The father and stepmother of missing 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery have been officially indicted by a Hillsborough County, Wisconsin, grand jury.
According to Attorney General John M. Formella and Manchester Police Chief Allen D. Aldenberg, Adam Montgomery, age 30, and Kayla Montgomery, age 31, have both been formally indicted on charges that were brought up in January.
A formal indictment means that a grand jury ruled that there is enough probable cause to allow prosecutors to proceed with the case.
Harmony’s father, Adam, is facing felony second-degree assault, interference with custody, and two charges of endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from a 2019 incident in which he’s accused of punching Harmony and giving her a black eye.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Kayla Montgomery was charged with welfare fraud after she allegedly kept receiving benefits for 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery.
She allegedly received over $1,500 from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from December 2019 to June 2021. Police say Harmony was no longer living with her stepmother during those dates.
“Ms. Montgomery represented to NH DHHS that [Hasrmony] was a member of Ms. Montgomery’s household despite H.M. not being a member of Ms. Montgomery’s household during that time period, resulting in Ms. Montgomery receiving benefits for H.M. in excess of $1,500 for that time period. As a class A felony, this charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 7½–15 years,” Formella’s news release stated.
Kayla is scheduled for her next court appearance on April 7 at the Hillsborough Superior Court Northern District in Manchester. Adam’s next court date is scheduled at the same court house on June 28.
Both suspects remain behind bars at the Hillsborough County House of Corrections.
Where is Harmony?
Meanwhile, the search for Harmony continues. She hasn’t been seen since 2019, according to police, but was only reported missing in late 2021.
Court documents released earlier this year indicate that police received a call from Harmony’s biological mother, Crystal Sorey, on November 18, 2021, who claimed her daughter was missing. Sorey told police that Harmony’s father had physical custody of the girl and she couldn’t get in touch with him.
Sorey added that she lost custody of Harmony in 2018 due to drug issues. Adam, according to Sorey, blocked her calls and blocked her from social media, and didn’t allow her to speak to Harmony after Easter 2019.
New Hampshire police reached out to the New Hampshire Department of Children’s Services to locate Adam, but by December 27, 2021, the agency couldn’t find him. Police began searching for Montgomery when they learned that Harmony “had not been physically seen since October/November 2019.”
Police also spoke to Adam Montgomery’s brother, Michael, who explained that Montgomery abused Harmony and gave her a black eye. Police then reached out to Montgomery’s cousin, Kevin, who witnessed the alleged incident.
“I bashed her around this house,” Montgomery said, according to Kevin.
Kevin told investigators that Montgomery was upset at Harmony when her infant brother started crying because he told her to keep an eye on him. In anger, Montgomery allegedly spanked Harmony, made her scrub a toilet with a toothbrush, and forced her to stand in the corner for hours.
On December 31, 2021, police located Adam Montgomery sleeping in a car in New Hampshire with his current girlfriend. The girlfriend told police that Montgomery never once talked about Harmony.
When investigators interviewed Kayla Montgomery, she said that she hadn’t spoken to Adam since November 2021 and hadn’t seen Harmony since late 2019.
Montgomery reportedly told police that Harmony’s mother came to “pick her up in Manchester, NH around Thanksgiving 2019.” Montgomery claimed he hadn’t seen his daughter since.
Police said Adam Montgomery’s statements were inconsistent and secretive, with the suspect telling them things such as, “I have nothing to say” and, “If I’m not under arrest, I’m leaving.”
“Somewhere out there this little girl is in need of help, and that’s our job, and I need your help on helping us to find her safe so the next time we meet, maybe we meet with some good news,” Aldenberg previously said.
One of the Last Known Sightings
One of the last known sightings of Harmony happened in October 2019 at a home off of Gilford Street in Manchester, New Hampshire, after a family spat broke out. The girl’s uncle, Kevin Montgomery, said Adam Montgomery then left with Harmony and broke off contact with several family members.
Kevin Montgomery said Harmony “looked like a scared puppy” the last time he saw her.
Harmony is described as standing around 4 feet tall and weighing 50 pounds. She has blond hair and blue eyes. She is blind in her right eye and should be wearing glasses. The most recent photographs available were taken when she was 5 years old.
A $94,00 reward for information on Harmony’s whereabouts is being offered. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police tipline at 603-203-6060.
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[Feature Photo: Handout]
