Harmony Montgomery’s mother reacts as father Adam is convicted of her murder

GRAPHIC WARNING: Disturbing content. Harmony Montgomery, five, was last seen alive in late 2019, but authorities in Manchester, New Hampshire, only started looking for her two years later

Adam Montgomery convicted of second-degree murder of daughter Harmony

The mother of slain five-year-old Harmony Montgomery spoke to reporters outside a courtroom after the little girl’s father was convicted of her murder.

Jurors convicted Adam Montgomery on all charges following a gruelling trial which took place more than four years on from when Harmony was last seen alive in 2019.

Authorities failed to search for the missing child – who was known to protective services – for more than two years after she went missing.

Kayla Montgomery testified that her husband struck the Harmony several times after she had a bathroom accident.

She testified that, after killing her, the family drove to a Burger King. She fed her two young sons and placed a sandwich on Harmony’s lap without realising she was dead.

“After the defendant repeatedly struck Harmony. After he put the blanket over her. After she moaned. After the strange crying moaning stopped. After you did drugs and after the car died, you thought she was sleeping under that blanket,” the prosecutor said.

“Why did you think that she may be sleeping after Adam repeatedly struck her?”

“Because she would usually just go to sleep after,” Kayla answered.

The little girl’s remains were hidden in a ceiling vent at a shelter where the family stayed after her death. Montgomery snuck the remains into his workplace freezer, before disposing of them in March 2020. Harmony’s remains have never been found.

After the verdict was handed down, Harmony’s mother Crystal Sorey told reporters she was “grateful” that it was over – but vowed that she and authorities would not stop fighting to find her daughter’s body.

She also slammed Montgomery as a “coward” for failing to attend any of his trial.

In a press conference, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg also vowed to continue to push to find Harmony.

“We’re still going to find her,” Chief Aldenberg told reporters as he choked back tears.

“This girl deserves better than the life that she had. This is never about winning or losing, this is about a five-year-old girl who was killed by her father. And I can’t think of a worse crime.”

Key points

• Adam Montgtomery agrees to plead guilty to some charges
• Harmony Montgomery was missing two years before anyone noticed. Now her father is on trial for murder
• Harmony’s mother breaks down in tears during closing arguments

[22 February 2024 22:30 · Andrea Blanco]

Adam Montgomery used quicklime to dissolve body in bathtub

Montgomery began discussing ways to dispose of Harmony’s body in March 2020, after he and Kayla Montgomery moved to an apartment on Union Street with their children.

“He discussed using a saw to cut her up. He discussed using lime to further decompose her so she couldn’t be found,” the prosecution said during opening statements. “Remember, he believed that if there was no body there could be no evidence and he could get away with this.”

The state said that he compressed the sealed bag with Harmony’s remains and added quicklime to the bag.

“Thinking that it would eat away anything left of her,” the prosecution said. “He spent most of the day in that bathroom compressing Harmony.”

According to the prosecution, Montgomery took Harmony’s frozen remains and put them in the tub, running hot water to further manipulate what was left of the body. Kayla Montgomery then walked inside the bathroom and allegedly saw Montgomery.

She saw that Harmony was largely skin, bones and fluid – and that Mr Montgomery was trying to dispose of her remains down the drain, the prosecution said.

[22 February 2024 23:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Harmony Montgomery was missing two years before anyone noticed. Now her father is on trial for murder

Harmony Montgomery, five, was last seen in the fall of 2019, but authorities only started searching for her two years later. Now, her father Adam Montgomery is finally standing trial for her murder.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp and Andrea Blanco report:

[23 February 2024 00:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Where is Harmony?

The girl’s remains have never been found.

The Gilford Street property was the focus of much of the search, with investigators seen in the home and the backyard for multiple days.

However, Manchester Police said the search concluded there. It is not clear if anything of interest was uncovered and no other locations for searches have been identified.

During the trial, attorney Caroline Smith brought up a tip made by an unknown individual.

