A toxicology report revealed new disturbing details of a murder-suicide in Mechanicville, New York, including that mother Sarah Myers and grandmother Amy Steadman poisoned four kids with allergy medication and kratom.
The report determined that siblings Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, Gracelynn Harmon, 10, and Gavin Harmon, 10, were all given diphenhydramine, the ingredient in Benadryl, and kratom before they died in June, according to NewsChannel 13.
Kratom is a psychoactive herbal extract that can produce opioid-like effects, according to Yale Medicine. The substance is known as a “gas station drug” as it is sold legally and widely, but can be fatal in high doses.
As Us previously reported, authorities believe that Myers, 44, and Steadman, 64, killed the four children before they both died by suicide.
Harper, Hudson and Gracelynn all died after being poisoned, while Gavin was fatally stabbed while he tried to defend himself.
Myers and her ex-husband, Brady Harmon, were in a bitter custody battle at the time of the killings. Brady lives in Utah and was preparing to see his children in person for the first time since 2019 when the murder-suicide took place.
Authorities said that Myers and Steadman left behind letters, in which Myers claimed that Brady had been abusive towards her and their children. She also reportedly claimed that she killed the kids in order to save them from future abuse.
Brady has denied that he abused Myers and their kids. He spoke out about the killings in August, telling News10 that he “knew my kids were murdered” before their causes of death were confirmed. “And then I know those two are the ones that did it,” he said of Myers and Steadman.
“My kids suffered,” Brady told WRGB. “To poison them and also to stab them – there’s a special place in hell for people like that.”
Brady claimed that Steadman didn’t want him to see his children, and he also shared that he and Myers were in touch on the day of the murders as he tried to organize an upcoming trip for the kids to visit him.
He shared text messages in which Myers told him that the children were sick and that he should call them the next day.
In addition to sharing screenshots of his alleged conversation with Myers, Brady addressed the claims that he abused the kids in a lengthy caption.
“I cannot understand how anyone could claim that this was done to ‘save’ my children from harm,” he wrote. “The greatest possible harm was done to them. They were terrified, betrayed, and robbed of their lives by the very people who were supposed to protect them.”
After noting that he had no suspicions about the murder-suicide based on his conversation with Myers, he said he believes “the truth would have begun coming out once they were safely with me.”
“They would have experienced the loving side of their family they had been separated from and taught to fear,” Brady wrote. “Instead of allowing that relationship to be restored, the people responsible chose to permanently silence four innocent children.”
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