Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

“Monster” Mom Who Shot Her 4 Daughters Then Herself Was Under Influence, Report Reveals
“Monster” Mom Who Shot Her 4 Daughters Then Herself Was Under Influence, Report Reveals
20

“Monster” Mom Who Shot Her 4 Daughters Then Herself Was Under Influence, Report Reveals

18

ADVERTISEMENT

New details have emerged in the tragic case of Tranyelle Harshman from Byron, Wyoming, who shot her four children before taking her own life.

A toxicology report has now revealed that before the horrible event, Harshman had narcotics in her system. 

RELATED:

    The mother of four who shot her children and herself was revealed to have had narcotics in her system

    Image credits: Tranyelle Harshman

    Image credits: Tranyelle Harshman

    According to the toxicology report, Tranyelle Harshman, 32, had ket*mine and antianxiety medications in her system when she shot her children, 9-year-old Brailey, 7-year-old Olivia, and twins Brooke and Jordan, both aged 2, inside their Byron home on February 10, before turning the g*n on herself. 

    Highlights
    • The mother of four who fatally shot her children and herself was under the influence of narcotics and anti-anxiety medications.
    • The toxicology reports reveal Harshman used dr*gs known for causing impaired judgment and hallucinogenic effects.
    • Despite Harshman's mental health issues, her husband expressed continued love and grief for his wife and children.
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Her husband, Cliff Harshman, shared his wife Tranyelle’s long battle with mental health issues, including depression, PTSD, and postpartum depression following the births of their children.
    “She was an incredible mom, and she loved those kids,” Harshman said to Cowboy State Daily

    The report shows Harshman was under the influence of multiple medications

    Image credits: Tranyelle Harshman

    Image credits: Cliff Harshman

    ADVERTISEMENT

    On that fateful day, Harshman also had clonazepam in her system, a dr*g used to treat panic attacks and epilepsy. Known for its sedative properties, clonazepam can cause paranoia, suicidal thoughts, and impaired judgment.

    Additionally, the toxicology report indicated that Harshman had used ket*mine, an anesthetic known for its hallucinogenic effects, which is not FDA-approved for treating mental health disorders.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Harshman called 911 before taking her children’s lives and her own 

    Image credits: Quinn Blackmer

    Authorities responded to the Harshman residence shortly after Harshman called 911 to report that she had shot her daughters and was planning to do the same to herself, according to the Sheriff’s Office press release. Despite pleas from the dispatcher, she ended the call, stating it was “too late.”

    At the scene, responders found Brooke and Jordan deceased in their cribs, and Brailey with a gu*shot wound in a downstairs bedroom. Olivia and Harshman were transported to a local hospital showing signs of life; however, Harshman succumbed to her injuries two days later, and Olivia passed away five days after the incident at a Salt Lake City hospital.

    The children’s toxicology report also showed medications in their systems

    Image credits: Tranyelle Harshman

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Further complicating the tragedy, the children’s toxicology reports revealed high levels of propranolol and diphenhydramine. Propranolol is a beta-blocker used for treating various conditions, including high blood pressure and migraines, while diphenhydramine is a common ingredient in allergy medications such as Benadryl.

    Cliff Harshman was on a business trip at the time of the shootings, and the children were home sick with the flu. He expressed his grief and frustration about the focus on the medication involved rather than the broader issues at play. “I’m bitter that this has had to continue to be a thorn in my side, when I need to just… grieve my family’s loss,” he said.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The biological father of Harshman’s two children shared that his surviving daughter had passed after several days

    Image credits: Nelson Mortuary

    Olivia and Brailey’s biological father, Quinn Blackmer, and his wife Katelynn announced Olivia’s passing in an online fundraiser update. “Olivia is with her sisters now. She gained her angel wings yesterday… She fought so hard up til the last minute,” Katelynn Blackmer wrote. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Adding that “her body and her brain had been through too much, medication helped, but we reached a point where medical options were exhausted and her body only continued to get worse.”

