A grandmother from New York is suspected to have poisoned her daughter and four grandchildren days after all were found dead in a horrific murder-suicide.
Amy Steadman, 64, was found dead inside a Mechanicville apartment on Tuesday alongside her daughter, 44-year-old Sarah Myers, and four grandchildren, Harper, 13, Hudson, 11, and Gavin and Gracelynn, both 10.
But days after the six family members were found, Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said evidence ‘strong suggests’ the grandmother was involved in their deaths.
Rabbitt pointed to a handwritten note as well as bottles of prescription and over-the-counter medicines found in the home that indicated a possible poisoning, the Democrat and Chronicle reported.
Sources also told NewsChannel 13 that Steadman was resentful over her grandchildren’s father recently gaining custody of them.
Autopsies by the Albany Medical Center revealed that one of the four children died from ‘fatal sharp-force injuries,’ Rabbitt said.
Amy Steadman, 64, was found dead inside a Mechanicville apartment on Tuesday with her daughter and four grandchildren, as police reveal evidence may suggest she was involved in their deaths
Steadman’s daughter, 44-year-old Sarah Myers, and four grandchildren, Harper, 13, Hudson, 11, and Gavin and Gracelynn, both 10, were found in the apartment alongside the grandmother
Autopsies by the Albany Medical Center revealed that one of the four children died from ‘fatal sharp-force injuries’
Toxicology reports are to be completed before final conclusions can be reached, he said.
Myers and her children also lived in the same building, part of the John S Moore Homes development, in a separate apartment, the outlet reported.
Police discovered their bodies at around 6.20pm on Tuesday after they had not been seen for several days.
‘The Mechanicville Police Department, in partnership with the New York State Police, remains committed to conducting a thorough and complete investigation while providing as much information as possible without compromising the integrity of that investigation,’ Rabbitt said.
‘Mechanicville is a close-knit city. Many residents knew the family involved, have children and grandchildren of their own, or simply cannot comprehend the loss of six lives under such heartbreaking circumstances.
Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt pointed to a handwritten note as well as bottles of prescription and over-the-counter medicines found in the home that indicated a possible poisoning
Myers and her children also lived in the same building, part of the John S Moore Homes development, in a separate apartment
‘Our thoughts remain with the family members, friends, neighbors, first responders and everyone affected by this tragedy.’
A resident in the apartment complex, Megan Reed, 38, told the Times Union that the grandmother lived in an apartment in the same building, and was ‘with [Myers] every single day to help her.’
She added: ‘Those kids don’t deserve this.’
Another neighbor told the outlet that the grandmother and mother were ‘inseparable’, and were ‘like best friends.’
The Daily Mail reached out to the Mechanicville Police Department for comment.
