State Police Identify Martine Decarr and Drew R. Harm: State Police have identified both people found in a Brushton home and released the results of their autopsies.
BRUSHTON, N.Y. — A Brushton welfare check that led police to two bodies on September 16 is now being investigated following an autopsy finding of homicide in one death and suicide in the other, according to a September 21 update from New York State Police. The people were identified as Martine Decarr, 68, and Drew R. Harm, 60, both of Brushton.
State Police Identify Martine Decarr and Drew R. Harm
The findings answer the central question left open in earlier coverage: how the deaths were classified. State Police have not publicly described a motive or the relationship between Decarr and Harm. The investigation remains open.
What the autopsies found
Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Sikirica conducted the autopsies at Glens Falls Hospital on September 18, police said. Decarr died from severe skull fractures and brain injuries caused by a gunshot wound. Her death was ruled a homicide. Harm died from severe skull fractures and brain injuries caused by a gunshot wound. His death was ruled a suicide.
The classifications are findings about the manner of each death. The State Police release does not give a step-by-step account of what happened inside the home. It does not state when either person died or identify who requested the welfare check. Readers should avoid treating an unanswered question as an established fact.
How the investigation began
Troopers arrived at a Hill Street residence in the town of Brushton at approximately 8:30 a.m. on September 16 for a welfare check. They entered and found two people dead. State Police said there was “no threat to the public related to this incident.”
Investigators secured the home, executed search warrants and processed the scene. The Franklin County Coroner responded and ordered the removal of both bodies. Members of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Violent Crimes Investigation Team and the Forensic Investigation Unit assisted.
What a welfare check means
A welfare check is a request for authorities to check whether someone is safe. In this case, that request brought troopers to the Hill Street home. State Police have not said who made the request or what prompted it.
What is known and what is still open
- Confirmed: Troopers found Decarr and Harm dead on September 16.
- Confirmed: Autopsies on September 18 classified Decarr’s death as a homicide and Harm’s as a suicide.
- Confirmed: Police said there was no related threat to the public.
- Not disclosed: The timing and circumstances of the deaths, the relationship between the two people, and any motive.
Police have described the investigation as ongoing. Those facts should guide any discussion of the case: the medical findings have been released, while the broader circumstances have not. The Utica Phoenix will update its coverage if investigators provide verified new information.