“During the course of the trial, apparently somebody contacted the tipline and was interviewed, gave information,” Ms Smith told Judge Amy Messer. “The state has given us a recording of the interview. I have not [gone through it.] We certainly have somebody trying to go through it. I don’t know, and I don’t need to name this person. I don’t know if we’ll be seeking to call this person [to testify].”

Senior assistant attorney general Ben Agati later explained that the call was placed by a woman on Tuesday after she had spent several days watching the trial. Manchester Police only notified the prosecution the following day.

“She came into the station to be interviewed and provided a statement,” Mr Agati said.

Mr Agati said that a written report and the taped interview were sent to his office and then forwarded to the defence. Judge Messer asked Ms Smith to expeditiously file a motion seeking to have the mystery called on her witness list if the defence wished to call her to the stand.

The judge also asked the prosecution to advise the individual against watching the remainder of the trial.

Anyone with information is asked to call or text 603-932-8997

[23 February 2024 01:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Harmony Montgomery’s mother chokes up as she slams absent murderer Adam

On Thursday, Harmony’s 34-year-old father was found guilty of second-degree murder and other charges in connection to her December 2019 killing.

Ms Sorey and other family members attended the verdict, while Montgomery did not. He has failed to show up at the trial at all, other than on the first day of jury selection.

Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom moments after jurors convicted Montgomery on all charges, Ms Sorey remarked on Montgomery’s absence: “He’s a coward.”

Asked if she had a message for him, she said, “I hope that what he did plays over in his mind every single waking moment that he lives on this earth. And I hope he never falls asleep without seeing her beautiful face.”

[23 February 2024 02:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Harmony Montgomery was murdered by her father. These are all the systems that failed her

A five-year-old girl slipped through the cracks, was killed by a parent, and then was left undiscovered for two years.

The Independent’s Kelly Rissman and Andrea Blanco report on everything that led to the little girl’s death:

WATCH: Crystal Sorey reacts to guilty verdict in daughter Harmony's murder

23 February 2024 03:00

[23 February 2024 04:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Montgomery discussed using NutriBullet to further reduce remains

Kayla alleged that Montgomery discussed using a handsaw and a NutriBullet to destroy Harmony’s rotting remains. Montgomery spent hours inside the bathroom “dethawing” Harmony’s frozen remains, cutting the clothes off the body, and running hot water onto what remained of the little girl, she said.

“He wanted to use a handsaw and a NutriBullet,” Kayla told the court. “He said that’d be good to use to help get rid of her ... I saw Harmony folded together the same way she was when we took her out of the car. She looked like she had barely any skin, just skin and bones and was very bruised. He had the hot water running ... in the tub.”

It is unclear whether Montgomery actually used a NutriBullet. According to the prosecution, Montgomery did purchase lime, a metal-cutting blade and a grinder at a Home Depot.

[23 February 2024 05:00 · Andrea Blanco]

IN PICTURES: Gallery filled with law enforcement hears guilty verdict

(AP)

(AP)

[23 February 2024 06:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Harmony had dried blood from being hit days before her death

Under cross-examination, Kayla Montogmery admitted that Harmony often had dried blood on her face from being beaten by her father.

“And you didn’t clean her face?” defence attorney Caroline Smith asked.

“No, we just kept her under the blanket,” an emotionless Kayla answered.

[23 February 2024 07:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Kayla Montgomery put Burger King sandwich on Harmony’s lap without realising she was dead

Kayla Montgomery said that after Montgomery hit Harmony to death, the family drove to a Burger King. She fed her two young sons and placed a sandwich on Harmony’s lap without realising she was dead.

“After the defendant repeatedly struck Harmony. After he put the blanket over her. After she moaned. After the strange crying moaning stopped. After you did drugs and after the car died, you thought she was sleeping under that blanket,” the prosecutor said.

“Why did you think that she may be sleeping after Adam repeatedly struck her?”

“Because she would usually just go to sleep after,” Kayla Montgomery answered.