NEW TOXICOLOGY REVEALS WHAT FOUR CHILDREN HAD IN THEIR SYSTEMS BEFORE THE MECHANICVILLE FAMILY TRAGEDY

A disturbing new report has shed light on the substances investigators say were found in the blood of four siblings after their mother and grandmother allegedly carried out a devastating family killing in upstate New York

New toxicology findings have revealed another disturbing detail in the Mechanicville family tragedy that claimed the lives of four children earlier this year.

Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon were found dead inside a Mechanicville, New York, apartment in June.

According to a new report citing sources familiar with the toxicology results, all four children had kratom and diphenhydramine in their systems.

Diphenhydramine is the active ingredient in commonly used allergy medications such as Benadryl.

Kratom is an herbal substance with psychoactive effects that can include opioid-like effects.

The findings have added another layer to an already deeply disturbing investigation.

THE CHILDREN WERE FOUND DAYS AFTER THEIR DEATHS

Police have said the children were killed on June 10.

Their bodies were not discovered until June 23, when officers were called to the residence for a welfare check.

Their mother, Sarah Myers, 44, and grandmother, Amy Steadman, 64, were also found dead inside the apartment.

Authorities have described the case as a murder-suicide.

Investigators have alleged that Myers and Steadman had planned to poison the children.

Three of the children — Harper, Hudson and Gracelynn — died following the alleged poisoning.

Gavin, however, apparently survived the initial attempt and was later fatally stabbed, according to police. Investigators said he suffered defensive wounds.

THE TOXICOLOGY RESULTS

The newly reported toxicology results are among the most significant developments since investigators first revealed details of the case.

Sources told NewsChannel 13 that kratom and diphenhydramine were detected in the blood of all four children.

The finding does not, by itself, establish every detail of how the substances were administered or precisely how each child died. But investigators have previously said they believed poisoning played a central role in the deaths of three of the siblings.

The new report provides a clearer picture of what authorities say happened before the family was discovered.

“IT’S NOT WORKING” — THE MESSAGES THAT HAUNT THE CASE

Investigators previously described a series of messages and internet searches they said were recovered during the investigation.

According to police accounts reported by The Sun, the women allegedly discussed the poisoning after it did not appear to take effect as quickly as expected.

One message reportedly said:

“It’s not working, we need another option.”

Investigators also said searches on Steadman’s phone included questions about medication reactions and the effects of insulin on people without diabetes.

Later searches allegedly became even more disturbing, involving questions about fatal injuries.

Authorities have presented those searches as evidence of escalating planning.

A CHILD’S FINAL MESSAGE

Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking details to emerge involves Gracelynn.

According to investigators, the 10-year-old became increasingly ill and sent a message expressing confusion and distress.

The message reportedly asked why she was being prevented from becoming sick.

Police say Steadman later sent Myers a message indicating that Gracelynn was aware of what was happening.

The alleged exchange has become one of the most painful elements of the investigation because it suggests that the child may have realized something was seriously wrong.

THE CUSTODY BATTLE BEHIND THE TRAGEDY

Investigators have linked the case to a bitter custody dispute involving the children’s father, Brady Harmon.

Harmon lived in Utah and had been fighting to rebuild his relationship with his children.

According to investigators, he was expected to spend an extended period of time with the children in Utah during the summer.

That upcoming visit has emerged as a major part of the authorities’ theory about what motivated the killings.

A handwritten note recovered after the deaths allegedly claimed the children had been harmed to protect them from their father.

But Harmon has denied allegations of abuse, and authorities said they found no evidence supporting those claims. He was never charged with a crime in connection with the allegations.

“I CANNOT UNDERSTAND”

After losing all four of his children, Harmon spoke publicly about the devastation.

He described the killings as an incomprehensible act and questioned how anyone could have subjected the children to such suffering.

His grief has remained a central human element of a case otherwise dominated by disturbing investigative details.

The children’s ashes were later laid to rest during a private ceremony in Utah.

A FAMILY TRAGEDY THAT STILL RAISES QUESTIONS

The latest toxicology findings answer one question investigators had been working to resolve: what substances were present in the children’s bodies.

But many questions remain.

Why did the adults allegedly decide to harm the children?

What happened inside the apartment during the final hours?

And how did the situation escalate from an alleged poisoning attempt to the fatal stabbing of Gavin?

Investigators have previously described evidence they believe shows the women were planning the children’s deaths.

But the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy remain part of the ongoing investigation.

FOUR CHILDREN, ONE DEVASTATING FINAL CHAPTER

Harper was 13.

Hudson was 11.

Gavin and Gracelynn were just 10-year-old twins.

Their lives ended inside a family tragedy that investigators say was connected to a bitter custody dispute.

Now, the newly reported toxicology findings have given investigators and the public another disturbing piece of the puzzle.

For their father, however, the case is not about toxicology reports or police evidence.

It is about four children who were supposed to have been looking forward to a summer with their dad.

Instead, their names have become part of one of the most heartbreaking family tragedies to emerge from New York this year.

And as investigators continue examining what happened inside that Mechanicville apartment, the question remains: how could a custody battle have ended with four children never getting the chance to go home?