MECHANICVILLE, N.Y. (WRGB) — Six people — a grandmother, her daughter and four children — were found dead inside a Mechanicville apartment on June 23 after a welfare check.
CBS6 reported that police later said evidence suggested intentional poisoning.
One child suffered fatal sharp-force injuries, and a handwritten note pointed investigators toward the grandmother, Amy Steadman, though final responsibility remains under investigation.
In the weeks after the deaths, CBS6 followed developments involving a custody dispute, welfare-check claims, CPS questions, community mourning and calls for changes to child welfare investigations.
Timeline of case:
June 23, 2026 — Six people, including four children, found dead inside Mechanicville apartment
- CBS6 reported six people — two adults and four children — were found dead inside a Harris Avenue home in Mechanicville.
- Police responded around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, with state and local police at the scene.
- CBS6 reported hazmat crews were seen going in and out, caution tape blocked the area, and crews remained there overnight into Wednesday morning.
- A neighbor told CBS6 she requested a welfare check after not hearing from the family for about two weeks.
- Police said autopsies were underway.
- Mechanicville City School District said counseling would be available for students.
June 24, 2026 — Mother, children, grandmother identified after all found dead in Mechanicville home
- Mechanicville police identified the victims as Amy Steadman, 64; Sarah Myers, 44; Harper Harmon, 13; Hudson Harmon, 11; Gavin Harmon, 10; and Gracelynn Harmon, 10.
- CBS6 reported the bodies were found inside Steadman’s home; Steadman was Myers’ mother and the children’s grandmother.
- Police said Myers and the children lived in the same apartment complex, but not with Steadman.
- Investigators said there was no evidence anyone outside the group was involved and no known threat to the public.
- Police told CBS6 autopsies had been completed and more information was expected Thursday morning.
June 24, 2026 — Relatives of family found dead in Mechanicville plead for answers, not assumptions
- CBS6 reported relatives of Myers and the children urged the public not to rush to conclusions as police continued investigating.
- A relative told CBS6 the family was devastated by both the deaths and online commentary focused on Myers.
- Police had described the case as a criminal investigation.
- Signs of the children’s lives remained outside Myers’ apartment, including bicycles and a teddy bear, while a neighbor placed balloons and a small memorial nearby.
- Neighbors described the family as quiet and said Myers and the children were often at Steadman’s home.
June 25, 2026 — Grandmother suspected in death of daughter, four grandchildren in Mechanicville
- Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said the bodies had been in the apartment for an “extended period of time,” making identification at the home difficult.
- Rabbitt said evidence indicated intentional poisoning, including prescription and over-the-counter medications recovered inside the apartment.
- CBS6 reported one child had sharp-force injuries, but official causes of death remained under investigation.
- Rabbitt said evidence, including a handwritten note, strongly suggested Amy Steadman, the grandmother, was involved, but final responsibility had not been determined.
- Rabbitt said final determinations would wait for all investigative findings, toxicology results and medical examiner reviews.
- CBS6 also reported the children were homeschooled, though police said it was unclear who conducted that homeschooling.
June 25, 2026 — Exclusive: Court papers reveal child custody deal prior to Mechanicville family deaths
- CBS6 reported court paperwork showed Myers and Brady Harmon married in December 2015 in Salt Lake City, separated in 2019, and finalized their divorce in 2020.
- Court papers obtained by CBS6 showed both parents were awarded joint custody of Harper, Hudson, Gavin and Gracelynn.
- CBS6 reported Myers had school-year custody, while Harmon had uninterrupted summer time from July to September, plus regular video calls, holidays and birthdays.
- Additional paperwork showed Myers was ordered to appear in Utah court on June 29 over a motion to enforce the divorce/custody terms.
June 25, 2026 — Father was days from reunion before kids found dead in Mechanicville apartment
- Brady Harmon told CBS6 he was days away from seeing his children in person for the first time in more than six years.
- Harmon said a court order allowed the children to spend July 1 to September 1 with him each summer.
- He claimed Myers left Utah with the children in November 2019 without notice and went to New York.
- CBS6 reported one child had fatal stab wounds.
June 25, 2026 — Mechanicville community shares information on family of six found deceased
- CBS6 reported the John S. Moore Homes had shifted from an active crime scene to cleanup.
- Neighbors described Steadman as friendly to children and said she was known to walk around the complex at a slow pace.
- A vigil/memorial on Harris Avenue grew, with balloons and crosses bearing the children’s names.
- CBS6 reported the woman who originally called 911 for the welfare check planned to share more at a Saturday vigil.
June 26, 2026 — A closer look at the divorce, custody documents in deaths of Mechanicville family of 6
- CBS6 interviewed attorney Michael Belsky, who reviewed the custody documents and described the arrangement as standard.
- Belsky said Utah had jurisdiction because the divorce was filed there in 2020.
- Belsky said the terms should not have surprised Myers because she had stipulated and agreed to them.
- Belsky also spoke generally about contentious custody cases, saying some become heated when a parent uses a child as a pawn.
