A Wyoming mother killed her three young daughters in the family home before turning the gun on herself in a horrifying case that has left her devastated husband reeling.
Cliff Harshman said he is struggling to comprehend the actions of his wife, Tranyelle Harshman, who he said was battling mental illness.
“This was something beyond what I can comprehend,” Cliff told KTVQ. “I’m a mess … I don't even know how to explain this to you. I'm so angry with her for the decision that was made.”
“People don’t understand how mental illness isn’t just a willpower thing,” he continued. “It’s chemical imbalances in your brain. It’s damaged pathways in your brain. She was an incredible mom and she loved those kids.”
He is grieving the loss of his 2-year-old twin daughters Brooke and Jordan, and his 9-year-old step-daughter Brailey.
Harshman’s other step-daughter Olivia, 7, survived, but suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and is currently fighting for her life in a local hospital, according to a GoFundMe page set up for the family.
Tranyelle, 32, was at home with her four daughters on Monday, February 10, in the small town of Byron, Big Horn County. The girls were at home because they had been suffering from the flu, Cliff told the Cowboy State Daily. He was working out of state at the time.
Harshman told the State Daily that his wife was undergoing treatment for her mental health issues, and explained that she was dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and post-partum depression.
“My wife was not a monster,” he said. “This is so out of character. It’s unbelievable what had happened. We’d been getting her help, and along the way something didn’t work. As angry as I may be with her, I still love her – and I lost her as well.”
The Big Horn County Sheriff Office’s shared the harrowing details of what unfolded in a media release.
The events immediately leading up to the killings are unknown, but after Tranyelle shot her daughters, she called 911.
Police said that Tranyelle told the call dispatcher where they could locate the bodies of the children. “She told the dispatcher two children would be located upstairs in their cribs and two children would be downstairs in their shared bedroom,” Big Horn County Sheriff Ken Blackburn said in the media release.
“The caller further stated she could be found in her upstairs bedroom and that she was going to do the same to herself,” Blackburn continued.
The dispatcher pleaded with Tranyelle to remain on the line until emergency services arrived at the scene, but the mom said it was “too late.”
First responders found her still alive when they arrived at the house, but she later died from her injuries in a local hospital.
Little Olivia was airlifted to a hospital where she remains in critical condition.
Olivia’s biological father, Quinn Blackmer, has been keeping vigil by her bedside while grieving the loss of his other daughter, Brailey.
“I’m furious. I’m trying my hardest to bury that for a while and to focus on the now, because that anger isn’t going to bring my child back,” he told KTVQ.
The two fathers have been leaning on one another for support.
If you are based in the US, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
