Mother's Destruction of Family Leaves Survivors in Shock

In the small town of Byron in Big Horn County, tragedy struck when a mother, Tranyelle Harshman, took the lives of her three young daughters before turning a gun on herself. The incident occurred at the family home on February 10, when the children were staying at home due to illness while their father, Cliff Harshman, was working out of state.

Cliff, still in disbelief over what had happened, expressed deep anguish and anger over his wife's actions. He explained that Tranyelle had been under treatment for severe mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder and post-partum depression, highlighting her struggle with chemical imbalances and damaged brain pathways rather than a mere lack of willpower. Despite his intense grief and anger, he emphasized that his wife had been a loving parent and that the tragedy was completely out of character for her.

The unfolding of events remains partially unclear; it was reported that after the killings, Tranyelle contacted emergency services and detailed the locations of her daughters’ bodies, informing the dispatcher that two would be found upstairs in their cribs and two downstairs in their shared bedroom. Following her statement that she intended to end her own life as well, first responders arrived to find her alive, though she later succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital.

The emotional toll of the event is heightened by the survival of 7-year-old Olivia, who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and remains in critical condition, and the profound loss felt by the families. Cliff is not only mourning the death of his 2-year-old twin daughters, Brooke and Jordan, and his 9-year-old step-daughter, Brailey, but is also grappling with immense grief as he tries to make sense of the tragedy. Meanwhile, Olivia’s biological father, Quinn Blackmer, who has lost his daughter Brailey, now finds himself supporting his critically injured daughter during her fight for life.

Tragic, unresolved questions continue to linger as the community and the affected families cope with the overwhelming sadness and shock of a heartbreaking incident rooted in severe mental health struggles.