After six hours of deliberation over two days, Adam Montgomery has been found guilty of murdering his 5-year-old daughter, Harmony Montgomery.
Jurors at the Hillsborough County Superior Court in New Hampshire found Montgomery guilty Thursday afternoon of second-degree murder, second-degree assault, falsifying evidence, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with witnesses.
Throughout the two-week trial, prosecutors presented evidence that showed Montgomery beat Harmony, took opioids, and then ordered food at Burger King while she succumbed to her injuries in the back seat of his car.
Upon realizing her death, Montgomery concealed her body for months. He stuffed her into a duffel bag and then a cooler. He later rented a U-Haul truck and discarded the victim’s body somewhere outside of Boston.
For nearly two years thereafter, he said nothing and denied harming her, claiming that he returned Harmony to her biological mother.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the incident reportedly took place on December 7, 2019, while Harmony, the defendant, Kayla Montgomery (the defendant’s former wife), and the couple’s other children lived in a Chrysler Sebring after an apartment eviction.
While Montgomery drove the vehicle on the day in question, he turned his body and repeatedly struck Harmony’s face and head while she sat in the rear passenger side. He continued to hit her until he became concerned after the final blow, Kayla said, according to an arrest affidavit.
Prosecutor Christopher Knowles said during opening statements that Montgomery placed a fast food order after beating his daughter, and then showed no concern for the victim as he ate his meal.
“He pulled into that parking lot at Burger King and he ordered his food. He ordered his food and he ate. He didn’t stop to check on Harmony,” Knowles said. “He didn’t look back at her. He didn’t show any concern for this innocent little girl, the child he had just beaten. He ordered his food, and he ate. And he didn’t stop.”
Police received a call from Harmony’s biological mother, Crystal Sorey, on November 18, 2021, who reported Harmony missing. Sorey told police that Montgomery had physical custody of Harmony, and she couldn’t get in touch with him.
Sorey lost custody of Harmony in 2018 due to drug issues. Adam Montgomery, 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 Montgomery after learning Harmony “had not been physically seen since October/November 2019.”
Although she hasn’t been located, officials declared Harmony deceased last year.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Harmony Montgomery/Facebook]
