The father of four children killed in a murder-suicide involving their mother and grandmother has described the toxicology findings as “sickening.”
Brady Harmon lost his children — Harper, 13; Hudson, 11; and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon — on June 10. Investigators say his former wife, Sarah Myers, and her mother, Amy Steadman, carried out the deadly attack in Mechanicville, New York.
According to investigators, Myers, 44, and Steadman, 64, gave the children drugs and repeatedly stabbed Gavin before both women died by suicide.
The toxicology report found that diphenhydramine, an over-the-counter medication, “was present at fatal or lethal levels in all six individuals,” the Mechanicville Police Department said.
Police also reported that mitragynine — the primary compound in kratom — and Benadryl were detected in four of the six victims.
Harmon posted the report on Facebook, sharing his grief and anger after learning more about how his children died.
“The pain is still as raw as if it happened yesterday. Reading today’s official toxicology findings makes it even more sickening to understand what was done to them,” he wrote.
The devastated father continued: “I will never understand how two people who claimed to love and care about these children could deliberately cause them such unimaginable harm.”
Brady Harmon, the father who lost his four young children in a horrific murder-suicide involving their mother and grandmother, said the toxicology results were “sickening” to read
He posted the Mechanicville Police Department’s report on Facebook and condemned his former wife and mother-in-law over the deaths of his children
“Harper, Hudson, Gavin, and Gracelynn were innocent. They deserved to feel safe. They deserved to grow up, chase their dreams, celebrate birthdays, reach milestones, and live the lives that were stolen from them.”
Harmon’s comments came as he seeks $400 million from New York authorities, claiming that a prolonged pattern of abuse involving his children was permitted to continue despite repeated warning signs.
He has filed a legal notice stating his intention to sue the City of Mechanicville, Ballston Spa Central School District, Mechanicville City School District, Saratoga County, and the Mechanicville Housing Authority. The notice alleges that the organizations failed to protect his children, NEWS10 reported.
The 17-page filing claims the deaths followed years of disturbing conduct that law enforcement should have recognized or stopped.
It also alleges that Myers and Steadman suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a form of abuse in which a caregiver fabricates, exaggerates, or deliberately causes illness in someone under their care.
Harmon alleges that the two women regularly gave the children substances including melatonin, Benadryl, and kratom “to control them and to make them sick,” according to the notice.
One of the most serious incidents allegedly occurred in May 2024, when all four children became ill while they were attending the Mechanicville City School District, the filing says.
Three children were taken to Albany Medical Center with symptoms consistent with an opiate overdose. Gracelynn was reportedly in such serious condition that she needed Narcan, a medication used to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.
Investigators say Myers, 44, and Steadman, 64, gave the children drugs and repeatedly stabbed Gavin before taking their own lives
According to the filing, Sarah, the children’s mother, attributed the episode to Benadryl.
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The hospital contacted Child Protective Services, but Brady’s attorneys argue the incident should have led to the children being removed from their mother’s care or, at minimum, ‘triggered immediate criminal and abuse investigations.’
The filing claims that Gavin suffered particularly severe abuse and was ‘falsely diagnosed with several mental illnesses and put on a psychotropic medication that reduced his ability to fight back.’
Brady also alleges that as his children became chronically absent from school – supposedly because Myers was homeschooling them – agencies withheld information concerning their education, medical treatment and alleged abuse from him ‘in violation of his parental rights and the law.’
He had not seen his children in person since 2019 amid a bitter custody battle, but that was about to change with Brady reaching an agreement for the children to spend the summer with him in Utah from July through September.
‘I sent their flight information. I planned activities based on their interests,’ he wrote to his ex-wife as he prepared for their arrival.
‘I requested their medical records, medications, allergies, doctors’ information, and other documents that were required under the parenting plan. I believed I was preparing to welcome my children home.’
He spoke to them on June 7 and was looking forward to their reunion. Then, on June 10, Sarah sent him a message saying the children were sick.
His notice also accuses his ex-wife (left) and former mother-in-law (right) of suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy – a form of abuse in which a caregiver fabricates, exaggerates, or causes illness in somebody under their care
‘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?’ she wrote.
When he tried the following day again, his video call went unanswered.
Investigators now believe the children were already dead. The six of them were found deceased on June 23 after a neighbor noticed an unusual number of flies and a smell coming from the Mechanicville apartment and called police.
Authorities also revealed that Sarah and Amy planned how they would kill the children in text messages that same day.
The Mechanicville Housing Authority, which oversaw the family’s apartment complex, is among those named in the notice, while Harmon’s lawyer Nicholas Liakas said the children remained in Myers’ care despite ‘multiple complaints and investigations’ involving CPS.
Brady’s lawyer, Nicholas Liakas, said the proposed lawsuit is not solely about obtaining compensation for a grieving father, but about forcing changes designed to prevent another family from suffering a similar catastrophe
‘Child Protective Services failed these children,’ Liakas told the New York Post.
‘When the warning signs are there, people need to step up. We can’t wait until a tragedy occurs to say what should have been done before these children are abused.’
Liakas said the proposed lawsuit is not solely about obtaining compensation for a grieving father, but about forcing changes designed to prevent another family from suffering a similar catastrophe.
‘What we’re doing is we’re seeking justice for this family, but we’re also trying to implement institutional change here,’ he said.
The Daily Mail contacted the City of Mechanicville, Ballston Spa Central School District, Mechanicville City School District, Saratoga County, and the Mechanicville Housing Authority for comment.