A handwritten note found at the home of 64-year-old Amy Steadman has led investigators to identify her as the primary suspect in the deaths of her own daughter and four grandchildren, potentially turning this situation into a murder-suicide. This grim update comes after the family members were discovered deceased inside an upstate New York apartment, a tragedy that has left the community and the victims’ father in a state of absolute disbelief. According to The New York Post, the investigation into the deaths of Steadman, her daughter Sarah Myers, 44, and Meyer’s four children, Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn, is still ongoing. Mechanicville Chief of Police Bill Rabbitt confirmed during a press conference on Thursday, June 25, that the evidence points toward an intentional act originating from within the apartment. The discovery reportedly occurred on Tuesday, June 23, when a neighbor, concerned by the family’s absence over several days, requested a welfare check at the Harris Avenue residence. Police arrived at approximately 6:20 PM to find the bodies, which were already in a state of advanced decomposition. Because of the condition of the remains, officers were not immediately able to identify the victims at the scene. Everything pointed towards intentionality right from the beginning Chief Rabbitt noted that “Evidence recovered during the investigation, including a handwritten note, and other circumstantial evidence, strongly suggests that Amy Steadman was involved in the deaths.” However, he also noted that the investigation will require a significant amount of time to reach a final conclusion. As PEOPLE reported, Chief Rabbitt stated, “We will say that there is recovered evidence inside the apartment to indicate intentional poisoning to include numerous persons and over the counter medications.” The investigation also uncovered syringes that were found inside the grandmother’s home, and sources reportedly indicated that the children may have been injected with drugs. While the rest of the victims appear to have been poisoned, one child was found to have been stabbed. Mechanicville Police Department released new details about how six people—4 adults and 2 kids—died in an apartment. The grandmother, who also died, is now suspected. https://t.co/HDkYYgUqEU pic.twitter.com/Sh85wo6RE5— CBS 6 Albany – WRGB (@CBS6Albany) June 25, 2026 Per the NY Post, Steadman was allegedly resentful that the children’s father, Brady Harmon, had received custody for two months. The father of the four children had been fighting for visitation and custody for six years. He had not seen his children in person since November 2019, but he was reportedly only days away from a scheduled visit. Harmon was preparing to welcome them to his home in Utah when the police arrived to deliver the news. Reflecting on the situation, Harmon told Times Union. “I went from, ‘I’m seeing my kids,’ to ‘I’ll never see my kids again,’” he said. “Hope to hell.” He further spoke to WNYT and told them, “I wish there was something else I could have done legally. But I went through everything I could.” “Everything that my lawyers could do, everything. I just never thought that someone would go and do this. You talk about the feeling of, how do you prepare for this? You get down to almost the finish line — just absolutely cut your legs out from underneath you and the only thing left to do is crawl across the finish line to bring the remains home,” he expressed to the outlet. He informed The Times Union that he now intends to bring their remains back to Utah. “I want them as far away as possible from their mother.” Meanwhile, Chief Rabbitt emphasized that the department is working diligently to handle the case with the care it requires. Per PEOPLE, he noted that Mechanicville is a “close-knit city,” making this loss felt deeply by those in the area. Throughout the press conference, the chief maintained that “final determinations regarding responsibility will be made only after all investigative findings, toxicology results and medical reviews have been completed.” Toxicology results have always been key to establishing facts for a case. In the case of the death of an Alabama toddler, test results helped the hospital and police identify that someone had injected a liquid chemical mixture into his feeding tube. The prime suspect was his mother. In New York, another mother was arrested and charged for the alleged accidental death of her son after toxicology reports found he overdosed on over-the-counter allergy medication.