In one of the most disturbing details to emerge from the Mechanicville family tragedy, newly released text messages show that on the very day four children were killed, their mother sent a calm, ordinary-sounding message to their father claiming the kids were simply unwell.
On the afternoon of June 10, 2026, Sarah Myers messaged her ex-husband, Brady Harmon: “The kids have gotten a little stomach bug throwing up is it okay to switch your online visit to tomorrow night at 4 pm your time please.”
Harmon, living more than 2,000 miles away in Utah, replied without suspicion: “Okay I will keep painting then. Hopefully they feel better soon.”
He had no idea that at that moment, or shortly before, his four children were being poisoned or, in the case of one of them, stabbed to death inside their grandmother’s apartment in upstate New York.
The next day, Harmon followed up with another message asking if the children were feeling better and attempted the rescheduled video call. It went unanswered. By then, according to police, Myers, her mother Amy Steadman, and the four children — 13-year-old Harper, 11-year-old Hudson, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn — were already dead. Their bodies would not be discovered until nearly two weeks later, on June 23, during a welfare check requested by a neighbor.
A Carefully Planned Crime Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt has described the deaths as a deliberate mass killing carried out by Myers and Steadman acting together. Evidence shows the two women began planning at least five days earlier, around June 5. Steadman visited several pharmacies to collect over-the-counter sleep aids and medications prescribed to her. Her internet searches included questions about drug reactions and the effects of insulin on people who are not diabetic.
Messages between mother and daughter discussed how to obtain the medications, where the killings would take place, how the drugs would be given, how the children would be brought together, what they would be told, and how to avoid raising suspicion. They planned to administer the substances between 10:30 a.m. and noon on June 10 — before a scheduled evening call with Harmon.
When the medications failed to work as expected, one message between the women stated, “It’s not working, we need another option.” Ten-year-old Gracelynn sent a message on her iPad saying her stomach hurt and asking why she was not being allowed to vomit. A later message from Steadman noted that “Gracie is aware.” The final exchange between Myers and Steadman occurred at 8:41 p.m. that night. Steadman was later seen on surveillance video at a gas station around 9:30 p.m. before returning to the apartment.
Three of the children died from poisoning. Gavin was stabbed. Investigators recovered notes in which Steadman accepted responsibility and claimed the killings were necessary to protect the children from alleged abuse by their father. Other unsigned writings, believed to be from Myers, repeated similar claims and expressed anger toward the Utah family court system. Police have stated they could not independently verify any of the abuse allegations. Harmon has firmly denied them.
The Father’s Devastation In the days leading up to the murders, Myers had been sending Harmon reassuring messages about the children’s upcoming summer visit. On June 5 she wrote, “We are good for summer.” She asked him to put child support in the account so she could buy the children sneakers and discussed scheduling FaceTime calls. On June 7, Harmon spoke with his children during a 17-minute video call — the last time he would ever hear their voices. He later described them as seeming like “happy little kids.”
On June 8, still believing the summer reunion was on track, he sent a detailed message asking about each child’s hobbies and interests so he could plan an enjoyable visit. Myers replied that she would talk to the children about what they wanted to do and that she was gathering the medical records he had requested.
When Harmon later shared the final text screenshots on Facebook, he wrote a lengthy and emotional statement. He said he could not understand how anyone could claim the killings were done to “save” the children. “The greatest possible harm was done to them,” he wrote. “They were terrified, betrayed, and robbed of their lives by the very people who were supposed to protect them. My children were not pawns to be sacrificed when control was slipping away. They were four beautiful human beings with personalities, dreams, fears, laughter, and an entire family waiting to love them.”
Ongoing Investigation and Community Impact As of early August 2026, toxicology results are still pending and the investigation remains open. Police have stressed that no justification offered by the mother or grandmother can excuse the deliberate murder of four children.
The case has drawn widespread attention because of the calculated deception, the long-running custody battle that preceded it, and the fact that Harmon had been only weeks away from seeing his children in person for the first time in more than six years. Community vigils were held in Mechanicville in the days after the bodies were found, and the children’s remains were later returned to Utah for a private family farewell.
Sources: https://nypost.com