    Harshman’s grieving husband said mental illness is “a chemical imbalance”

    Image credits: Quinn Blackmer

    Despite the heartache, Cliff Harshman said he still loved his wife. “Most people don’t understand how mental illness affects the brain. It’s a chemical imbalance,” he stated. 

    “And what happened was so out of character, as angry as I may be with her, I still lost her as well, and I still love her,” he added while still trying to come to terms with the devastating consequences of the tragedy.

    Netizens commented on the new report’s results

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Poll Question

    Total votes ·

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Total votes ·
    Share on Facebook

    Explore more of these tags

    Irmak Bayrakdar

    Irmak Bayrakdar

    Writer, Community member

    Read more »

    Hey there! I'm Irmak, and I cover the news here at Bored Panda. When I'm not in front of the screen, I'm probably out exploring the city's hot spots, diving into fine art, chatting about the latest in cinema, indulging in plant-based bites, or my personal favorite, chilling with my perfect dog.

    Read less »
    Irmak Bayrakdar

    Irmak Bayrakdar

    Writer, Community member

    Hey there! I'm Irmak, and I cover the news here at Bored Panda. When I'm not in front of the screen, I'm probably out exploring the city's hot spots, diving into fine art, chatting about the latest in cinema, indulging in plant-based bites, or my personal favorite, chilling with my perfect dog.

    What do you think ?
    Debbie
    Community Member
    11 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All the "yta" in the comments obviously have never experienced severe mental health issues from up close or have no empathy/imagination. No, a SANE woman/mother doesn't do this. That is what mental illness does. Mental health is the reason she did this. If that was good, this wouldn't have happened. Nowadays society has so much presure. Individualistic - there's no community to support anymore. People need a community, but at the same time don't want others to tell them what to do, which is what you also get with a community. Social cohesion seems lost.

    Alexandra
    Community Member
    11 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is no doubt that this is a tragedy for both families. What I wonder about though is that despite a long history of mental illness, she was never treated as an in-patient. And where did she get the ketamine?

    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    11 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    None of the pharmaceuticals listed are likely to increase the risk of violence, especially if she has had them before. All of them have a stupefying/sweating effect which would make it less likely to do physical harm. Yes this is a tragedy but everything listed would make her less violent rather than more violent. This is a case of someone not being able to get the mental health support they need (clearly hospitalisation), and not Dr ug s made her do it. Everything she took would have been to counteract violent or aggressive behaviour, so the substances that this article says were influencing her were all to prevent what happened. Clearly it didn't work, but don't try and make this a Dr ug based tragedy. There are already so many if then to choose from, no one needs to invent another, and it's disrespectful to the family to misrepresent what went on.

    Load More Comments
    Debbie
    Community Member
    11 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All the "yta" in the comments obviously have never experienced severe mental health issues from up close or have no empathy/imagination. No, a SANE woman/mother doesn't do this. That is what mental illness does. Mental health is the reason she did this. If that was good, this wouldn't have happened. Nowadays society has so much presure. Individualistic - there's no community to support anymore. People need a community, but at the same time don't want others to tell them what to do, which is what you also get with a community. Social cohesion seems lost.

    Alexandra
    Community Member
    11 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is no doubt that this is a tragedy for both families. What I wonder about though is that despite a long history of mental illness, she was never treated as an in-patient. And where did she get the ketamine?

    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    11 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    None of the pharmaceuticals listed are likely to increase the risk of violence, especially if she has had them before. All of them have a stupefying/sweating effect which would make it less likely to do physical harm. Yes this is a tragedy but everything listed would make her less violent rather than more violent. This is a case of someone not being able to get the mental health support they need (clearly hospitalisation), and not Dr ug s made her do it. Everything she took would have been to counteract violent or aggressive behaviour, so the substances that this article says were influencing her were all to prevent what happened. Clearly it didn't work, but don't try and make this a Dr ug based tragedy. There are already so many if then to choose from, no one needs to invent another, and it's disrespectful to the family to misrepresent what went on.

    Load More Comments
    You May Like
    Related on Bored Panda
    Popular on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda
    ADVERTISEMENT