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

Share this article:

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
8

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

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.

    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

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Cliff Harshman

    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.

    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.

    ADVERTISEMENT

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

    Image credits: Tranyelle Harshman

    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.

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

    Image credits: Nelson Mortuary

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    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. 

    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
    Ic_polls

    Poll Question

    What do you think of the current weapon ownership laws in the US?

    They are fine. No changes needed.

    The rules need to be stricter.

    There should be more scrutiny for applicants with a history of mental illness.

    We need tighter rules for weapon ownership in households with children.

    Share on Facebook
    Irmak Bayrakdar

    Irmak Bayrakdar

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    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, BoredPanda staff

    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.

    Karina Babenok

    Karina Babenok

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    As a visual editor in the News team, I look for the most interesting pictures and comments to make each post interesting and informative through images, so that you aren't reading only blocks of text. I joined Bored Panda not that long ago, but in this short amount of time I have covered a wide range of topics: from true crime to Taylor Swift memes (my search history is very questionable because of that).In my freetime, I enjoy spending time at the gym, gaming, binging Great British Bake Off and adding yet another tattoo artist that I would love to get a tattoo from to my pinterest board.

    Read less »

    Karina Babenok

    Karina Babenok

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    As a visual editor in the News team, I look for the most interesting pictures and comments to make each post interesting and informative through images, so that you aren't reading only blocks of text. I joined Bored Panda not that long ago, but in this short amount of time I have covered a wide range of topics: from true crime to Taylor Swift memes (my search history is very questionable because of that).In my freetime, I enjoy spending time at the gym, gaming, binging Great British Bake Off and adding yet another tattoo artist that I would love to get a tattoo from to my pinterest board.

    What do you think ?
    Add photo comments
    POST
    Debbie
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated 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.

    Noelle1984
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It doesn't say if it was street ketamine or prescription ketamine. Ketamine is now a treatment for depression. Mental health is definitely not an excuse to do what she did. It seems she had postpartum psychosis which unfortunately can lead to something as tragic as this happening.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    Alexandra
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated 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?

    Load More Comments
    Debbie
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated 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.

    Noelle1984
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It doesn't say if it was street ketamine or prescription ketamine. Ketamine is now a treatment for depression. Mental health is definitely not an excuse to do what she did. It seems she had postpartum psychosis which unfortunately can lead to something as tragic as this happening.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    Alexandra
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated 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?

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