Cops refuse to rule out shock suspect in brutal murder-suicide case that left 4 kids, their mom and grandmother dead

Published: 06:27, 24 July 2026 | Updated: 06:28, 24 July 2026 Police investigating a devastating murder-suicide that left four young children, their mother and grandmother dead have not yet ruled out the possibility that the children's mother may have been complicit in their deaths. Sarah Myers, 44, was found dead alongside her children Harper, 13, Hudson, 11, and Gavin and Gracelynn, both 10, and her mother, Amy Steadman, 64, inside Steadman's Mechanicville, New York apartment on June 23. One of the children was found dead from a fatal 'sharp injury,' police said, while the other children showed signs of being poisoned.  Police Chief William Rabbitt previously said evidence from the scene 'strong suggests' that Steadman was responsible for the gruesome scene, pointing to a handwritten note as well as bottles of prescription and over-the-counter medicines found inside the home. But Rabbitt told NBC 5 this week: 'We have not ruled out that Sarah Myers was also complicit in the deaths of her children.'  The police chief refused to elaborate, stressing that the case remains active and there is 'still a great deal to be said' before investigators could properly explain what happened inside Steadman's apartment that day.  'We are still awaiting final toxicology results and the completion of other forensic testing,' he noted. However, the stunning revelation comes as the children's father, Brady Harmon, claims he had received 10 letters from Saratoga County Child Protective Services, notifying him it was investigating the living conditions at his children's home. The last letter he received stated that Myers was being investigated for Munchausen syndrome by proxy, Harmon told the Albany Times-Union.  Sarah Myers, 44, was found dead alongside her children Harper, 13, Hudson, 11, and Gavin and Gracelynn, both 10, and her mother, Amy Steadman, 64, on June 23  Authorities have said evidence from the scene 'strong suggests' Amy Steadman was responsible for the deaths - though Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said this week Myers may have also been invovled  Harmon said a therapist concluded at the time that Myers was negligent in her care of the children, but they were not in any danger. 'Nothing happened after that,' the now-grieving father said, noting that when he went to collect his children's belongings from Myers' apartment earlier this month, he found the unit a mess, with cat urine and feces throughout. The cat has since been rescued by Mechanicville Housing Authority management and has found a permanent home.   Harmon also told the outlet he does not know who contacted Child Protective Services on behalf of his children. But he believes officials at Mechanicville City School District may have alerted the agency as the letters stopped coming once Myers pulled the children out of the district in 2024 to be homeschooled. Harmon is now trying to obtain the children's school records. The stunning revelation comes as the children's father, Brady Harmon, claims he had received 10 letters from Child Protective Services over the years informing him it was investigating the living conditions at his children's home Following the gruesome deaths, Harmon said he returned to their apartment and found the unit a mess He had been separated from his four children since 2019, and accused his ex-wife of keeping the children away from him to maintain a sense of 'control' in an interview with the US Sun. Still, he kept in contact with the children – and had reached an agreement with his ex in which he would have custody from July 1 through September 1. Harmon then spoke with the children on June 7, hoping to get them excited for their trip to Utah. Days later, on June 10, he said he received a text from Myers that they were sick.  'She messaged me, "Hey, the kids are sick, we'll talk to you on the 11th,'' Harmon previously told the US Sun. That same day, he said his lawyer sent her paperwork regarding an upcoming custody hearing on the 29th.  After he learned his children were sick, Harmon said he called police multiple times to ask for welfare checks.  Steadman's neighbor, Stephanie Sweeney, then also called police after she noticed an unusual number of flies and a smell coming from the apartment. That is when police made the gruesome discovery. 'I went from "I'm seeing my kids" to "I'll never see my kids again,"' Harmon lamented.  Harmon said his lawyer had recently sent paperwork regarding an upcoming custody hearing  Harmon said he spoke regularly with his children on FaceTime and tried to get them excited about their upcoming summer visit to Utah  It is now believed that Steadman was resentful over Harmon gaining custody of them for the summer. Harmon also suggested that his decision to involve a lawyer may have pushed Steadman and Myers 'over the edge.' He speculated that the mother and daughter may have thought, 'We don't know a way out of this, so let's do the next best thing. He'll never have access to these kids…" and then do what they did.'  A resident in the apartment complex, Megan Reed, 38, previously told the Times Union that Steadman was 'with [Myers] every single day to help her.'  Another neighbor told the outlet that the grandmother and mother were 'inseparable', and were 'like best friends.' Steadman's Facebook profile also shows that in 2022, she shared a GoFundMe for her daughter to 'help get a domestic violence lawyer.' The fundraiser, which has since been deleted, showed Myers with her children in matching outfits as they pleaded for support. 'Please help my daughter and grandchildren,' Steadman captioned her post at the time. But Harmon has denied the accusations, calling Myers the 'culprit' rather than a 'victim' as he claimed that his ex-wife once stabbed him in the face with a medicine dropper during a fight in 2019. It is believed Steadman was resentful that Harmon was gaining custody of the children for the summer As questions now remain about the children's deaths, Harmon has said he retrieved their cremated remains and flew them home for a funeral earlier this month. 'We could not bring their bodies home due to the horrific state they were in,' he noted to the Times-Union. So, Harmon said, he spread his children's ashes at the same place where his father's ashes 'were laid to rest,' on top of a mountain. 'It is devastating,' Harmon said of the loss. 'The only thing I can keep as a peace of mind is that my kids are safe in the arms of my father and other family members who loved them and not those who would hurt them. 'There is some relief, but there is a hole that could never be filled,' he continued. 'I know at least I will eventually see them again.'