Mechanicville Police Detail June 10 Killings of 4 Children, Citing Abuse Claims in Notes
Updated
Updated · WRGB · Aug 5
Mechanicville Police Detail June 10 Killings of 4 Children, Citing Abuse Claims in Notes
3 articles · Updated · WRGB · Aug 5
Summary
June 10 text messages and electronic evidence led Mechanicville police to conclude Sarah Myers and Amy Steadman planned the killings days earlier, poisoned the four children, and then took their own lives.
Police said 10-year-old Gavin was stabbed and had defensive wounds, indicating he fought back, while investigators could not determine which woman carried out the knife attack.
Handwritten notes and electronic files alleged abuse by the children’s father and said the killings were meant to protect them, but Chief William Rabbitt said investigators could not independently verify those claims.
Brady Harmon rejected the allegations and said the children were due to return to Utah on July 1 under a new custody order—their first in-person visit with him in 6 years.
Officers answered welfare checks at the apartment on June 13 and June 17 without finding the bodies, which were discovered June 23, deepening scrutiny of family court and child-welfare systems.
Did an impending custody court date drive a mother and grandmother to commit an unthinkable, calculated murder-suicide?
How did authorities miss the tragic fate of four children during two separate welfare checks requested by their desperate father?
Can unverified abuse claims in a bitter custody battle push guardians into convincing themselves that murder is the ultimate protection?
The 2026 Mechanicville Tragedy: Six Lives Lost Amid Custody Dispute, Missed Warnings, and Systemic Breakdown
Overview
In June 2026, Mechanicville was devastated when Sarah Myers and her mother, Amy Steadman, driven by distress and distrust of the family court system, meticulously planned and carried out a murder-suicide that claimed six lives. After transitioning the children to homeschooling in 2024, the family became extremely isolated, cutting off contact with teachers and child welfare oversight. When the women administered toxic medications to the children, the plan failed, escalating to violence and the deaths of all involved. Despite welfare checks, the tragedy went unnoticed for nearly two weeks until neighbors reported suspicious odors, leading to the heartbreaking discovery and a shaken community demanding systemic reform.