Grandmother suspected in deaths of 4 grandchildren, daughter: Police

MECHANICVILLE, New York -- Police in an upstate New York town said Thursday that a grandmother is suspected in the deaths of four of her grandchildren, her daughter and herself inside their apartment building.

Officers in Mechanicville, New York, said they discovered the victims' bodies inside an apartment on Tuesday after neighbors reported not seeing them for days.

The grandmother was identified as Amy Steadman, 64. Police identified the victims as her daughter Sarah Myers, 44, and Myers' four children: Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, Gavin Harmon, 10, and Gracelynn Harmon, 10, according to police.

While the investigation into the deaths and motive is ongoing, Mechanicville Police Department Chief William Rabbitt told reporters Thursday that the evidence so far indicates that Steadman may have been involved.

Rabbitt said that investigators recovered evidence inside the apartment "to indicate intentional poisoning," including "numerous prescription and over-the-counter medications."

"Evidence recovered during the investigation, including a handwritten note and other circumstantial evidence, strongly suggests that Amy Steadman was involved in the deaths," he added.

The chief said there was no evidence that an outside individual was involved.

Toxicology tests are still ongoing, according to Rabbitt.

While the chief declined to provide more details into the ongoing investigation, he noted that one of the children "suffered fatal sharp force injuries."

Rabbitt said Steadman and Myers and her family all lived in the same apartment complex in Mechanicville, which is roughly 18 miles north of Albany.

The children's father lives in Utah, the chief said.