Adam Montgomery is accused of hitting the 5-year-old girl in the head over and over with a closed fist in December of that year. Police didn’t find out that Harmony had gone missing until late last year.
Harmony Montgomery, a 5-year-old girl from New Hampshire, went missing in 2019 but wasn’t reported missing until late last year. Her father was arrested Monday and charged with second-degree murder.
He is accused of hitting her in the head with a closed fist many times in December of that year.
Adam Montgomery, who is 32 years old, is also charged with lying about physical evidence and mistreating a dead body between December 2019 and March 2020. Authorities did not say if the girl’s body had been found.
Montgomery is also charged with tampering with a witness because he tried to get Kayla Montgomery, his wife and Harmony’s stepmother, to lie in court. His court date is set for Tuesday in Manchester.
Adam Montgomery’s lawyer did not say anything right away.
At a news conference in Manchester, state Attorney General John Formella said, “I want to say again that Harmony’s family, friends, and loved ones have my deepest sympathies.” “We know that today’s news, while important for this investigation, is another hard time for those who cared about Harmony and for people who have been following this case,” they said.
In August, the police said they were now investigating a murder. They said they think Harmony was killed in early December 2019 in Manchester, which is the biggest city in the state.
In November, Harmony’s mother, Crystal Sorey, called the police to tell them that her daughter might be missing. Police said that she had been looking for the girl for months but had not been able to find her.
Police said that by the end of December, they had talked to Adam Montgomery, who was in charge of Harmony, and other family members. Court documents say that the police told him that Harmony hadn’t been seen in more than two years and that people were worried about whether or not she was still alive.
Harmony’s father and stepmother, who have since pleaded not guilty to charges related to her health, told police that Adam brought Harmony to live with Sorey in Massachusetts around Thanksgiving 2019. Sorey said that the last time she saw her daughter was during an Easter phone video call that year.
“I’m still in shock, it hasn’t really hit me yet,” Sorey told The Associated Press in a text message. She also said, “No one would listen to me, and all of this could have been avoided, but now my family is facing the biggest battle it will ever face!”
Adam Montgomery’s lawyers argued in court last month that some of the things he told police should not be used against him. They said he told police more than once, when asked where his daughter was, “I’ve got nothing else to say.” He also said he didn’t want to talk to them, but police kept asking him questions.
In a separate case, he will go to court next month on stolen weapons charges.
Kayla Montgomery’s bail was recently taken away because she didn’t show up to a hearing where she was accused of lying to state health officials about taking care of Harmony Montgomery.
Harmony’s case has gotten a lot of support, like vigils and sites on social media. Police gave cash rewards for information and set up a tip line that was open 24 hours a day.
At the news conference, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg asked everyone to do something nice for a child today in honour of Harmony. He also said, “Just take a few minutes out of your day to say something nice to a child, give him or her a hug, and some special words of encouragement.”