Harmony Montgomery has been missing for more than three years, prompting investigators to conclude the New Hampshire girl is no longer alive.
Now, her father has been formally accused of killing the girl, who was just 5 years old when she vanished in late 2019, WMUR-TV reports. On January 20, a grand jury indicted 31-year-old Adam Montgomery on charges of second-degree murder, falsifying evidence, and witness tampering.
The indictment comes after New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella alleged at an October press conference that Adam Montgomery beat his daughter, punching her head repeatedly with a closed fist.
This past summer, authorities said they believed Harmony is dead, although a body has not been found. Adam Montgomery is accused of destroying Harmony’s body and disposing of her remains at some point between December 7, 2019, and March 4, 2020, according to WFXT-TV.
Adam Montgomery has been in jail for more than a year on charges of child abuse, accused of striking Harmony in her face in July 2019. He has pleaded not guilty. Adam is also a suspect in an unrelated murder and has a criminal record that includes shooting someone, Fox News reports.
Kayla Montgomery, 32, Harmony’s stepmother and Adam’s estranged wife, told investigators that Adam “encouraged her on multiple occasions to lie to police about Harmony’s whereabouts” and allegedly provided her with a “cover story,” according to Fox News.
For her part, Kayla Montgomery also is accused of wrongdoing. She has been charged with making false statements to a grand jury and collecting welfare payments for Harmony after her death.
Harmony’s biological mother, Crystal Sorey, who forfeited her custodial rights in 2018, told WMUR-TV that the indictment was welcome news.
“Obviously, I knew it was going to happen. But when it does, it’s a totally different feeling than you’d expect,” Sorey told the television station. “It’s relief. It’s, you know, anger that he still hasn’t said where she is.”
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[Feature Photo: Adam and Harmony Montgomery/Police Handout; Facebook]
