A grieving father says he is struggling to comprehend the loss of his four young children after authorities alleged they were killed in a murder-suicide orchestrated by their grandmother inside a New York apartment.

Brady Harmon spoke publicly for the first time following the deaths, describing the unimaginable pain of learning that all four of his children had died just days before he had hoped to reunite with them for the summer.

“There is no preparation,” Harmon told Fox News Digital. “It’s horrendous.”

Police in Mechanicville, New York, believe the children’s grandmother, 64-year-old Amy Steadman, poisoned the four children and their mother before taking her own life in what investigators are describing as an apparent murder-suicide.

The shocking discovery was made Tuesday after officers responded to conduct a welfare check at an apartment in the John S. Moore Homes complex when concerns were raised about the family.

Inside, investigators found six people dead.

The victims were identified as 64-year-old Amy Steadman, her 44-year-old daughter Sarah Myers, and Myers’ four children: 13-year-old Harper Harmon, 11-year-old Hudson Harmon, and 10-year-old twins Gavin Harmon and Gracelynn Harmon.

Authorities announced during a Thursday news conference that evidence recovered inside the apartment suggests the deaths were intentional.

Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said investigators located medications and other evidence that point toward poisoning as the primary method used.

“There is recovered evidence inside the apartment that indicates intentional poisoning with numerous prescriptions and over-the-counter medication,” Rabbitt said.

Investigators also recovered a handwritten note that police believe may connect Steadman to the deaths.

Officials have not publicly disclosed the contents of the note, saying it remains part of the active criminal investigation.

While poisoning appears to have played a central role, authorities revealed that the investigation became even more disturbing during the autopsy process.

According to Rabbitt, one of the four children may also have suffered fatal sharp-force injuries.

Police have not identified which child sustained those injuries or explained whether they occurred before or after the suspected poisoning.

Investigators emphasized that final causes of death remain pending as medical examiners continue conducting toxicology testing and additional forensic examinations.

The combination of suspected poisoning and possible physical violence has made the investigation especially complex, with detectives working alongside forensic specialists to reconstruct exactly what happened inside the apartment.

For Brady Harmon, however, the details have only deepened an already overwhelming sense of grief.

The Utah father said he had been preparing to bring his children back west to spend the summer with him.

Instead, he received news that every one of them had died.

Harmon explained that he had spent years fighting for access to his children through family court.

According to him, the custody dispute with their mother had stretched on for more than six years.

He said he repeatedly raised concerns about his children’s welfare during that time but felt those concerns were not addressed quickly enough.

“My concern right now is being able to bring my kids home, and have them away from those two monsters that did this to them,” Harmon said, referring to the children’s mother and grandmother.

He also criticized what he described as lengthy delays within the family court system.

“The system is broken,” Harmon said. “It takes way too long to get anything done.”

He added that he spent six and a half years attempting to gain greater access to his children, believing they needed additional protection.

Authorities have not commented on the specifics of the family’s custody proceedings, and investigators have not indicated whether previous reports involving the household played any role in the ongoing criminal investigation.

Court records and family history are expected to be reviewed as detectives continue gathering evidence.

Police have likewise declined to speculate publicly about a possible motive.

Investigators say determining why the killings allegedly occurred will depend on further forensic analysis, witness interviews, and examination of documents recovered from the apartment.

Neighbors have described the discovery as deeply unsettling, with many expressing disbelief that such a tragedy could unfold inside their normally quiet residential community.

Residents reported seeing a significant law enforcement presence as officers secured the scene and investigators spent hours processing evidence inside the apartment.

The deaths have also shaken local schools and community organizations that served the four children.

Although officials have not released extensive personal information about Harper, Hudson, Gavin, and Gracelynn, friends and community members have remembered them as energetic children whose lives ended far too soon.

Grief counselors have been made available for students and others affected by the tragedy.

Meanwhile, investigators continue examining the medications recovered from the apartment to determine precisely what substances may have been administered and in what quantities.

Toxicology testing can take several weeks, meaning investigators may not have definitive answers regarding the causes of death for some time.

The handwritten note recovered at the scene is also expected to undergo forensic examination.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the note was signed or whether it explicitly acknowledged responsibility for the deaths.

Detectives are additionally reviewing electronic devices and other evidence collected from the apartment in an effort to establish a complete timeline leading up to the incident.

Police stressed during Thursday’s briefing that the investigation remains active and that additional information will be released only after forensic testing is complete.

The case has drawn widespread attention because of both the number of victims and the ages of the children involved.

Family annihilation cases involving multiple young victims remain relatively rare, making each investigation especially complex and emotionally difficult for both investigators and surviving relatives.

For Brady Harmon, public attention offers little relief.

His immediate focus, he said, is bringing his children’s remains home and ensuring they are remembered for the lives they lived rather than the horrific circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Friends have begun sharing photographs and memories of the siblings, describing them as close-knit and full of personality.

Many have also expressed support for Harmon as he navigates the enormous emotional burden of arranging funerals while simultaneously awaiting answers from investigators.

Police have asked anyone with relevant information about the family’s recent activities or interactions to contact investigators.

Although authorities believe they have identified the primary suspect, they continue interviewing relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances to better understand the events preceding the deaths.

As forensic testing continues, officials caution that some investigative findings could change if new evidence emerges.

For now, detectives remain focused on establishing exactly how six members of one family died inside the apartment and whether every aspect of the suspected murder-suicide can be fully explained through the physical evidence recovered at the scene.

For Harmon, those answers may eventually provide clarity, but they cannot undo the devastating loss of Harper, Hudson, Gavin, and Gracelynn—four children he had expected to embrace again only days later before a tragedy forever altered his family’s future.