Utah father loses four children days before long-awaited reunion

Brady Harmon was preparing to pick up his four children on June 25, the start of a court-ordered summer visitation he had pursued for years, when Salt Lake City police delivered the news that Harper, 13, Hudson, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn had been found dead in upstate New York.

The children were discovered Tuesday evening, June 23, during a welfare check at an apartment on Harris Avenue in the John S. Moore Homes housing development in Mechanicville, about 20 miles north of Albany. Their mother, Sarah Myers, 44, and maternal grandmother, Amy Steadman, 64, were also found dead. A neighbor had not seen Steadman for several days before officers were sent to the building, where Steadman lived in one apartment and Myers and the children lived separately in the same complex.

Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said evidence points to intentional poisoning, including numerous prescription and over-the-counter medications found in the apartment. He also said one of the children is believed to have suffered fatal sharp-force injuries. Investigators found a handwritten note that strongly suggests Steadman was involved, though authorities have not made a final determination and the causes and manners of death remain pending toxicology and medical examiner review. New York State Police are assisting with the case.

Harmon and Myers separated in November 2019 and divorced in 2020. They shared joint custody, with Myers having the children during the school year and Harmon getting parenting time from July 1 through Sept. 1 each summer, along with regular video calls, holidays and birthdays. Harmon, who lives in Utah, said he had spent years fighting for visitation rights and thousands of dollars trying to gain access to his children and obtain parenting records.

Harmon said he was scheduled to return the children to their mother in New York on Sept. 1. Authorities were notifying family members that there was no ongoing threat to the public while investigators worked through the case.