Police said Thursday the family of six found dead in a Mechanicville apartment may have been intentionally poisoned, and a handwritten note found at the scene indicates a 64-year-old woman, who was the grandmother of four children who died, may be responsible.
Amy Steadman, 64; her daughter, Sarah Myers, 44; and Myers’ four children — Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, Gavin Harmon and Gracelynn Harmon, both 10 — were found deceased Tuesday evening inside Steadman’s residence during a welfare check, according to police.
At a news conference Thursday, city Police Chief Bill Rabbitt said while medical examinations are ongoing and the cause of the deaths have yet to be determined, evidence collected showed the deaths may have resulted from prescription medication and over-the-counter-medication. He added that one child suffered “fatal sharp-forced injuries.”
Rabbitt said numerous prescription drugs and medications were recovered at the scene. He said police have evidence to suggest Steadman was involved in the deaths but did not elaborate. A note was found inside the apartment on Harris Avenue, Rabbitt said, but he did not reveal the contents of the note or who wrote it.
Authorities believe all six died inside the apartment. Police say Myers and her children lived in the same apartment complex as Steadman. The father of the children resides in Utah, Rabbitt said.
“The bodies were defintely there for an extended period of time,” Rabbitt said, adding that the condition of the bodies made identification difficult.
A neighbor who contacted police said they had not seen members of the family since June 9, raising concerns, police said.
Mechanicville Police Chief Bill Rabbitt speaks on Thursday. (Spectrum News 1/Nick Inco)