‘It’s not working, we need another option’: Police reveal texts allegedly sent before four children were killed

Three weeks after six people were found dead inside a New York home, investigators have revealed disturbing text messages they say expose how the killings were carefully planned. Police claim the conversations show a mother and grandmother coordinating every step before four children lost their lives.

The new details were shared during a press conference this week. According to the Tab, the messages discussed when the children would be given medication, where the killings would happen, and how suspicion could be avoided. Authorities say the texts also captured what happened as the plan unfolded.

The case has also revealed the heartbreaking final messages exchanged between the children’s father and their mother. Those texts, along with a neighbor’s welfare concerns, paint a tragic timeline leading to the discovery inside the Mechanicville home.

The text messages paint a disturbing picture of how the killings unfolded

Police say Amy Steadman, 64, and her daughter Sarah Myers, 44, “conspired in carrying out the murders” of Myers’ four children before taking their own lives in June 2026. Six people were found dead inside Steadman’s home in Mechanicville on June 23. The victims included Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, Gavin Harmon, 10, and Gracelynn Harmon, 10. The children were due to spend the summer with their father, Brady Harmon, in Utah just days later.

Soon after the deaths, Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said investigators recovered a handwritten note and other evidence. He explained that it “strongly suggests” Amy Steadman was involved in the children’s deaths.

As investigators continued piecing together what happened, attention soon turned to the digital trail left behind. In an unrelated family tragedy, a Michigan mother’s old Reddit posts resurfaced after her husband was accused of killing their family, with years-old online discussions becoming part of the public conversation surrounding the investigation. 

In a major update, Rabbitt revealed that text messages exchanged on June 5 allegedly documented the planning of the killings. He said the conversations covered obtaining medications, deciding where the murders would occur and planning how they would be given to the children. The messages also discussed what the children would be told and how to avoid raising suspicion.

According to police, Myers instructed Steadman that the medication should be given between 10:30 a.m. and noon. Investigators say the timing was chosen so everything would be over before a scheduled 6 p.m. phone call with the children’s father.

Police also revealed one of the most chilling exchanges. After one child did not react as expected, one of the women allegedly texted, “It’s not working, we need another option.”

Investigators said 10-year-old Gracelynn then sent a heartbreaking message saying, “Why would you do that?” She also complained that her stomach hurt and said the women would not let her vomit. Steadman allegedly replied to Myers, “Gracie is aware.”

Rabbitt said the messages showed more than preparation. He explained they documented the two women communicating while the killings were happening. 

The alleged text messages also show how phones and digital records can become some of the most important pieces of evidence during an investigation. In a separate investigation in the UK, a British woman’s phone was still being used after she was found dead inside a suitcase, a development that ultimately helped detectives uncover a chilling twist. 

The children’s father later shared his final conversation with Myers in a heartbreaking Facebook post. Myers claimed the children had a stomach bug and asked to move their online visit until the following day. Harmon replied that he hoped they felt better. The next day he asked if the children had recovered but never received a response. He also tried to video call at 4:02 p.m., but no one answered. 

Concern quickly grew when Harmon requested a welfare check. Neighbor Stephanie Sweeney also contacted police after not hearing from the family for several days. She later told The Sun she noticed “the smell of death” and saw flies gathering near the window. 

Harmon had not seen his children in person since 2019 because of an ongoing custody battle, and they were just days away from spending 60 days with him in Utah before the tragedy unfolded.