
A 64-year-old woman found dead in her apartment in Mechanicville, New York, is suspected of killing her daughter and four grandchildren, authorities announced Thursday.
The bodies of Amy Steadman and her daughter, Sarah Myers, 44, were found Tuesday evening after a neighbor called police to check on her, saying he hadn't seen Steadman in a while and was concerned, Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said at a news conference.
After unsuccessful attempts to contact Steadman, building management allowed officers to enter the apartment.
"When they entered the apartment, they found six people dead," Rabbitt said.
Myers' four children, Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, and Gracelynn Harmon, both 10, were among the victims.
Rabbitt said the apartment belonged to Steadman and that Myers and her children lived in a separate apartment in the same building.
He added that he believed the family had been dead for "some time" and that the bodies could not be immediately identified due to their condition. The identification was made following autopsies conducted on Wednesday.
He said one of the children is suspected of having died from stab wounds. Investigators also found evidence suggesting intentional poisoning, including "multiple prescription and over-the-counter medications."
The circumstances of their cause and manner of death still remain unknown.
A handwritten note found in the apartment "strongly suggests that Amy Steadman was involved in their deaths," Rabbitt said, adding that there is no evidence of an outsider's involvement.
Steadman allegedly began to feel resentful after her grandchildren's father, Brady Harmon, recently took custody of the children for two months, which was set to begin next Wednesday, foreign media reports.
The children's father lives in Utah. The children were homeschooled and not enrolled in public school.
The father, who hadn't seen his children since 2019, was excitedly preparing for their arrival at his Utah home until police knocked on his door to deliver the shocking news on Tuesday.
"Things happen, but not something like this," he said.
Harmon accused his late ex-wife of keeping his children away from him and only allowing them to communicate occasionally via FaceTime.
He wants to bury the children in Utah.
“I want to get them as far away from their mother as possible,” he said through tears.
Authorities stressed that everything will be determined only after the completion of the investigation, toxicology tests and forensic expertise.