said he received a series of letters between 2020 and 2024 informing him of investigations connected to allegations of abuse, maltreatment, inadequate guardianship or educational neglect. The results and circumstances of each inquiry have not been fully released publicly.
The children were cremated after their deaths, and Harmon brought their remains to Utah. Their ashes were scattered on a mountain where the ashes of Harmon’s father had previously been placed. Harmon said he is now trying to reconstruct parts of his children’s lives from the years when he had no in-person contact with them.
“All I know is that I am piecing together my kids’ lives,” Harmon told NewsChannel 13. “For six and a half years that I was frozen out of.”
Harmon said no child or parent should experience what happened to his family. His questions include what the recovered evidence shows, what the note says and why earlier interventions did not prevent the children’s deaths.
Rabbitt said additional information could be released on or after Aug. 3. The police investigation remains active, and authorities have not announced a final determination about who was responsible for each homicide.
Author note: Last updated July 29, 2026.