The horrible murder-suicide of a mother and her four children in Wyoming has been front page news since it happened on February 10. Now, major new details have emerged in the case of the mom who killed her four children and then herself.
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Major New Details In Case Where Mom Killed Four Children
The Daily Mail shares that on February 10, Tranyelle Harshman "fatally shot her daughters, Brooke, Jordan, Olivia, and Brailey." After killing her four children, this mother then turned the gun on herself. Recently, a toxicology report has been released. That report showed that Harshman had "ketamine and anti-anxiety drugs in her system" prior to the murder.
Harshman's struggle with mental health issues was no secret. Her husband had opened up about his late wife's struggles. He claimed that his wife suffered from various ailments including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and postpartum depression.
Additionally, the Daily Mail shares "On the day of the shocking deaths, Harshman had clonazepam in her system, which is prescribed to help panic disorders and epilepsy." The side effects of this drug can vary. It can cause mild side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, and difficulty remembering things. It can also lead to more severe issues such as difficulty breathing, swelling, and trouble swallowing. In addition, this drug has been known to be linked to depression, suicidal thoughts, paranoia, hallucinations, and anxiety. While places like GoodRx claim these psychological side effects are rare, they can happen.
Are The Drugs Responsible For Her Actions?
With this new information emerging, some people are wondering what the link is between this mother's toxicology report and her actions. On the day that this mom killed her four children, she called 911 after doing so and reported it to the police.
She told the operator that her children had been fatally shot. Then she told the operator that she planned on doing the same thing to herself. Despite the pleas of the operator to remain on the line, Harshman hung up the phone and took her own life.
Minutes later, police arrived at the tragic scene. The two youngest girls, Brooke and Jordan, were found dead in their cribs. While Brailey was found in the downstairs bedroom. Both Olivia and Harshman still showed signs of life, so they were transported to a local hospital. Harshman died two days after the incident while Olivia held on for five days before eventually passing.
Toxicology Reports Get Even More Interesting
In addition to the toxicology report on Harshman, reports were also filed on the girls. The coroner's office spoke with Cowboy State Daily about the findings. The children had "unusual(ly) large amounts of Propanolol - beta-blocker - and Diphenhydramine - antihistamine which causes drowsiness - in their systems."
While the children were home with the flu at the time, this is not a typical medication used to treat it. Instead, Cowboy State Daily shares that "The propranolol is commonly used to treat high blood pressure." Furthermore, NHS shared these alarming side effects that can occur when taking too much of the drug. "An overdose of propranolol can be very serious. It can significantly slow your heart rate, cause dizziness, trembling and seizures or fits, and make it difficult to breathe."
While it is unclear why the children had this medication in their system it is no secret that their mother was struggling. Harshman's husband claimed that these medications she was on were her last hope at combating the mental struggles she was facing.
However, he did admit that he did not think of his wife as a monster. Additionally that he recognizes she had a "chemical imbalance" in her brain and that the medications could have worsened that. Finally, he admitted that her actions were not in her typical character. Now, he wants to focus on grieving the loss of his family rather than defending his late wife's actions.
