Father of Four Children Killed in Mechanicville Tragedy Seeks $400 Million From Local Agencies

Brady Harmon, the Utah father of four children killed in a devastating Mechanicville, New York, family tragedy, is seeking $400 million in damages from several local government agencies and school districts, alleging they failed to protect his children despite years of warning signs.

Harmon filed a notice of claim on September 18, 2026, against the City of Mechanicville, Saratoga County, the Mechanicville Housing Authority, the Mechanicville City School District and the Ballston Spa Central School District. The notice is a required legal step before certain lawsuits can be brought against public entities in New York.

The case stems from the deaths of Harmon’s four children: Harper, 13; Hudson, 11; and twins Gavin and Gracelynn, both 10. Police say the children were killed on June 10 by their mother, Sarah Myers, 44, and grandmother, Amy Steadman, 64, who subsequently died by suicide. The six bodies were discovered during a welfare check on June 23 at an apartment operated by the Mechanicville Housing Authority.

Police later said their investigation uncovered evidence indicating that Myers and Steadman had planned the killings. Toxicology results released September 11 found diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, at fatal or lethal levels in all six people. Mitragynine, the primary compound in kratom, was also detected in four of the six. One of the children had additionally suffered multiple stab wounds.

Harmon says he had not seen his children in person for more than six years because of a prolonged custody dispute. According to the filing and his public statements, he had been preparing to welcome the children to Utah for a visit when the tragedy occurred.

The notice of claim alleges that the children had experienced years of abuse and neglect and that authorities failed to respond adequately to warning signs. It specifically points to a May 2024 incident in which the children became seriously ill while at school, with three ultimately taken to Albany Medical Center and one receiving Narcan. The filing alleges that the incident should have prompted a more extensive investigation and protective intervention.

Harmon further alleges that agencies and schools failed to provide him with important information about his children’s education, medical treatment and welfare. The filing argues that, had he known the full extent of the alleged problems, he could have sought emergency legal action to protect the children.

Those accusations remain allegations contained in the legal filing. The agencies and school districts named in the notice have not been found liable by a court, and the $400 million figure is not an award or settlement. Harmon’s attorneys have described the filing as a preliminary claim that preserves his legal rights while their investigation continues.

The legal action comes as the criminal investigation into the deaths continues. Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said the toxicology findings were consistent with the department’s earlier determination that the children’s deaths were homicides and the two adults’ deaths were suicides, but investigators were still working to answer remaining questions.

For Harmon, the lawsuit is now another effort to examine what happened before his four children died—and whether earlier intervention could have changed the outcome. His attorneys have said the case is also intended to push for changes in how agencies respond when children are believed to be living in high-risk circumstances.

Source: CBS 6